Know before you go: Within the boundaries of the park, cell service is nil. Be prepared with everything you may need, you won’t be able to call anyone to bring that 6-pack of beer you forgot to buy at the store or post your favorite selfie to Instagram while you are visiting.
When to Go
Where to Stay
Camping within Joshua Tree National Park
- $15/night
- Pit Toilets
- Tables
- Fire grate
- NO Water
- $15/night
- Pit Toilets
- Tables
- Fire grate
- NO Water
- $20/night
- Flush Toilets
- Tables
- Fire grate
- Potable Water
- $15/night
- Pit Toilets
- Tables
- Fire grate
- NO Water
- $15/night
- Pit Toilets
- Tables
- Fire grate
- NO Water
- $40-$50/night
- Reservation Only
- Pit Toilets
- Tables
- Fire grate
- NO Water
- $15/night
- Pit Toilets
- Tables
- Fire grate
- NO Water
Reserving A Campsite
Camping outside Joshua Tree National Park
There are two campgrounds that you can reserve in advance for camping (October-May reservations required); Black Rock and Indian Cove. If you stay at either camp, you will have to drive into the park to access hikes.
- $20/night
- Managed by NPS
- Flush Toilets
- Tables
- Potable Water
- Staff Onsite
- Fire Grates
- Dump Station
- $20/night
- Managed by NPS
- Pit Toilets
- Tables
- NO Water
- Fire Grates
- Managed by the Bureau of Land Management
- No toilets
- No water
- No trash pick-up
- Campfires by permit only
How to get Around
Unless you plan to hitchhike in, you’ll need a car. The main areas of Joshua Tree National Park are about 3 hours from San Diego and Los Angeles. Once inside the park you can drive to all the main sites, hike to trailheads, and bike on any road open to vehicles.
Things to Do
Joshua Tree National Park has miles of trails and an almost limitless supply of boulders to climb. The park is also in the process of getting 29 miles of backcountry roads designated for mountain biking.
Hiking
Trails ranging from easy to strenuous are available in Joshua Tree. Depending on what you would like to see on your hike, how long you’d like to hike, and how much of a challenge you’d like all factors that will contribute to what hikes you choose. On our first weekend in Joshua tree we did a mix of moderate and easy hikes. There are a variety of trails within the park that provide an opportunity to hike up to the summit for amazing ariel views, to abandoned mines, amazing rock structures, and oases. One of my favorite hikes was our climb up to Ryan Mountain which gave us 360 degree views of the park. Popular trails for first-timers include: Arch Rock Trail, Ryan Mountain Trail, Hidden Valley Loop, Wall Street Mill, Barker Dam Trail, and Warren Peak Trail.
Rock Climbing, Bouldering, & Slacklining
Joshua Tree is famous in the rock climbing community. With thousands of climbing routes throughout the Park it’s not hard to see why. Its grippy rock and amazing landscape make it a bucket list destination for climbers around the world. I’m not one of those people, however I wouldn’t be opposed to taking a rock climbing course the next time I’m out there. Along with rock climbing, bouldering and slacklining are popular activities as well.
Stargaze
If you’re anything like me, then stargazing is high on your list of things to do when visiting Joshua Tree. Wintertime is perfect for those that don’t want to stay up late to see the spectacle of twinkling lights in the sky. Summertime is when the Milky way is at its best, but requires even the night owls to stay up well into the night. Fall and Spring offer unique opportunities to see celestial bodies with the naked eye.
Take Time to Chill by the Campfire
Camping is hardly camping unless you have a campfire, well at least you can say this for car camping. There’s nothing quite like hearing the crackle of the wood as the flames cast a beautiful golden hue across your campsite and winding down from an action packed day while drinking your favorite adult beverage.
Helpful Resources for Joshua Tree
My brother was so excited about his trip to JTree that upon his return to our apartment he gifted me these three resources. When we finally travelled to Joshua Tree I found these to be incredibly helpful not only before our trip, but while we were out exploring the park. No matter what you decide to do in Joshua Tree National Park, you are bound to have an amazing time.
This looks like an amazing place to camp. Thanks for listing all the places to stay, that will make planning a trip much easier.
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It’s seriously gorgeous, I highly recommend it. Happy to consolidate some of the places to camp, it was one of the more confusing things to me when planning to camp there. Glad it will come in handy for you!
Thx 4 sharing. Loved it.