The Best Campgrounds in (and Near) Joshua Tree National Park

Choosing a campground is a key step in planning an awesome trip to Joshua Tree National Park.

There are 9 campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park. Since the park has so many campgrounds, it can be overwhelming to sort through the details of every single campground to find the best campground for you.

After researching campgrounds for my own trip to Joshua Tree National Park, I’ve put together this guide to the best campgrounds in and near the park to make trip planning even easier for you.

In this guide, I’ve shared a quick list of the best campgrounds in Joshua Tree followed by descriptions of each campground so you can understand the pros and cons of each campground. I’ve included descriptions of campgrounds outside of the national park as well in case all of the park’s campgrounds are full during the dates you’d like to visit.

Ready to pick your campground? Here are the best campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park.

Click on these links to navigate to a specific section in this guide:

• List of the Best Campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park
• The Best Campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park
• More Campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park
• The Best Campgrounds Near Joshua Tree National Park
• Tips for Reserving a Campground in Joshua Tree National Park

For more help planning your trip to Joshua Tree National Park, check out these related articles:

• Driving Through Joshua Tree National Park: Things to See in One Day
• Stargazing In Joshua Tree National Park: Complete Guide For Beginners
• How To Plan A National Park Trip: 7 Tips For A Perfect Visit

List of the Best Campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park

Here is a list of the campgrounds that are the best for most people visiting Joshua Tree National Park:

• Jumbo Rocks Campground
• Ryan Campground
• Cottonwood Campground
• Hidden Valley Campground

Can’t find a campsite in one of the best Joshua Tree campgrounds? Try a service like Campnab which sends you alerts when a reservation is canceled and a campsite becomes available.

The Best Campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park

Here are descriptions of the best campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park to explain why each campground is an ideal choice.

Jumbo Rocks Campground

Jumbo Rocks Campground is the best campground for visitors coming to see the highlights in Joshua Tree National Park.

This campground is located off of Park Boulevard, the main road along which most of Joshua Tree’s namesake trees and iconic sights are found. So it’s very easy to access the park’s famous landmarks, trails, and park services with Jumbo Rocks Campground as your home base.

There are actually only two campgrounds in the heart of Joshua Tree National Park that accept reservations, and Jumbo Rocks Campground is four times larger than the other campground. So you have a better chance of finding an available campsite that meets your needs if you attempt to make a reservation at Jumbo Rocks Campground.

Jumbo Rocks Campground is the biggest campground in Joshua Tree National Park with 124 campsites. These campsites include space for tents, RVs up to 35 feet, trailers up to 20 feet, and one of only two wheelchair accessible campsites in the entire national park.

Most of the campgrounds in Joshua Tree do not have running water for drinking or in the restrooms, and Jumbo Rocks campground is no exception. The only amenities at Jumbo Rocks Campground are vault toilets and an amphitheater for ranger programs.

Since Jumbo Rocks Campground is the only large, reservable campground in the main section of the park and can host all kinds of camping equipment, it should be the go-to campground for most visitors looking to see Joshua Tree’s highlights.

Campsites can be reserved up to 6 months in advance. Click here to reserve a campsite at Jumbo Rocks Campground.

Ryan Campground

Ryan Campground is another excellent campground in Joshua Tree National Park.

Like Jumbo Rocks Campground, Ryan Campground is reservable and in a great location along Park Boulevard. So this campground is another fantastic choice for visitors planning a trip to see the park’s main attractions.

Ryan Campground is the closest campground to Ryan Mountain, so camping here makes it easy to get an early start on the popular 3-mile roundtrip trail up to the top.

There are 31 campsites at Ryan Campground including 3 bicycle sites and sites for tents, RVs, and trailers up to 35 feet long.

This makes it the smallest reservable campground in Joshua Tree National Park. It’s a good place to stay if you prefer camping among fewer people.

Campsites can be reserved up to 6 months in advance. Click here to reserve a campsite at Ryan Campground.

Cottonwood Campground

Cottonwood Campground is located near Joshua Tree’s southern entrance along Pinto Basin Road.

This location could be a pro or a con, depending on what you’re looking for in a campground.

