Planning a Camping Trip to Joshua Tree National Park
Camping in Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park is full of life, color, and adventure. It’s somewhere I find myself drawn to again and again for the night sky, the jumbo rocks, and the freedom it provides. You can really go out and explore Joshua Tree without worrying too much about damaging the wildlife. The desert is incredibly resilient and beautiful, but it’s also dangerous. Read on for information on the best campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park, the best activities (sorted by season) and some key reference materials for your trip.
Campgrounds
There are 9 campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park plus the option for backcountry camping. Two of the campgrounds are quite large, but the others are very small (think under 15 sites). Those listed below are my favorites.
Looking for an excellent tent for Joshua Tree National Park? I recommend the Coleman Hooligan 3-person tent. It’s perfect for stargazing and has the best ventilation I’ve ever experienced in a tent. It’s great for the desert.
Jumbo Rocks
If this is your first trip to Joshua Tree, you probably want to stay in Jumbo Rocks campground. It’s a giant campground with over 100 campsites so you won’t have to worry too much about getting a spot. Be prepared to pack your own shade unless you’re lucky enough to get one of the few spots that are shaded most of the day. You also have to pack in your water and you need at least 1 gallon per person per day plus water for cooking. Don’t worry though, you can easily drive out of the park to buy more in the nearby town.
Jumbo Rocks is a super rad campground. It’s filled with boulders that you can climb on to get spectacular views of the surrounding desert and gorgeous sunsets and sunrises. It’s also walking distance to Skull rock which is totally cool and very photogenic.
Black Rock
This is very much an “intro to camping” campground. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, water is nearby, and it’s just 5 miles from Yucca. With 100 sites, this campground is comparable to Jumbo Rocks, but it’s at the edge of the park. It’s also the entrance to Black Rock Canyon and accommodates RVs. If you’re looking for a more relaxed, “easy” camping experience, check out Black Rock. Black Rock and Indian Cove are the only campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park that accept reservations and they only accept them between October and May.
White Tank
White Tank campground only has 15 sites and it’s first come, first served. From the campground, you can access Arch Rock trail and it’s near a bunch of climbing areas including Torre Del Sol, the Saturn Boulder, the Bovine Dome, and more. No water available here, so make sure you pack it in.
What to Do:
Depending on the time of year you’re there, you’ll have different options for things to do during the day. During the hot season, essentially half of the year, you’re going to want to keep most of your activities to the early morning, late evening, and night. This will help you avoid the intense desert sun and scorching heat. In the cooler season, you really have all day long to explore the park. Just make sure you bring tons of water, no matter what the season. If you don’t already have a hydration backpack, you should seriously consider getting one.
Activities for Any Season in Joshua Tree
No matter what the season, these are some great options for daytime activities. Just make sure you bring plenty of sunscreen.
Joshua Tree National Park is a climbers paradise. If you want to try your hand at bouldering, get some chalk before you go. You’ll also need a rad chalk bag or bucket and a crash pad (or a mattress, I won’t judge).
1. Geology Tour Road
This is a one-way, rocky dirt road that will get you out into the desert where you can see some of the rad geological features in Joshua Tree without leaving your vehicle. If it’s too hot (or cold) for you, hop in your car, adjust the temperature, turn up the tunes and head on out to Geology Tour Road. Just make sure that you have an All Wheel Drive vehicle with decent ground clearance. Even if the beginning of the road seems like you don’t need it, by the time you realize how necessary AWD is, it’s too late to go back.
2. Keys View
Keys View is a high-altitude lookout point that provides a fantastic view of the San Bernardino Mountains. You can also see Coachella from here! It’s a bit of a drive to get to, but it will allow you to see a ton of the landscape without leaving the air-conditioned comfort of your vehicle. Any car can handle this the roads up to Keys View, no AWD required.
3. Cholla Cactus Garden
Make sure you stay on the trail/boardwalk for this quarter-mile loop through the cholla. The cholla is a really interesting type of cactus that usually appears in a sort of ombre color from dark brown at the bottom to light yellow at the top. Their spines are barbed and very difficult to remove from skin, fur, and clothing (so, again, stick to the trail). Walking through this massive collection of cholla is really awesome. They’re beautiful and definitely worth the time to get to. Lookout for bee warnings before you go, last time we went there, there were tons of the little guys. The bees in J-Tree are just looking for water, but they’re a little aggressive about it so take care.
Grab some tweezers in case you end up with some cactus spines in your arm.
4. Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Centers
Joshua Tree National Park has 3 visitor centers at various points throughout the park. The main one (called Joshua Tree Visitor Center) is at the Northern entrance to the park. It has a bookstore, water, flush toilets (rare in J-Tree) and showers nearby. Cottonwood visitor center is near the Southern point of the park. From here you can easily access the Cottonwood Springs campground. This area is also the best bird watching area in the park. The final visitor center is the Oasis visitor center, also located near the North entrance to the park.
You can also check out Black Rock Nature Center, located at Black Rock campground. This one’s only open between October and May though.
Cool Season Activities
The NPS calls October-May their “cool” season (in the winter it’s around 60F during the day and can get below freezing at night). This is prime time for climbers in J-Tree so make sure you arrive at the park really early if you’re going for a first-come-first-served camping spot. During the cool season, you really have access to the whole park and you don’t have to worry too much about heat exposure. Just keep an eye on the temperature during October and May. This is also the “rainy” season in Joshua tree. If it starts raining, make sure you don’t stay in the canyons or on the washes. Flash floods are entirely possible in the park and you don’t want to find yourself caught in one. That being said, here are my favorite things to do in J-Tree when it’s not blazing hot.
