There are eight front-country campgrounds (nine when you consider the Sheep Pass group campground) in Joshua Tree National Park. That might not seem like many for a park of nearly 800,000 acres (323,748.5 hectares), but combined they offer nearly 500 campsites.
Just one campground, Cottonwood, is in the southern section of the park. All the rest -- White Tank, Bell, Jumbo Rocks, Ryan, Sheep Pass, Hidden Valley, Indian Cove, and Black Rock -- are somewhat squeezed into the northern half above Wilson Canyon.
You'd be wise to bring your own water, as water is available only at the Oasis Visitor Center, Indian Cove Ranger Station, West Entrance, and Black Rock and Cottonwood campgrounds.
You also are expected to bring containers capable of preventing access by wildlife are required. Any scented or odorous items must be similarly stored.
Campfires are indeed nice, but all vegetation in the park is protected. As a result, if you want to relax before a flickering campfire at day's end, you need to bring your own wood to burn. Fire grates are provided.
The park's campgrounds are in great demand, no doubt because of the population centers in the not-so-distant distance. As a result, it'd be wise to reserve a site.
Note: for all the campsites, 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.
Below is a quick rundown of each campground. For more detailed information, click on the campground name. Each link to recreation.gov is specific to that campground. If you notice informational discrepancies between the park's webpage for a campground and recreation.gov's page, it's best to stick with recreation.gov since that is where you'll make your campsite reservation. For any site you are interested in, click on the View Details link to learn more about that particular campsite, including RV/trailer-vehicle length for that site.
Reservation Only Campgrounds
All reservation campgrounds are open year-round.
Black Rock Campground offers 99 sites, one of which is ADA accessible (site #61). Each site goes for $35 per night and reservations may be through recreation.gov. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. Maximum RV/vehicle-trailer length is 35 feet (10.7 meters). No trailers are allowed. For the ADA accessible site, RV/trailers are allowed up to 30 feet (9 meters) combined length at this back-in site. No hookups. Drinking water, dump station, flush toilets, trash collection, cell service, and internet connectivity are available year-round.
There is also a horse camp open all year with 20 sites at $35 per night. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. Reservations are required through recreation.gov. This campground is strictly for campers planning to bring horses or mules.
Cottonwood Campground offers 62 sites, including three group sites. There are no designated ADA accessible sites. All three group sites will accommodate a minimum of 7 people and a maximum of 15, 20, or 25 people, depending upon group site chosen. RV/vehicle-trailer maximum length is 35 feet. Standard sites are $35 per night. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. Group sites are $55 per night (no discount). Reservations for the standard sites may be made at this recreation.gov link, and reservations for group sites may be made here. Drinking water, dump station, flush toilets, and trash collection are available year-round.
Indian Cove Campground offers 101 sites, one of which is ADA accessible (site 001). Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, there are 39 reservable sites. Each site is $35 per night and Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. Reservations may be made through recreation.gov. RV/trailer maximum length is 35 feet (10.7 meters).
There are also 13 tent-only group sites at this campground, all of which can accommodate a minimum of 7 people and a maximum of between 20-60 people, depending upon the site chosen. A group site is $55 per night. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. RV/trailer maximum length is 25 feet (7.6 meters). Reservations are required through recreation.gov.
No hookups and no water. Trash collection and vault toilets are available year-round.
Jumbo Rocks Campground offers 124 sites, one of which is ADA accessible (site #122) and will accommodate an RV up to 24 feet (7.3 meters) long. Each site is $30 per night. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. Reservations may be made 6 months in advance through recreation.gov. Maximum RV length is 35 feet (10.7 meters), maximum vehicle-trailer length is 20 feet (6.1 meters). No water or hookups. Trash collection and vault toilets are available year-round.
Ryan Campground offers 31 sites, none of which are ADA accessible. Individual sites are $30 per night. RV/vehicle-trailer maximum length is 35 feet (10.7 meters). Reservations are required through recreation.gov.
The park's webpage for this campground indicates there are hiker/biker walk-in sites for $5 but recreation.gov makes no mention of this.
There are also four designated equestrian sites, each of which is $30 per night. The equestrian sites are closed during the summer months. Call 760-367-5545 for more information and reservations to camp at Ryan horse camp.
Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount on standard and horse camp sites.
Sheep Pass Group Campground offers six tent-only group campsites, all of which can accommodate a minimum of seven people and a maximum of 20, 30, or 50 people, depending upon the site chosen. Sites are $55 per night. RVs/trailers are prohibited. Reservations are required through recreation.gov. No water. Trash collection and vault toilets are available year-round.
First-Come, First-Served Campgrounds
Belle Campground offers 18 sites at $25 per night. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. Campsites must be paid for at the entrance station. Maximum RV length is 35 feet (10.7 meters). No trailers are allowed. This campground typically closes in the summer (June 1 – September 1). No water or hookups. Trash collection and vault toilets are available year-round.
Hidden Valley Campground offers 44 sites at $25 per night. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. Campsites must be paid for at the entrance station. Maximum RV/trailer length is 24 feet (7.3 meters). No water or hookups. Trash collection and vault toilets are available year-round.
White Tank Campground offers 15 sites at $25 per night. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. Campsites must be paid for at the entrance station. Maximum RV/trailer length is 24 feet (7.3 meters). This campground typically closes in the summer (June 1 – September 1). No water or hookups. Trash collection and vault toilets are available year-round.
Camping Outside Of The Park
There are a variety of private campgrounds and RV parks outside of Joshua Tree. To find out more information, click on the links below.
Backcountry Camping
If you really feel like getting away from it all, you can backcountry camp. You’ll need a permit to do this. A permit costs $6 (non-refundable) and allows for a group size of 1 to 12 people to stay up to 14 nights. Permittees are allowed to stay up to three consecutive nights in an individual zone. Permits may be booked up to 6 months in advance. They can be acquired in one of three ways:
1. Visit Recreation.gov and book a permit online.
2. Call 877-444-6777 and book a permit through a Recreation.gov agent.
3. Visit the permit office at park headquarters located at 74485 National Park Dr, Twentynine Palms, CA. It is located in office building 100 near the flag pole. The permit office is open 8 am–4 pm. In person same day permits will be available up until 4 p.m. at the permit office. Permit office hours may be subject to change based on demand and staff availability.
- By Kurt Repanshek - January 19th, 2026 7:45am
