The majority of the campsites in the park are available by reservation. Reservations can be made up to six months in advance at recreation. Book your site before entering the park: cell service is unreliable to 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 during peak season November-May.
Summers can be brutally hot and sometimes rainy, with devastating flash floods. Winters are bitter cold at night and sometimes snowy, creating treacherous road conditions. Hellish winds can show up in any season with little warning. Being prepared for anything—and knowing your experience level and limits—ensures your chances for having a good and safe time.
There are eight campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park, as well as three group camps. Most are primitive campgrounds with pit toilets and no water. None have RV hookups. Camping is allowed only in designated campgrounds. Additionally, there are two private campgrounds in the town of Joshua Tree with RV hookups , a few other nearby camping options see below , as well as some BLM areas that allow camping.
Located near Ryan Mountain—one of the most popular moderate hikes in the park—this small and semi-secluded campground is a good choice for getting an early start on your hike. Pit toilets, tables, and fire grates. No water. This is the biggest campground in the park.
It also has some of the biggest sites, suitable for medium to large sized RVs and larger campers no RV hookups. It is not as quiet or intimate as the smaller campgrounds, but has some stunning boulders and lots of Joshua Trees.
