Notable Campgrounds
Tips for Snagging a Campsite Reservation
- Of the park’s nine campgrounds, Cottonwood and Indian Grove have individual and group sites. Sheep Pass is a group campground.
- Campsites at Black Rock, Cottonwood, Indian Cove, Jumbo Rocks, Ryan, and Sheep Pass campgrounds are available by online reservation from September to May. You can reserve a site as early as six months in advance.
- Belle, Hidden Valley, and White Tank campgrounds are first-come, first-served. They’re extremely popular in spring, so arrive early in the week for your best chance of securing a spot.
When to Go
Joshua Tree National Park is open year-round, but the busy season is October through May. Since the park sits at the intersection of two deserts—the Mojave and Colorado—summer is not the best time, with daytime temperatures exceeding 100°F. Spring is busiest, when crowds arrive for wildflower blooms and pleasant weather. Fall temperatures are similarly mild. The thermometer hovers at 60°F during the day in winter, with freezing temperatures at night.
Know Before You Go
- The park has no cell service, but wifi is available at the Oasis and Joshua Tree Visitor Centers.
- It’s recommended that visitors bring one gallon of water per person per day to stay hydrated.
- The park has picnic areas, but no restaurants or grocery stores. Buy food and groceries in Twentynine Palms, one of the other small towns along Highway 62, or in Palm Springs.
- Hammocks, slacklines, and horizontal ropes are not permitted in campgrounds. Elsewhere in the park they can be tied to rocks and climbing bolts only—never trees or other vegetation.
- Leashed pets are permitted in campgrounds, but pets are not allowed on trails or in the backcountry.
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree camping offers access to a desert wonderland of crooked trees and boulders, where hiking and rock climbing sublime.
Joshua Tree National Park feels a little offbeat. And we like it. Maybe it's the cartoonish boulders, beloved by rock climbers and Instagrammers. Or the abandoned mines, lonely oases, and black-tailed jackrabbits that hang around the place like misfits. The namesake trees are a bit fanciful themselves, dotting the California desert with their branches askew like some sort of carefree, silly walkers. Hikers follow trails that twist through boulder clusters, climb scrubby mountains, and beeline to spring-fed oases while rock climbers have their pick of 8,000 established routes. For free-spirited fun, get thee to JT.
Joshua Tree National Park feels a little offbeat. And we like it. Maybe it's the cartoonish boulders, beloved by rock climbers and Instagrammers. Or the abandoned mines, lonely oases, and black-tailed jackrabbits that hang around the place like misfits. The namesake trees are a bit fanciful themselves, dotting the California desert with their branches askew like some sort of carefree, silly walkers. Hikers follow trails that twist through boulder clusters, climb scrubby mountains, and beeline to spring-fed oases while rock climbers have their pick of 8,000 established routes. For free-spirited fun, get thee to JT.
Activities in the park
9 campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park
Hidden Valley Campground is a good option for those looking to sleep among starry skies near the center of the park on their next Joshua Tree camping adventure. Just off Park Boulevard, this Joshua Tree National Park camping location offers nine campsites with picnic tables, fire rings, and pit toilets. Popular among hikers and climbers, the campg Read more...
Visit Ryan Campground on your next Joshua Tree camping trip for the rare experience of sitting atop a towering boulder as the golden glow of sunset lights up the desert before the stars take over the sky. Choose from 31 reservable campsites near the park’s center with easy access to Mt. Ryan and Cap Rock. Sites come equipped with fire rings, picni Read more...
If desert camping is on your radar, set your sights upon White Tank Campground at Joshua Tree National Park, where scrambling around striking rock formations and stargazing among some of the darkest evening skies in Southern California are just a few of the highlights. This small campground with hiking trail access offers 15 campsites, each availa Read more...
Outside of Twentynine Palms discover some of the best camping in JTree at Indian Cove. Adventure the day away among the steep and tall rock formations that rise up from the desert floor. Fall asleep in your tent tucked away amidst it all. Proximity to rock climbing routes makes this expansive campground particularly appealing to climbers. Non-cl Read more...
Gather your crew and experience the sheer amazingness of Joshua Tree camping at Sheep Pass Campground, one of three group campgrounds in the park. With stunning rock formations, captivating starry night skies, a visually captivating landscape dotted with joshua trees, and easy access to climbing routes and hiking trails, Sheep Pass Campground is a Read more...
If Joshua Tree camping is on the mind, staying at Jumbo Rocks campground is a must! Family-friendly Jumbo Rocks campground is located just a short hike from Skull Rock, one of the coolest rock formations in the park. Jumbo Rocks campground is the biggest of all campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park. Pick from 124 reservable sites that have picn Read more...
If you’re looking for a unique travel experience in the American southwest, Joshua Tree camping is not to be missed. Visit one of Belle Campground’s 15 campsites to experience the best in Joshua Tree National Park camping—a visually appealing desert landscape dotted with Joshua trees, shrubs, large granite boulders, and starry night skies. Take yo Read more...
Sleep and adventure within one of Joshua Tree National Park’s densest Joshua Tree forests at Black Rock Campground. With 100 individual sites, Black Rock is a quiet and family-friendly Joshua Tree camping location that can be good for both seasoned and first-time campers. The campground also offers a separate camping area for those with horses. Bl Read more...
If you’re after a weekend of stargazing and wildflower peeping, Cottonwood Campground should probably be added to the “must-stay" list for your next Joshua Tree camping adventure. Tucked away in the south of Joshua Tree National Park at an elevation of 3,000-feet, the campground is nearby Cottonwood Visitor Center, Mastodon Peak, and Lost Palms Oa Read more...
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Notable Campgrounds
Notable Campgrounds
Tips for Snagging a Campsite Reservation
When to Go
Joshua Tree National Park is open year-round, but the busy season is October through May. Since the park sits at the intersection of two deserts—the Mojave and Colorado—summer is not the best time, with daytime temperatures exceeding 100°F. Spring is busiest, when crowds arrive for wildflower blooms and pleasant weather. Fall temperatures are similarly mild. The thermometer hovers at 60°F during the day in winter, with freezing temperatures at night.
Know Before You Go
Public campgrounds (book externally) —