For visitors looking to camp in solitude with direct access to one of the park’s most unique natural features, the Los Ojitos campsite offers a rare opportunity. Located about a mile from the South Leyva Interior Headquarters, this is the only campsite at the Los Ojitos trailhead.
Set beside a riparian corridor shaped by seasonal springs and an old masonry dam, the campsite offers both seclusion and ecological interest. After rain, the shallow basin behind the historic “header dam,” built by the Fowlkes brothers in 1944, temporarily floods to create a wetland-like environment. These ephemeral ponds mimic the playa habitat seen in the Texas plains, supporting over 200 bird species along with amphibians, reptiles, insects, and even tiny aquatic crustaceans.
While the site is primitive, the surrounding landscape is rich with biodiversity and desert scenery. Campers can enjoy early morning birdwatching, quiet hikes through desert grasslands, and the chance to witness firsthand how water—even briefly present—transforms the Chihuahuan Desert.
Ideal for backcountry travelers seeking solitude and natural history, the Los Ojitos campsite offers a peaceful base for exploring one of the park’s least-traveled but most ecologically fascinating areas.