The downside of the location is that Cottonwood Campground isn’t near much other than a visitor center and a few trails. It’s about a 40-minute drive to reach any Joshua trees or other highlights in Joshua Tree National Park.

But the upside of camping in a more remote section of the park is that there is less artificial light at night here than at other Joshua Tree campgrounds. Therefore, Cottonwood Campground is one of the best campgrounds for stargazing in Joshua Tree National Park.

The 62 campsites at Cottonwood Campground can accommodate tents, RVs, and trailers up to 35 feet in length, so it’s a great campground no matter what type of camping you prefer.

Another perk of Cottonwood Campground is that it has lots of amenities. It’s one of only two Joshua Tree campgrounds with drinking water and flush toilets. It also has a dump station, an amphitheater, and a visitor center.

So if you prefer to have running water at your campground and/or want to experience the epic stargazing opportunities at Joshua Tree National Park, Cottonwood Campground is the best campground for you.

Cottonwood Campground accepts reservations for the most of the year, but switches to first-come, first serve in the off season (summer).

Campsites can be reserved up to 6 months in advance. Click here to reserve a campsite at Cottonwood Campground.

Hidden Valley Campground

Hidden Valley Campground is the last campground I would consider to be one of the best campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park.

This campground is centrally located in the park amid plenty of Joshua trees.

It’s off of Park Boulevard near highlights like Barker Dam, the Wall Street Mill, and several other hiking trails.

There are a number of rock climbing routes nearby, too.

So whether you’re a rock climber or more of a sightseer, there is plenty to do right around Hidden Valley Campground.

This campground is also a good choice for any style of camping since tents, RVs, and trailers up to 24 feet can all be used here.

The catch about Hidden Valley Campground is that the campsites cannot be reserved in advance. Campsites are only available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

However, with 44 campsites, it’s the largest first-come, first-serve campground in Joshua Tree National Park. In fact, it has more than twice as many campsites as the other first-come, first-serve campgrounds in the park.

I typically don’t recommend counting on securing a first-come, first-serve campground in popular national parks. But if you’re arriving at the park on a weekday when campsites are more likely to be available, I suggest checking for an open campsite at Hidden Valley Campground.

(If no campsites are available to reserve in Joshua Tree but you don’t want to risk relying on a first-come, first-serve campsite, head down to the section on the best campgrounds near Joshua Tree National Park!)

More Campgrounds IN Joshua Tree National Park

Below are descriptions of the remaining campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park. These descriptions explain why these campgrounds didn’t make my list of the “best” ones and can help you determine if any of these are a good campground for you.

Belle Campground

Belle Campground is one of the small first-come, first-serve campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park.

There are only 18 campsites here, which can accommodate both tents and RVs up to 35 feet long.

These campsites fill up quickly at busy times like weekends.

But if you’re lucky enough to lock down one of these sites, Belle Campground is a good choice for your stay at Joshua Tree National Park.

Belle Campground is off of Pinto Basin Road just a bit south of where the road intersects with Park Boulevard. This puts the campground near iconic sights like Skull Rock and Arch Rock.

If you’re showing up to Joshua Tree National Park during the week, consider scoping out Belle Campground for a campsite in a good area of the park.

Keep in mind that Belle Campground closes each summer, so head to a different campground if you’re visiting the park at that time.

White Tank Campground

White Tank Campground is another one of the small first-come, first serve campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park.

There are a mere 15 campsites at White Tank Campground. These campsites will be suitable whether you plan to camp in a tent, an RV, or a trailer up to 25 feet long.

White Tank Campground is located along Pinto Basin Road just a bit south of Belle Campground, so it’s also near top attractions like Arch Rock.

White Tank Campground is one of the last developed areas before a long, empty stretch of Pinto Basin Road, which is the darkest section of Joshua Tree National Park at night. This puts White Tank Campground alongside Cottonwood Campground as one of the best campgrounds for stargazing in Joshua Tree National Park.

If you’re looking for a first-come, first-serve campsite in Joshua Tree National Park during the week, consider checking out White Tank Campground for a campsite in a great location of the park.

