Joshua Tree South Dispersed Camping

We stayed here for 2 nights and worked from here with our starlink. Great internet - we had 2 people doing video calls.

Each site is pretty large and can fit at least 3 vans but they’re only about 100 ft off the dirt road.

Great location in proximity just outside of Joshua Tree National Park. There are plenty of spots for tents, pop-ups, campers, or RVs. Fire rings are already established.

Been here quite a few times. Depending on the time of year, there can be others close to you...visible...sometimes audible. But, usually you can choose if you want folks close, grab one at the start...if you want to be more solo...dig deeper.

Right outside the park. Several spots to choose from all along the road. There’s a road that is on two sides. It’s a great option!

Great, big spot right outside the park. All three camping markers are basically the same place. Plenty of room to spread out. There is one road coming out, south of J Tree NP that has no trespassing signs. Otherwise, anything else in the area is free game.

A bit crowded. While it has lots of sites I've been here three times now as a stop over, and it's gotten harder and harder to find a spot. Lots of permanent campers here too; I'd be cautious about leaving your site unattended. Be prepared for wind too. It gets pretty aggressive wind at night.

Disbursed camping on BLM land outside Joshua tree has cell service, which you can’t get in the park

Easy access and near the park entrance for Joshua Tree NP I arrived Saturday afternoon and there were plenty of open spots to choose from. Quiet and spacious

We showed up just before sunset on a Monday evening and there were still spots left. Our 30ft RV had no issues pulling into the area. Each spot had a fire pit. We got up the next morning and headed into the park with no issues. The southern part of the park isn’t as cool as the northern but it was a relaxing drive up to the northern area. Highway was far enough away that we didn’t hear it.

This is a lovely, free, no hookups, no oversite, BLM. As you drive down the dirt road there are numerous gravel/sand/dirt sites. Each with at least one rock circle fire ring. If is very beautiful compared to camping to the north of JTNP.

This was a great spot to stay while exploring the south side of Joshua Tree NP. Closest dispersed camping to the Cottonwood area. Right off the highway, but far enough away that the noise isn't noticeable. If coming from the highway, the area is right before the Joshua Tree Park sign. You can head right or left, and there are camping areas.

The road is manageable for any kind of camper (RV, Trailer, ect). The sites are spaced well, and some are level and others are not. There are a ton of fire rings. There are sites ranging in size from large enough for a few RVs to only large enough for one vehicle. Sunset and views were nice. Noise was very minimal from neighbors, only a few OHV or vehicles coming and going.

No services. Pack in, pack out. There is potable water in the park at the Cottonwood Campground. Verizon service was good.

I didn't originally want to stay here; it wasn't that far off the highway, there was lots of trash along the main road, and the immediate landscape was pretty barren. But I hadn't planned ahead, and all of Joshua Tree National Park's campgrounds were full. I quickly found out that my initial reaction was very wrong. This spot gets beautiful sunsets, is great for stargazing, and I had no complaints. I thought the light from the Coachella Valley would be too much to see the stars, but I popped out of my vehicle around midnight and the sky was incredible. 

The campground: You can camp in the areas both to the left and right of the main road that goes from the highway up into Joshua Tree. If you're coming from the highway and see the Joshua Tree National Park sign, you've gone too far. Once you're off the main road things become really bumpy with ruts, dips, and one area that's been completely washed out, but I saw everything from cars to large RVs navigating this road. It's definitely easier to navigate during the daylight. There were so many places to camp that I was able to choose a spot I was most comfortable with while traveling solo. The campsites vary in their degree of cleanliness and level land. I found a couple bottle caps at one of my sites, but nothing major. Most of the sites have a rock fire ring (heads up: you may need a permit in CA for a fire, and always check in with the state's current fire restrictions). The area had quite a few campers, but the spots are spaced nicely and there's plenty of room to keep driving further off the main road to find a spot that's not around other campers. (If you're looking for somewhere that feels secluded, however, this is not it.) While I didn't notice much noise from the highway, there was a little bit of noise from campers arriving later in evening. The main downside to this campground was the wind. Both nights it was very windy. I definitely saw people camping in tents, but I also saw people really struggling to put up and secure their tents in the wind. 

The area: The campground is right at the South Entrance to Joshua Tree, which is the Colorado Desert section of the park. (Mind you, it can take over an hour to get to the Northern area of Joshua Tree.) It's about 10-20 minutes away from Joshua Tree's Cottonwood Visitor Center, a picnic area with bathrooms (at the front of the Cottonwood campground), and the Lost Palms Oasis. There's also a gas station & small café about ten minutes down the highway (heading East); the gas there is pricey, but they have a decent sized food mart to go with it. 

Booking: This is a dispersed BLM campsite; no booking or fee. Just drive in and find a spot. 

Cell Service: Where I camped, I could use the internet and make calls no problem with Verizon, but there's very little cell service once inside the park.