Reservation CampingThe majority of the 500 campsites in the park are available by reservation. Reservations can be made the same day or up to 6 months in advance and can be booked on recreation.gov. Book your site before entering the park. Cell service is unreliable and nonexistent in Joshua Tree National Park.Reserving a site is highly recommended if you plan to camp on a holiday, a weekend, or any day of the week in the spring. Our busy spring season runs from November to May. Summer Status: All reservation campgrounds are open year-round. Some sections of Indian Cove Campground, Black Rock Campground, and Cottonwood Campground close in the summer. Reservations Required
First-Come, First-Served CampingHidden Valley, White Tank, and Belle Campgrounds are first-come, first-served. A ranger will come by with portable registers to collect the campsite payment throughout the day. There is no longer a self-registering, pre-payment system for first-come, first-serve campsites. The fee is $15 per night. First-come; First-served
Can't Find A Campsite?The park has become an extremely popular destination in recent years. Due to this popularity, all park campgrounds are usually full on weekends October through May. If you arrive too late to get a site in a designated campground, you have the following options:
Sleeping in your vehicle overnight along the roadside or at a roadside pull off is not allowed, and violators may be subject to a citation. For more information, visit our Camping Outside of the Park page. Group SitesThere are three areas that have group campsites: Cottonwood, Indian Cove, and Sheep Pass.
Equestrian Camping Black Rock and Ryan Campgrounds have designated horse camps. Ryan is closed in the summer months. See the horseback riding page for more information. RegulationsVisit our Camping Regulations page to learn more about general rules, pets, quiet hours, and fires/firewood. Attaching lines to vegetation, including Joshua trees and junipers, is prohibited. Hammocks, slacklines, and other horizontal ropes must be tied to rocks and climbing bolts, and are not permitted in campgrounds. |
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Last updated: September 1, 2021