Description

Want to sleep below giant boulders and starry skies in the center of Joshua Tree National Park but don’t have a reservation? Hidden Valley Campground is for you. All 44 campsites are available on a  first-come, first-served basis, rewarding those who show up earliest. Home to Intersection Rock and numerous boulder problems, Hidden Valley is also a hub of Joshua Tree’s rock climbing community. Each Hidden Valley campsite comes with a picnic table, a fire ring, and access to pit toilets, though potable water is not available, so bring plenty of your own and plan to refill at the West Entrance Station water spigot as needed. RVs are welcome but must not exceed 24 feet in length—Hidden Valley Campground has no hookups.

Tips for snagging a campsite reservation

  • All 44 Hidden Valley campsites are first-come, first-served. No advance reservations are available.
  • To snag a site, arrive early and locate an open and vacant campsite. Park at the site, set up camp, and then proceed to the entrance station to complete a registration envelope and pay via cash only. Finally, clip your reservation stub to the post at the entrance of your campsite.
  • Hidden Valley Campground is very popular and frequently fills up on weekends, holidays, and during fall, winter, and spring school breaks. You may increase your odds of finding a campsite if you arrive on a morning between Monday and Thursday.
  • If Hidden Valley is full, you can also look for a campsite at one of Joshua Tree's other two first-come, first-served campgrounds: White Tank and Belle.
  • When to go

    Most campers aim for spring or fall trips to Joshua Tree, when the days are warm and the nights are cool. If you're comfortable with cold weather camping and lows in the 30s, winter is also a great time to visit. Due to the park’s desert climate, summers are grueling with average highs creeping up to the triple digits. If visiting in summer, we recommend staying in a Hipcamp with AC in the town of Joshua Tree and making day trips into the park in the mornings and evenings to avoid the high heat.

    Campsite area
    Tent sites
    44 sites
    Up to 6 guests per site
    Up to 6 vehicles
    No wheelchair access
    Essentials
    Campfires allowed
    Toilet available
    Pets allowed
    Amenities
    Picnic table available
    No potable water
    No showers

    Activities

    Offered near the campground.

    Biking

    Road cyclists use Park Boulevard for long rides, but be advised there is no bike lane and cars travel fast. Gravel and mountain...Read more

    Hiking

    The one-mile Hidden Valley Loop trail starts at the day-use area near Hidden Valley Campground. The Barker Dam, Ryan Mountain, ...Read more

    Horseback riding

    Sometimes, a strikingly beautiful place is just made better by the presence of a good friend. We believe this absolutely applie...Read more

    Off-roading (OHV)

    You KNOW those endless stretches of California desert are calling your name, and you can feel your fingers itching at the thoug...Read more

    Climbing

    Hidden Valley is Joshua Tree’s unofficial climber’s campground. It’s home to some of the park’s best trad climbing on Intersect...Read more

    Wildlife watching

    Keep your eyes (and ears) peeled for coyotes at Hidden Valley Campground. With a bit of luck, you may also spot kangaroo rats, ...Read more

    Terrain

    Natural features you'll find at Hidden Valley Campground.

    Desert
    Hipcamp makes it easy to find unique camping experiences.
    Discover campsites, ranches, vineyards, farms, glamping, public parks and more.

    17 Reviews

    750
    No one? Bueller? Sharing is caring, y'all.
    Drop some Hidden Valley Campground knowledge on us.
    Hipcamper Jens
    Jens G.
    didn't provide a recommendation.
    April 4th, 2022

    I will arrive in about 2 weeks on the afternoon. Of course I wanna go fastly to other places for hiking. But I would saty on the hidden valley campground for overnight. So should I come on the afternoon directly to this campground to tell there somebody, that I want to stay for overnight, but I have to drive now to other places for hiking or am I loosing like this my place, cause I don´t stay until the night? How´s that working?

    Hipcamper sabrina
    Sabrina C.
    recommends this listing.
    May 19th, 2020

    minimal shade at the actual campsite, but a great location within the park! It's a little more isolated than other campsites too

    Hipcamper Frederike
    Frederike H.
    recommends this listing.
    March 27th, 2019

    Very cool and friendly people around. Big spot for rock climbing. We ended up sharing a space with some people we met there!

    Hipcamper Jason
    Jason G.
    recommends this listing.
    February 10th, 2019

    Highly recommend climbing moosedog tower

    Hipcamper Rebecca
    Rebecca L.
    recommends this listing.
    February 1st, 2019

    It gets cold at night so bring layers and warmer sleeping bags.

    Hipcamper Vincent
    Vincent M.
    recommends this listing.
    December 29th, 2018

    Bring water!

    Hipcamper Kay
    Kay A.
    didn't provide a recommendation.
    August 30th, 2018

    This was a wonderful campground, surrounded by boulders to climb and nooks and crannies to explore. Some campsites were secluded, some not so much. If you are there at a hot time of year you might be able to find some shade, but you probably have to decide which is more important, afternoon shade or morning shade. The nearby Hidden Valley trail is a one mile loop, a must-do with historical info and secluded but scenic. Picnic tables available in the trail parking lot also.

    Hipcamper Emily
    Emily D.
    recommends this listing.
    March 6th, 2018

    Pretty perfect spot for a classic J Tree, scrambling, climbing sorta stay. Definitely best to go on weekdays to avoid crowds. The atmosphere here among neighboring campers is always incredibly friendly, everyone waves and smiles, probably just due to being overwhelmed by the beauty of this place- a perfect escape from the Bay Area (or any city for that matter).

    Hipcamper Sara
    Sara L.
    didn't provide a recommendation.
    February 20th, 2018

    Great boulder hopping in the area. February is a great time to visit.

    Park
    Joshua Tree National Park
    State
    California
    Country
    United States
    Phone Number
    N/A
    Directions
    View on Google Maps
    Official Website
    View Website
    Coordinates
    34.017° N, 116.162° W
    $10/night
    Tent Only: 44 Sites
    (Up to 6 people per site)