Joshua Tree Nationwide Park tenting experiences could make you’re feeling such as you simply walked into an episode of The Flintstones cartoon. The rock formations are surreal, the desert crops are beautiful, and, for those who’re fortunate sufficient to go to throughout wildflower season, the colours are spectacular.
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Our Joshua Tree Tenting Journey
Time of yr: March, spring season with attractive climate
We made our reservation at probably the greatest campgrounds in Joshua Tree Nationwide Park. However, we made it on the final minute so we have been solely in a position to guide one evening. We tried discovering a walk-up website earlier than our checkout time however there was nothing massive sufficient for our rig. So, for the remainder of our time we stayed on Bureau of Land Administration (BLM) property positioned outdoors of the park boundary about 5 miles south of the Joshua Tree Nationwide Park Cottonwood Customer Heart.
Our Jumbo Rocks Campsite
The place we stayed the primary evening: Jumbo Rocks Campground, website #89
Jumbo Rocks is a chief location throughout the park boundaries. It’s a great spot to launch from to see the three major areas of the park.
Our total expertise at this campground was nice.
We did like:
We didn’t like:
- Small campsites near major highway within the campground
- Tough for bigger RVs to maneuver to the areas and lengthen slides/awnings
We might advocate this tenting spot to others and we might come again to this campground. We additionally recognized the finest campsites in different campgrounds we’d like to go to:
- Ryan Campground: Web site 5
- Black Rock Campground: Web site 29
- Jumbo Rocks Campground: Web site 84
Identify Of Campground: Jumbo Rocks Campground
Location in California: Southern
Tackle: Jumbo Rocks Campground, Park Boulevard, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277, Google map LINK to get to this location
Lat/Longs: 33°59’53″N 116°04’12″W or 35.11128969834672, -116.1142818611332
Kind Of Land: Nationwide Park Service
- Managed by: Nationwide Park Service, Joshua Tree Nationwide Park
Cellphone: (760) 367-5500
Web site: https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/jumbo-rocks-campground.htm
Variety of Websites: 124
Pad Kind: paved
Kind Of Tenting: RV, tent
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Entry
Accessibility: Nicely above common (4/5)
- Drive from nearest city to the campsite, pavement by way of the park and campground
- Parking at campsite
- Drive-in/Again-in to website however websites are small so area is proscribed. Tight for larger RVs with slideouts
- Web site is parallel to the highway
- For website #89: RV Max Size 35 Ft. Largest spot in campground: RV Max Size 35 Ft
Cell Cellphone Protection: Nicely under common (0/5)
- There isn’t a cellphone protection in many of the park, together with this campground
- We have been in a position to get a very good sign utilizing Starlink
Costs & Reservations
Worth To Camp: $20/evening (Final Worth Paid: $20 on 9/9/23)
- Types of cost accepted: Customary Recreation.gov accepts Debit or Credit score Playing cards
- Reductions accessible: Senior/Entry Cross is 50% low cost
Reservations: Required yr spherical
- Test-in time: 12 midday
- Test-out time: 12 midday
Keep limits: There’s a 30-day tenting restrict annually. Solely 14 of those nights might happen from October-Might.
Location/Instructions
There’s quick access to Joshua Tree Nationwide Park, listed below are distances to main metro areas:
- 140 miles east of Los Angeles, California
- 175 miles northeast of San Diego, California
- 215 miles southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada
- 222 miles west of Phoenix, Arizona
You possibly can enter the park from the north by way of Route 62 utilizing the West Entrance Station (from Yucca Valley and the city of Joshua Tree) or the North Entrance Station (from the Twentynine Palms space).
You possibly can enter the park from the south by way of Interstate 10 utilizing the South Entrance (from Blythe to the east, from Palm Springs to the west and from the Coachella Valley together with Rancho Mirage and Indio areas).
Our BLM Boondocking Campsite
The place we stayed the remainder of our go to: BLM land south of the park alongside Cottonwood Springs Street
We’re from Arizona and are used to tenting within the vast open desert the place the wind blows incessantly. This was a good place to camp as a result of it was close to the park, however, throughout our go to it was actually windy so we reduce our journey quick and moved to the subsequent vacation spot on our itinerary. On the intense aspect, the floor is hard-packed so the wind didn’t choose up as a lot mud because it does in comparison with tenting in our typical Arizona desert boondocking places.