Skull Rock
If you’re staying in Jumbo Rocks, you have no excuse not to go here. Even if it’s hot, I recommend that you check out this awesome formation. The rock looks like something straight out of Peter Pan and it’s especially captivating around sunrise and sunset when it’s surrounded by the colorful desert skies. You can park across the street from Skull Rock, or in Jumbo Rocks campground. Either way, it’s a very short walk to the formation (1.5-mile loop from Jumbo Rock). Once you’re there, take your time and explore. Climb on it, take photos, have fun!
Arch Rock
Another really short hike (0.5 miles) will get you to Arch Rock. This is another great spot for bouldering, whether you are a climber or not. It’s also a phenomenal spot for photographs, so bring your good camera.
Hall of Horrors
This is a very popular spot for climbers. Even if you’re not a climber, head out there and watch the pros have at it. Or, go for amazing sunset and sunrise pictures. Honestly, this whole park is incredibly photogenic.
Lost Palms Oasis
This is a longer hike (7.2 miles) through a canyon that will require some scrambling. It’s totally worth your time though and it’s something that you really can’t do during the hot season in the park.
Hidden Valley
The cool season is the best time to explore Hidden Valley. This is another great spot for bouldering (although, all of Joshua Tree is a good spot for bouldering). It’s also just fun to explore the area. You can go off trail in Joshua Tree without worrying too much about hurting the environment. Just bring a map or someone with a really excellent sense of direction. It would totally suck to get lost in this massive desert.
Hot Season Activities
June-September is pretty brutal in Joshua Tree National Park from sunup to sundown. The park is not closed during the hot season, and I’ve camped in Joshua Tree during the summer, but it is really hot and the UV index is off the charts in the park. It’s intense, desert weather so if you don’t think you can handle that, have a backup plan before you get to the park.
Despite the heat, there are a bunch of things you can do in Joshua Tree National Park during the summer. Whatever you choose, make sure you bring water (I’ve probably already said this a lot, but it’s important!) and dress appropriately. You should keep your skin covered with light, loose clothing during the summer.
Mastodon Peak
Not for the faint of heart. This 3-mile hike is listed as strenuous (though I didn’t think it was too bad) and involves some serious scrambling to get up to the actual peak. If you’re scared of heights, it’s not Angels’ Landing status, but it is unnerving. The view from the top is amazing and there’s usually a cell signal up there, which I think is hilarious.
Black Rock Canyon
There are a ton of trails accessible from Black Rock campground. Hi-View Natural Trail is short, but scenic 1.3-mile walk that will give you a taste of the variety of vegetation in Joshua Tree National Park. If you’re looking for something longer, check out Eureka Peak which will take you up to a ridgeline that overlooks the peaks of San Jacinto and San Gorgorio.
Offroading
If you’ve got a 4-wheel drive car with decent ground clearance and you’re confident enough in your driving skills to take it on unmaintained roads leading out to abandoned mines or up steep inclines with sharp dropoffs, Joshua Tree is a phenomenal place for offroading. I recommend starting with Geology Tour Road to get a taste of the desert environment before you hit up more serious “roads” like Black Eagle Mine Road. Be aware that when you pass the sign that says “unmaintained road” it’s not a joke. These roads are dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. You need to bring extra water and be able to self-rescue if necessary.
Get more info on the backcountry roads.
Half the Park is After Dark
Here at AO, we’re huge fans of stargazing and the night sky in Joshua Tree is one of the best spots for stargazing in the world. The thin desert atmosphere and lack of ambient light mean that every night is near perfect conditions for stargazing. Assuming there’s no super bright moon in the sky, you should be able to see the Milky Way every single night. The quantity of stars I saw there isn’t even comparable to anywhere else I’ve been stargazing. It’s so great, you can spot multiple satellites orbiting around Earth.
Sometime during the night, turn off your headlamps and look up. You won’t be sorry. Bring a telescope with you for the best view.
If you’re lucky, your stay in Joshua Tree may coincide with an event held by Sky’s The Limit, an observatory and nature center just outside the park. I was fortunate enough to attend one of these events during my last trip to J-Tree. There were tons of astronomy buffs out there with telescopes and special laser pointers who wanted nothing more than to show me the star, nebula, galaxy, or another galactic item that they’ve been following. It’s a great experience. And hey, if you have fun and are able to, send these guys a donation so they can keep doing what they do.
Protect the Desert and Yourself
Whatever you decide to do in Joshua Tree, make sure you pay attention. The desert is home to a ton of dangerous plants and animals like rattlesnakes and cholla cactus. Watch where you step and look below you before you jump down from somewhere. You’re probably better off not jumping off rocks at all unless you know for sure what’s below it.
Check the conditions in the park.
Bring water!!! I cannot stress this enough. You actually need at least one gallon of water per person every single day in the park. Dehydration is probably the greatest threat in Joshua Tree National Park and the campgrounds do not provide water. You have to pack it in, even if you’re just driving through.
Packing Guide, Maps, & Other Resources
I’m really excited for more people to experience the beauty of Joshua Tree National Park. To help you plan the perfect trip, I’ve put together a list of resources for you to use as you see fit.
Let me know how your trip goes! Leave a comment below.