Keep in mind that White Tank Campground closes every summer, so head to a different campground if you’re visiting the park at that time.

Black Rock Campground

Black Rock Campground is located in the northwest section of Joshua Tree National Park.

The major downside of camping here is that this area is not connected to the rest of the park. To access the rest of the national park, you have to drive back out to the highway and re-enter the park at one of the main entrances.

So if you’re heading to Joshua Tree at a busy time of year, you may have to wait in a line of cars every single day you want to enter the park.

Although the location of Black Rock Campground isn’t ideal for accessing the majority of the park, there are plenty of things to like about this campground.

Black Rock Campground is in one of the densest Joshua tree forests in the whole park. It’s also near several trails including the Panorama Loop Trail and the Warren Peak Trail.

One of the pros of Black Rock Campground is that it has running water for drinking and the restrooms, unlike all of the other Joshua Tree campgrounds except for Cottonwood Campground. Other amenities at the campground include a dump station and the Black Rock Nature Center.

The 99 campsites at Black Rock Campground – including one of only two wheelchair accessible sites in the whole park – can be used for tents or RVs up to 35 feet.

And these campsites can be reserved in advance. So Black Rock Campground can be a good place to stay in Joshua Tree if you want to secure a campsite but can’t get a site at Jumbo Rocks, Ryan, or Cottonwood Campgrounds.

Campsites can be reserved up to 6 months in advance. Click here to reserve a campsite at Black Rock Campground.

Indian Cove Campground

Like Black Rock Campground, Indian Cove Campground is in an area that is isolated from the rest of Joshua Tree National Park.

This means that you have to risk sitting in a long line of cars at the park’s main entrances every time you want to access the core section of the national park.

However, one perk is that the campsites at Indian Cove Campground can be reserved in advance. So it’s worth camping here if you want the security of having a campsite booked but you can’t find an available site at Jumbo Rocks, Ryan, or Cottonwood Campgrounds.

There are plenty of campsites at Indian Cove Campground, so the odds that you can find a reservation here are good. The campground has 101 campsites that can hold tents, RVs, or trailers of up to 35 feet. This includes 13 group sites.

Indian Cove Campground is near a number of rock climbing routes, which makes it a good campground if you’re more interested in visiting Joshua Tree for rock climbing than for sightseeing.

Campsites can be reserved up to 6 months in advance. Click here to reserve a campsite at Indian Cove Campground.

Sheep Pass Group Campground

As the name suggests, Sheep Pass Group Campground only has campsites for large groups.

So while most people visiting Joshua Tree can skip over this campground, Sheep Pass Group Campground is the best campground for groups who want to stay near Joshua Tree’s highlights. (The other campgrounds with group sites in Joshua Tree National Park are Cottonwood Campground and Indian Cove Campground).

Sheep Pass Group Campground can be found along Park Boulevard near Ryan Mountain.

There are only 6 group sites at Sheep Pass Group Campground. Tents are the only acceptable camping equipment at this campground.

Campsites can be reserved up to 6 months in advance. Click here to reserve a campsite at Sheep Pass Group Campground.

The Best Campgrounds Near Joshua Tree National Park

If you didn’t manage to reserve a campground in Joshua Tree National Park and you don’t want to risk relying on a first-come, first-serve campsite to be available, consider reserving a campsite at one of these great campgrounds near the park.

Joshua Tree RV & Campground

Joshua Tree RV & Campground is one of the closest campgrounds to Joshua Tree National Park.

It’s only 10 minutes north of the park’s west entrance in Joshua Tree, CA.

This private campground is geared towards RVs but has about 10 campsites designated for tents as well.

All 75 of the campsites are wheelchair accessible.

So, any camper who is interested in staying as close as possible to Joshua Tree National Park should check out Joshua Tree RV & Campground.

Joshua Tree RV & Campground is also an excellent campground for people who want more amenities than what’s available at the campgrounds within the national park.

Both full hookup and partial hookup campsites are available for RVs.

Whether you’re camping in an RV or a tent, all campground guests can enjoy luxuries like drinking water, Wi-Fi, and laundry.

Campsites at Joshua Tree RV & Campground can be reserved on Campspot.