Our total expertise at these dispersed campsites was common.
We did like:
- Location close to the park’s south entrance
- Charge-free tenting
We didn’t like:
- Windy situations in wide-open desert
- A lot of highway noise from I-10
NOTE: We visited two BLM Dispersed tenting areas, we stayed on the one on the south aspect of Joshua Tree Nationwide Park (positioned off of Cottonwood Springs Street.) We might not advocate the BLM Dispersed location north of the park (positioned off of Cascade Street) as a result of it regarded unsafe to us. There have been deserted automobiles, make-shift tents, scattered trash and RVs in disrepair. It appeared like most of the folks have been dwelling within the space. We had a really uneasy feeling so we left. Our evaluation of the realm was very detrimental, we have no idea the present situation of the situation.
Identify Of Tenting Space: BLM Dispersed Tenting Space South of the Park
Location: Southern California
Tackle: Cottonwood Spring Rd., Chiriaco Summit, CA 92201, Google map LINK to get to this location
Lat/Longs: 33°40’28.2″N 115°48’06.9″W or 33.6745, -115.8019
Kind Of Land: Bureau of Land Administration Space
- Managed by (BLM California Desert District Workplace)
Cellphone: (760) 833-7100
Web site: https://www.blm.gov/workplace/california-desert-district-office
Variety of Websites: n/a, websites will not be numbered, there’s a massive wide-open space to park
Pad Kind: grime
Kind Of Tenting: RV, tent
Entry
Accessibility: Nicely above common (4/5)
- From the south, drive northbound on Cottonwood Spring Street simply as you’ll to enter Joshua Tree Nationwide Park, earlier than getting into the park you will notice folks dry tenting in tents and RVs, flip off the paved highway onto the grime highway paths and select any spot that’s open. The roads are extra like paths that meander however they’re in fairly fine condition, look ahead to areas which were washed out by rains
- Parking at campsite is ample, use as a lot area as you want
- Drive-in/Again-in/Pull-through websites are all accessible
- Any dimension RV can match into this space
Cell Cellphone Protection: Common (3/5)
- Our Verizon protection was spotty so we relied on our Starlink for connectivity
Costs & Reservations
Worth To Camp: FREE (Final Worth Paid: $0 on 9/9/23)
Reservations: Reservations will not be accessible, that is strictly a first-come first-served foundation space. There aren’t any campground facilities in any respect. It is advisable to be absolutely self-contained
- No Test-in, check-out occasions
Keep limits: 14 day limits. Space is open year-round
Location/Instructions
You possibly can enter the tenting space from the south by way of Interstate 10 then onto Cottonwood Spring Street, flip east or west onto the grime roads to enter the dispersed tenting space.
- If you need to enter Joshua Tree Nationwide Park, drive again out to Cottonwood Spring Street and drive northbound. In about 1 mile you’ll enter the park’s southern boundary, in about 5 miles you’ll attain the Cottonwood Customer Heart.
Joshua Tree Nationwide Park Campgrounds
In case you don’t do a lot tenting in desert places, that you must be ready as a result of the Nationwide Park Service might activate fireplace restrictions. Take a look at my submit on tenting throughout fireplace bans for extra info.
