Parks / Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
National Park · CA
Two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, come together in Joshua Tree National Park. A fascinating variety of plants and animals make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain. Dark night skies, a rich cultural history, and surreal geologic features add to the wonder of this vast wilderness in southern California. Come explore for yourself!
Official NPS page →Current Alerts (3)
Annual Summer Closures and Restrictions in Effect
The 49 Palms trail along with some campgrounds, facilities, and areas have adjusted availability during the summer. For the full list of changes, please visit our Summer Closures page.
Oasis of Mara Trail Partial Closure
Due to a heavy flooding event, the Oasis of Mara Trail is closed past the Oasis.
Inaccurate Third-Party Apps
Some third-party hiking apps are providing inaccurate trail and safety information to users. Please use the official NPS app for accurate information.
Entrance Fees
Visitors have multiple entrance fee and pass options depending on how they arrive and if they are part of a commercial tour group or not. The most common entrance fee is the Private Vehicle Pass, valid for 7 days. This covers the cost for anyone who is riding in the vehicle. In addition to the 7-day passes, the park also has an annual pass good for 1 year and honors federal interagency passes, including the America the Beautiful Pass.
Campgrounds (9)
Belle Campground
This small campground has 18 sites. There are pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits. There is no water so bring plenty of your own. To secure a campsite, 1. Locate an empty campsite. 2. Occupy the site (set up a tent or leave personal items to show site occupancy). 3. Proceed immediately to an entrance station to complete registration and pay. You must pay for the site within one hour of set up. If arriving after entrance stations close, payment may be delayed until morning.
Details →Black Rock Campground
This large (99 site) campground is located in the northwest corner of the park. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring with rest rooms and water nearby. Shopping facilities are only five miles away in the town of Yucca Valley. Campsites vary in size and can accommodate both tents and RVs. A day-use picnic area and a dump station are also available. For horse owners, a separate area is provided for camping or for staging a ride.
Details →Cottonwood Campground
The Cottonwood Campground is reservation only and has 62 sites, potable water and flush toilets. The Campground is near the Cottonwood Visitor Center in the southeast part of the park. The closest metropolitan area is Indio about 30 miles away. Cottonwood Campground fees will increase to $35 per site starting January 1, 2025. Cottonwood Group Campground fees will increase to $55 per site starting January 1, 2025.
Details →Hidden Valley Campground
The Hidden Valley Campground has 44 sites. There are pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits. There is no water so bring plenty of your own. To secure a campsite, 1. Locate an empty campsite. 2. Occupy the site (set up a tent or leave personal items to show site occupancy). 3. Proceed immediately to an entrance station to complete registration and pay. You must pay for the site within one hour of set up. If arriving after entrance stations close, payment may be delayed until the following morning.
Details →Indian Cove Campground
Indian Cove Campground is located off of Highway 62, thirteen miles east of Joshua Tree Village and ten miles west of Twentynine Palms. It has 101 campsites, including thirteen group campsites. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, there are 39 reservable sites. There are vault toilets but no water at the campsites. There is a water bottle/jug filling station at the small ranger station roughly two miles north of the campground. For a RV-filling station, there is one at our headquarters in 29 Palms.
Details →Jumbo Rocks Campground
There are 124 individual/family sites in Jumbo Rocks Campground. Reservations are required. The campground is centrally located and offers great views of rock formations. This campground is very popular, and sites book up quickly. Campsite fees will increase to $30 per site starting January 1, 2025.
Details →Ryan Campground
Ryan Campground has 31 campsites. All campsites are reservation only. The campground is centrally located in the park and is adjacent to the California Riding and Hiking Trail. There are 4 designated equestrian sites and reservations are required. For more equestrian campsites, see Black Rock Campground. There is no water available at Ryan Campground. There are 3 bicycle sites available at $5 per night, with no more than 3 tents and 3 people per campsite.
