Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Joshua Tree National Park

The units were spaced tightly together with a gravel pad and concrete patio. It was $45 but with GoodSam down to $40.50. Old park. Friendly staff. Bathrooms and showers aged but clean. I was told there was cable TV but didn't try it. The pet area was a sandy strip by the fence.

The campground is a ways into the forest. I'm sure smaller cars could make it but it's not going to be a very comfortable ride.

There are a lot of sites and most were packed the weekend we were there. Lots of families and it wasn't quiet. Lots of pets and it wasn't quiet.

Picnic tables, firepits, the campground manager was on top of people who let their fires get too big.

It's truly a beautiful site though, lots of trails around and some rock climbing as well.

It‘s always nice that this camp ground is free and that you are pretty much guaranteed a “spot” even if all the official sites are taken. Primitive camping can be set up pretty much anywhere. If you can claim one of the actual sites they have a sweet set up with picnic table, grill, and roofed area. They almost always are claimes by RVs when we arrive on the weekend. biggest complaint: so much broken glass around the campground. Dogs are allowed here, but the whole time we were worried about our dog cutting his feet. If you bring a dog, booties are highly recommended!

Because the National forest allows dispersed camping, as long as your off the roads and trails, the camping spots are unlimited. We like coming here if we want to be guaranteed a spot, no early arrivals or reservations needed. Dogs are allowed, and the trails in the area are dog-friendly.

We were only here one night but we had a nice stay. We left the windows open since it was great evening weather. The freeway noise was there but it didn’t keep us up. We had full hookups and check-in was easy. Our near-end site was great for our dogs since no one was booked at the end so we had plenty of space. The space itself was large and we enjoyed the quiet. I’m sure we’ll stay again when we’re in the area.

This is a great campground with lots of OHV trails in the area. It's definitely recommended to have a vehicle with higher ground clearance since you're traversing some bumpy dirt trails to get there. The camp host is friendly and comes with a soccer-playing dog named Dutch. The pit toilets are relatively well-kept and definitely not a deterrent! We love that there are large trees everywhere to hang our hammocks up, keep cool when it's sunny, and enjoy nature.

We needed a place to stop on our long road trip for the night not too far off from the highway and found this spot. It was a hot summer day so we were dreading staying in the heat but it ended up being a great spot because there was shade and nice picnic tables by each spot.

I had service on t-mobile. Not great but it worked well enough.

There was one other group of people here but we could hardly tell because of how well spaced everything was. The grounds were pretty well maintained but there was a lot of glass around which wasn’t ideal for having a dog.

When the sun went down, we saw an incredible sky of stars.

We brought our 22 foot airstream. The roads were a bit bumpy coming in but not bad. Parking was really easy to get in and out and with the windows open through the night, the temp was just fine.

This place has a bathroom and many picnic spots. Very pleasant all around

Showed up at sunset and parked in first site. Noticed one other camper when I pulled in. Walked around with dogs then called it a night. After 20-30 mins in car I rolled over and noticed two light colored figures in distance. I stared for a few mins trying to figure out what they were but couldn't and laid down back down. When I woke up later in the night I looked out again and noticed the light colored objects were gone. The next day I realized it was likely a person(s) in light collred clothing. I debated leaving but stayed one more night bc a couple had parked beside me for the night.

Overall I felt safe bit its a very open space and that makes it a perfect place for someone to creep.

Most sites are beside each other but Campground is spaced out well. No water/trash/electric. There are vault toilets.

Flys were bad when wind doesn't blow - which it does, often!

Overall OK

I am here in California getting ready to leave the state by FY22 and had to get outside. I have been exploring the idea of going camping and decided to go this weekend. I stayed a half mile down from the main camping area. Setup my tent on the back of my truck and enjoyed the scenery. It was amazing sleeping under the stars, I had not done that in years

We were driving to Vegas from California and needed a place to stop and sleep for the night. This spot works well for big rigs, I am about 52 ft tip to tail and could turn around and park my easily and get to a relatively flat spot in the dark. Highway noise is an issue, but we were so exhausted it didn't matter. There's also a lot of people that stop to stretch, pee, sleep here.

We stayed here for four nights and actually enjoyed it in spite of the heat during the afternoon hours.  Our space was on the end so we had a lot of privacy but near the I-40.  That didn't bother us but it might bother those who are looking for total quiet.  The nights were fantastic!!  The lakes here give it a nice feel since it's in the Mojave desert between Barstow and Ludlow California.  The staff was VERY friendly and helpful.  The best part for me was the pool which was clean and cool.

The campsite at Calico Ghost Town is nice with hook ups for RV and spaces for tent camping. Our boys scout troop spent a weekend October. The boys and their families enjoy touring the ghost town. We hiked around the area and on hills during the day. The facility has running water, restrooms and showers.

Most of the wet camping spots are very rocky and not level. Bring extra blocks to level your RV. Restrooms were not very clean.

But very rock to tent camp on. A ton of RV’s, so the noise was a premium. Great hiking into the mountain and mines.

You can’t beat having a campsite AND you can enter the ghost town either by foot or drive to the ghost town’s parking lot. Your camping fees include all that. Very cute little town and lots to see.

I’d give this a 3 star during COVID but it’s probably closer to a 3.5 star post-COVID if not a 4* for kiddos!

The grounds themselves are OK; not much to look at. The bathrooms were old and a bit dirty. The ghost town is walking distance through a short cut or you can quickly drive over to the parking lot.

I wouldn’t recommended visiting during covid. There were only a few gift shops open. I just wanted to grab an expensive beer and sit outside on one of the patios and that wasn’t an option. Everything from the train to going into the mine was not available. Mostly understandable, but still, it would have been nice if there were socially-distanced, safe food or entertaining options. You can just walk around the town right now.

Cool little campground. Spaces are typical desert with dirt, rock, and a few miscellaneous trees. Campground is in a narrow canyon. Clean bathrooms. The Calico ghost town is worth seeing.

Well no fault of this location, we planned this trip months ago, but unfortunately the ambient temps soared. Two huge AC units could only manage about a 20 degree reduction in 110 degree heatwave. Recommend this as a winter, early spring or late fall. OHV pull through site accommodated my 45 foot 5th wheel no problem. Upper campsite has full hook ups for small rigs but there is no cell service at upper camp. Aside from weather advisory, this is a spot I can see us coming back to during appropriate season ☀️🔥🔥🔥

Be prepared for the heat! Full hookup and decent cell service. No AC in the bathrooms so they were pretty uncomfortable, but they were clean. The ghost town was fun to explore and learn about. Basic food fare as well as local beers on tap. Our kiddos loved it!

We arrived well after dark and the security folks helped us get into our cabin. Very nice staff. We stayed in one of the bunkhouse cabins. It had 2 sets of bunk beds (twin size) and a sofa (futon style) that was about the size of a queen. We had 2 cars and 2 trailers. Plenty of parking and I felt comfortable with our gear being safe outside. Small kitchen was perfect for our needs. We would recommend the cabin and we will definitely visit again to visit the ghost town.

This popular camp has 265 dedicated campsites plus overflow parking. Trails and sights are right outside camp. Quiet. We parked in overflow because all sites were taken and it was still quiet! Will go back.