We expect the finest locations to camp are centrally positioned within the park. In case you don’t need to drive to completely different places, a central location will present the most alternatives to see a big a part of the park on foot or on bike. For that motive we advocate tenting at one in all these campgrounds:
- Jumbo Rocks
- Belle
- White Tank
- Ryan
- Hidden Valley
- Sheep Cross
Reservation Tenting
Black Rock Campground
- TOTAL SITES: 99
- This campground is positioned within the northwest nook of the park alongside Black Rock Canyon Street. Except you’re backpacking, it’s essential to use freeway 62 to entry different areas within the park
- Open yr spherical
- This location really has campground facilities the opposite places don’t, for those who want cell service cellphone reception and web connectivity, it is a nice selection
- Dump Station is out there right here
- RV Max Size 35 Ft
- Picnic tables and fireplace rings can be found at every website
- Potable water and flush bathrooms can be found right here
- No showers
- Trash/Recycling Assortment is out there right here
- No hookups, RV-accessible potable water and dump stations
Cottonwood Campground
- TOTAL SITES: 62
- This campground is positioned within the southeast space of the park alongside Pinto Basin Street close to the Cottonwood Customer Heart
- Open yr spherical
- Potable water sources and flush bathrooms can be found right here
- No showers
- Trash/Recycling Assortment is out there right here
- Dump Station is out there right here
- RV Max Size 35 Ft
- No hookups, RV-accessible potable water and dump stations
Indian Cove Campground
- TOTAL SITES: 101 (39 reservable, remaining are first-come first-served foundation)
- This campground is positioned on the north aspect of the Wonderland of Rocks in a secluded space off of Freeway 62. It’s 13 miles east of Joshua Tree Village and 10 miles west of Twentynine Palms
- Open yr spherical
- RV Max Size 35 Ft
- Vault bathrooms can be found right here
- No showers, no potable water, no dump station
- Trash/Recycling Assortment is out there right here
- Water is out there on the ranger station positioned roughly 2 miles north of the campground
Jumbo Rocks Campground
- TOTAL SITES: 124
- This campground is positioned within the heart of the park, alongside Park Boulevard
- Reservations may be made as much as six months upfront, they’re required year-round
- Open yr spherical
- No showers, no potable water, no dump station
- Vault bathrooms can be found right here
- Trash/Recycling Assortment is out there right here
- RV Max Size 35 Ft
Ryan Campground
- TOTAL SITES: 32 (4 are designated equestrian websites with reservations required, 3 are bicycle websites)
- This campground is positioned within the heart of the park alongside Park Boulevard, adjoining to the California Driving and Climbing Path. This route is in style with multi-day backpackers for backcountry tenting in addition to horseback riders
- Open yr spherical
- No showers, no potable water, no dump station
- RV Max Size 35 Ft
- Pit bathrooms can be found right here
- Trash/Recycling Assortment is out there right here
First-Served Campgrounds
The finest guess for locating a walk-up camp spot throughout the peak season is to drive by way of the campground within the early morning hours and look ahead to people who find themselves packing up. In case you wait to search for websites later within the day, the transition of campers transferring in or out could have already taken place. Take a look at what are “walk-up solely campsites” to find out how they work and ideas for locating the most effective websites.
Belle Campground
- TOTAL SITES: 18 (all are first-served websites)
- This campground is positioned within the heart of the park alongside Pinto Basin Street
- Open yr spherical
- No showers, no potable water, no dump station
- Pit bathrooms can be found right here
- RV Max Size 35 Ft
- Trash/Recycling Assortment is out there right here
Hidden Valley Campground
- TOTAL SITES: 44 (all are first-served campsites, none may be reserved upfront)
- This campground is centrally positioned alongside Park Boulevard
- Open yr spherical
- No showers, no potable water, no dump station
- Pit bathrooms can be found right here
- RV Max Size 24 Ft
- Trash/Recycling Assortment is out there right here
Indian Cove Campground
- TOTAL SITES: 101 (This is without doubt one of the largest campgrounds however solely 39 websites are reservable, the remaining are first-come first-served foundation)
- This campground is positioned on the north aspect of the Wonderland of Rocks in a secluded space off of Freeway 62. It’s 13 miles east of Joshua Tree Village and 10 miles west of Twentynine Palms
- Open yr spherical
- RV Max Size 35 Ft
- Vault bathrooms can be found right here
- No showers, no potable water, no dump station
- Trash/Recycling Assortment is out there right here
- Water is out there on the ranger station positioned roughly 2 miles north of the campground
White Tank Campground
- TOTAL SITES: 15
- This campground is centrally positioned within the park alongside Pinto Basin Street
- Open yr spherical
- No showers, no potable water, no dump station
- Trash/Recycling Assortment is out there right here
- RV Max Size 24 Ft
Group Campgrounds
Indian Cove and the Sheep Cross Group Campground are the finest for giant teams.