Details →Sheep Pass Group Campground
Sheep Pass Group Campground has 6 group campsites and is centrally located within Joshua Tree National Park and is easily accessible to hiking trails and rock climbing routes. All campsites are by reservation only. It is one of three group campgrounds in the park. Towering rock formations and uniquely-shaped Joshua trees surround the facility. There is no water available in the campground. Campsite fees are increasing to $55 starting January 1, 2025
Details →White Tank Campground
This is small campground with 15 sites. There are pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits. There is no water available. RVs and vehicles with trailers may not exceed 25 feet. To secure a site, 1. Locate an empty campsite. 2. Occupy the site (set up a tent or leave personal items to show occupancy). 3. Proceed immediately to an entrance station to complete registration and pay. You must pay for the site within one hour of set up. If entrance stations are closed, payment may be delayed until morning.
Details →Things to Do
Attend a Keys Ranch Tour
Take a tour of Keys Ranch with a park ranger.
Attend an Evening Ranger Program
Attend an evening program at Joshua Tree National Park.
Attend a Ranger Stroll
Join a ranger on an educational stroll.
Become a Joshua Tree Junior Ranger
Become a Junior Ranger at Joshua Tree National Park.
Biking in Joshua Tree National Park
Biking in Joshua Tree National Park
Birding at Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree National Park offers a wide range of birds for birders to discover.
Black Rock Zone Backpacking
Backpack in the Black Rock Zone at Joshua Tree National Park. The Black Rock Zone features a wide variety of hiking trails through mountains, washes, ravines, and valleys.
Bouldering Near Barker Dam
Barker Dam offers a wide range of popular bouldering problems.
Boy Scout Trail Zone Backpacking
Experience Joshua Tree National Park's wilderness by backpacking along the Boy Scout Trail.
Drive 4x4 Roads
Joshua Tree offers many miles of backcountry dirt roads for four-wheel drive vehicles to explore.
Drive Park Boulevard
A scenic drive through Joshua Tree National Park.
Eagle Mountains Zone Backpacking
Backpack through the Joshua Tree Wilderness in the Eagle Mountains Zone.
Hike Arch Rock
Hike the Arch Rock Trail, a lollipop trail through sandy and rocky terrain. A .6-mile trail leads to a .2-mile loop. The arch is located halfway along the loop. The full hike is 1.4 miles.
Hike Bajada Trail
Enjoy this short, easy trail through the Colorado desert.
Hike Barker Dam Trail
Enjoy an easy 1.1 mile hike on the Barker Dam Nature Trail.
Hike Boy Scout Trail
Explore the Wonderland of Rocks on the Boy Scout Trail.
Hike Cap Rock
An easy .4-mile loop hike
Hike Cholla Cactus Garden
An easy quarter mile hike through a cholla patch along Pinto Basin Road.
Hike Contact Mine
Enjoy a secluded hike to a historic mining site.
Hike Cottonwood Spring
A short, easy 0.1 mile walk to an oasis.
Hike Fortynine Palms Oasis
A difficult three mile hike to a desert oasis.
Hike Hidden Valley Trail
Enjoy an easy one mile hike on Hidden Valley Trail.
Hike Hi-View Trail
A moderate 1.3-mile loop hike.
Hike Indian Cove Trail
An easy .6 mile loop in Indian Cove.
Hike Lost Horse Mine
Lost Horse Mine Trail
Hike Lost Palms Oasis
A difficult 7.5 mile hike to an oasis.
Hike Mastodon Peak
A moderate three mile loop with 375 feet of elevation gain.
Hike Minerva Hoyt Trail
Information on the Minerva Hoyt trail.
Hike Oasis of Mara
An easy half mile walk to a desert oasis.
Hike Panorama Loop Trail
Hike up a sandy wash, then follow the ridgeline of the Little San Bernardino Mountains. Enjoy scenic views, dense Joshua tree forest, and pinyon-juniper woodland. This trail is 6.6 miles and has over a 1,000 feet of elevation gain.
Visitor Centers
- Black Rock Nature Center
- Cottonwood Visitor Center
- Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center
- Joshua Tree Visitor Center
Webcams
Source: National Park Service.