Joshua Tree Village Campground

If you want to camp on your trip to Joshua Tree but you don’t want to bring your own camping gear, check out the trailers available to rent at Joshua Tree Village Campground.

Joshua Tree Village Campground is just 15 minutes north of the national park’s west entrance in Joshua Tree, CA.

This campground lets you select from five trailers to camp out in.

All of the trailers are parked at a typical campsite with a picnic table and a grill. Each rental includes camping essentials like cooking utensils and camping chairs with some luxuries like bluetooth speakers and TVs.

So, Joshua Tree Village Campground is a great place to camp near the park whether you prefer to stay unplugged or indulge in a few creature comforts during your stay.

Note that pets are only allowed in the larger trailers.

The rentals at Joshua Tree Village Campground are booked through Airbnb. Click here to review the listings at Joshua Tree Village Campground with links to each trailer’s reservation page.

Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground

Not to be confused with Joshua Tree RV & Campground listed above, Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground is 20 minutes north of the national park’s west entrance in Joshua Tree, CA.

This the best campground north of Joshua Tree National Park if you’re looking for a place to pitch a tent since there are over 80 campsites designated for tents. There are plenty of RV sites, too, with both full and partial hookups available.

The amenities at Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground include a dump station, showers, Wi-Fi (for an additional fee), and a fishing lake.

Note that Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground often hosts private events, which may be occurring during your stay. If you want to ensure a quiet camping trip, check the campground’s calendar of events page before making your reservation.

Campsites can be reserved about 3-4 months in advance. Click here to reserve a campsite at Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground.

Shadow Hills RV Resort

Shadow Hills RV Resort is a luxurious oasis in the middle of the desert.

This RV resort is 30 minutes west of the national park’s south entrance in Indio, CA. It’s conveniently located near I-10.

Shadow Hills RV Resort offers over 100 campsites and is suitable for a variety of camping styles. RV and tent sites are available along with the option to glamp in on-site trailers and tee pees.

This campground is best for anyone who wants access to niceties during their trip to Joshua Tree. The amenities at Shadow Hills RV Resort include a heated pool, ponds, walking trails, a fitness center, a club house, and a game room.

Of course, you’ll pay a steeper price to camp here than at other campgrounds because of all the deluxe amenities that are included.

Click here to reserve a campsite at Shadow Hills RV Resort.

Salton Sea State Recreation Area

If you’re looking for a public campground near Joshua Tree National Park, consider camping at Salton Sea State Recreation Area.

Salton Sea State Recreation Area is in Mecca, CA, 35 minutes south of Joshua Tree National Park’s southern entrance.

The State Recreation Area (SRA) encompasses 14 miles of the Salton Sea’s northeastern shore.

There are over 200 campsites spread across the SRA’s 5 campgrounds. The campsites, which include some with full hookups, can accommodate tents, RVs, and trailers up 35 feet.

Those who stay at one of Salton Sea SRA’s developed campgrounds have access to restrooms with showers plus amenities for swimming, boating, and fishing.

Campsites at Salton Sea State Recreation Area can be reserved up to 6 months in advance. Reservations can be made online on ReserveCalifornia.

Tips for Reserving a Campground in Joshua Tree National Park

Now that you know the pros and cons of each campground in Joshua Tree National Park, here are a few tips to keep in mind before attempting to reserve a campsite in the park.

• Make a list of your top campgrounds instead of just choosing just one favorite. This way you’ll have a list of backup campgrounds on hand if your preferred campground is full. 
• If you haven’t already, create an account on recreation.gov before the day you plan to make your campground reservation. Log into your account before reservations become available to save time in the reservation process.
• Can’t find an available campsite for the dates you want to visit Joshua Tree? Try a service like Campnab which sends you alerts when a reservation is canceled and a campsite becomes available.

Need more help planning your trip to Joshua Tree National Park? Check out these related articles:

• Driving Through Joshua Tree National Park: Things to See in One Day
• Stargazing In Joshua Tree National Park: Complete Guide For Beginners
• How To Plan A National Park Trip: 7 Tips For A Perfect Visit

As always, enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Leave no trace on all of your adventures.