Cottonwood Group Campground
- TOTAL SITES: 3 (Reservation is required)
- Most variety of folks per website ranges from 15-25 relying on the location
- This campground is positioned within the southeast space of the park alongside Pinto Basin Street close to the Cottonwood Customer Heart
- Open yr spherical
- Potable water and flush bathrooms can be found right here
- No showers
- Trash/Recycling Assortment is out there right here
- Dump Station is out there right here
- RV Max Size 35 Ft
- No RV hookups, RV-accessible potable water and dump stations
Indian Cove Group Campground
- TOTAL SITES: 13
- Most variety of folks per website ranges from 15-60 relying on the location
- This campground is positioned on the north aspect of the Wonderland of Rocks in a secluded space off of Freeway 62. It’s 13 miles east of Joshua Tree Village and 10 miles west of Twentynine Palms
- Open yr spherical
- RV Max Size 24 Ft
- Vault bathrooms can be found right here
- No showers, no potable water, no dump station
- Trash/Recycling Assortment is out there right here
- Water is out there on the ranger station positioned roughly 2 miles north of the campground
Sheep Cross Campground
This location solely gives group campsites, there aren’t any particular person websites right here.
- TOTAL SITES: 6
- Most variety of folks per website ranges from 20-50 relying on the location
- This campground is centrally positioned within the park alongside Park Boulevard
- Open yr spherical
- It is a tent tenting solely website, leisure automobiles and liveable trailers are NOT allowed
- Picnic tables and fireplace pits can be found at every website
- Vault bathrooms can be found right here
- Trash/Recycling Assortment is out there right here
- Potable water is out there on the Oasis Customer Heart or West Entrance, 13 miles away
- There’s a devoted parking space however no overflow parking is out there
- Automobile entrance charges are charged on prime of the tenting charge
Backcountry Tenting
There are 15 zones for backpacking in Joshua Tree. You have to receive a allow to camp in a zone. In case you don’t have a allow you’ll be able to hike by way of a zone, however, you cannot camp in a single day and not using a allow for that particular zone.
- Black Rock
- Boy Scout Path
- Nice Valley
- Covington
- Misplaced Horse
- Pinto Mountains
- Juniper Flats
- Pine Metropolis
- Hexie Mountains
- Quail Wash
- Twin Tanks
- Eagle Mountains
- The Maze
- North Entrance
- East Zone
The Boy Scout zone is the most well-liked, backpackers are solely allowed to camp in one of many 14 designated websites inside that zone.
Joshua Tree Boondocking
If you don’t have superior reservations, one of many finest methods to go to Joshua Tree Nationwide Park throughout the busy season is to make use of the BLM free tenting areas. You possibly can pull up on a Friday afternoon and simply discover a spot to arrange camp within the desert. It’s additionally nice when you’ll be able to’t get group websites (so long as you might be keen to dry camp). The BLM California Desert District Workplace is the company that manages this space.
As we mentioned earlier, we felt comfy tenting within the BLM space to the south of the park, however, we have been uneasy concerning the space to the north of the park so we advocate avoiding the northern BLM space.
Actions
Joshua Tree is nice for land-based actions. Right here’s a record our favourite issues to do within the park.
Cranium Rock Nature Path: We liked staying on the Jumbo Rocks Campground as a result of it was wonderful to be nestled between large granite boulders, and, as a result of so many cool issues are inside strolling distance of the campground. We took the Discovery Path to the Cranium Rock Nature Path for a pleasant straightforward morning hike. The simple Cranium Rock loop path is simply over 1.5 miles and meanders round boulder piles and desert washes. The rock that appears like a cranium attracts a number of guests so the parking space is often full. The parking space is positioned alongside the primary east-west park highway instantly throughout from the Cranium Rock.
Cholla Cactus Backyard: Dwelling within the desert space close to Phoenix, I’ve seen my share of cholla cacti however I’ve by no means seen as many in a single location as I noticed on this place. This 1/4 mile loop is a flat straightforward stroll amongst 1000’s of cholla cactus crops that cowl the panorama. I liked the little bridges and groomed paths. It’s vital to remain on the trail as a result of although they appear fuzzy and smooth, these cacti are prickly. You don’t need to be pulling painful thorns out of your footwear, garments or physique!
Misplaced Palms Oasis: This was probably the greatest hikes to expertise a fan palm oasis within the southern a part of the park. This out-and-back 7.5 mile path is strenuous however price it. The path begins with sandy washes and rolling terrain and finally takes you down right into a canyon to discover the fan palms. The climb out of the canyon is the hardest a part of the hike. Use the Cottonwood Spring parking space to entry this path.
Keys View: It takes about 20 minutes to drive from Park Boulevard up Keys View Street. The vacation spot sits on the Little San Bernardino Mountains the place you’ll expertise 360 diploma views of the encompassing space. There’s a lookout that’s ADA accessible. There’s additionally a .2-mile loop mountaineering path with a gradual incline. The trail extends up the ridge for even higher panoramic views. That is the most effective quick hike within the park to see the panorama from a lofty perspective. The distant view of the San Gorgonio Mountain is beautiful with a snow-covered peak reaching over 11,000 ft into the clear blue sky. You’ll additionally admire views of the Santa Rosa Mountains, Salton Sea, Coachella Valley and San Andreas Fault. On a transparent day you’ll be able to see the Sign Mountain in Mexico. It is a great spot for dawn and sundown views and pictures in addition to stargazing at evening.
Arch Rock Nature Path: This straightforward hike wanders by way of sandy and rocky terrain. It’s described as a “lollipop path” since you begin in a straight line that results in a circle on the finish. You around the circle and return on the “lollipop stick” (the straight line) again to the car parking zone. It’s finest to do the “lollipop” part in a counterclockwise path as a result of it’s simpler to identify the arch, search for it on the midway level. Expertise this nearly 1.5 mile loop by parking within the Twin Tanks Parking zone.
Total Panorama: The variety of plant and animal life is wonderful as a result of this park is the place the Mojave desert and Colorado deserts meet providing views of Joshua tree woodlands, native palm oases and enormous open areas of creosote scrub. We have been excited to be visiting when the wildflowers have been exploding in shade. The prettiest scenes have been in view on our drive into the park from our boondocking location south of the park.
Wildlife Viewing: As a result of we dwell in an analogous local weather at house, the wildlife was not tremendous thrilling to us as a result of we see it frequently within the Arizona desert. However, it’s nonetheless price preserving you eyes open to see the antelope, floor squirrels, coyotes, bighorn sheep, mule deer, lizards, ravens, quail, hawks and highway runners.
What we missed, however, have on our record for our subsequent go to: Wonderland of Rocks. We’re not rock climbers however we love watching individuals who resolve to crawl over magnificent boulders and scale rock partitions. That is the realm the place many of the mountain climbing happens inside Joshua Tree Nationwide Park. We ran out of time however will make this a cease on our subsequent go to.
Elevations, Climate & Security
The elevation (and temperature) varies significantly throughout the park. It’s lowest elevation is 536 ft on the southeast nook. It’s highest elevation is 5,814 ft on the prime of Quail Mountain. The Jumbo Rocks Campground elevation is 4,380 ft above sea stage. The common temperatures for Joshua Tree Nationwide Park all year long are:
JAN 60°F Excessive / 37°F Low
FEB 63°F Excessive / 38°F Low
MAR 71°F Excessive / 42°F Low
APR 78°F Excessive / 47°F Low
MAY 85°F Excessive / 53°F Low
JUN 96°F Excessive / 52°F Low
JUL 100°F Excessive / 71°F Low
AUG 99°F Excessive / 69°F Low
SEP 93°F Excessive / 64°F Low
OCT 81°F Excessive / 52°F Low
NOV 69°F Excessive / 43°F Low
DEC 58°F Excessive / 35°F Low
Finest Time Of Yr For Joshua Tree Tenting
Spring (March, April and Might) and fall (October and November) are the finest tenting seasons.
- Excessive temperature ranges: 70-85°F
- Low temperature ranges: 40-50°F
By early June the climate is getting actually heat, throughout the summer time months it’s sizzling.
Winter daytime temperatures hover round a comfy 60°F, however, the in a single day lows are at or under freezing with some areas within the park really accumulating snow.
- Tent campers and backpackers undoubtedly want a 4-season sleeping bag and tent throughout the months of December, January and February, at a minimal.
Be cautious throughout ALL SEASONS as a result of excessive winds and flash floods will not be unusual.
The park is busiest within the spring season, plus, holidays are crowded too.
Joshua Tree campgrounds are booked properly upfront throughout the busy season, take into account boondocking on BLM land simply outdoors of the park boundaries or staying in personal RV parks.
RV parks within the surrounding group embody: Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground
- 2601 Sunfair Rd, Joshua Tree, CA 92252
- (760) 366-1213
- That is about 21 miles from the park’s north entrance
FREE Journey Planner
Use this FREE Tenting Journey Planner to prepare your complete journey.
