Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Joshua Tree National Park in California

Are you planning a camping trip to Joshua Tree National Park with your dog? We've got you covered. Find the best information on pet-friendly campsites and dispersed camping near Joshua Tree National Park, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Whether you're looking for a quiet location in the woods or a happening campground near the attractions, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to go camping with your dog.

Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Joshua Tree National Park, CA (32)

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Showing results 1-10 of 32 campgrounds

Recent Dog-Friendly Reviews in Joshua Tree National Park

183 Reviews of 32 Joshua Tree National Park Campgrounds


  • Rose G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from BLM Barstow - Dispersed Camp Area
    Dec. 24, 2024

    BLM Barstow - Dispersed Camp Area

    Quiet location

    We stayed here for one night and it was a great spot, really quite. The road was a little rough to get to where we stayed but no issue in our van aside from being a bit bumpy. We stopped about 2 miles from the main road. We arrived in the dark and it was a little tricky to see where we could and couldn't stay. We turned right off the road and found a flat open space with a fire ring. There was nobody else there. In the morning we could see some RVs further along the path and assume this is the proper site but we had no issues staying where we did .

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Afton Canyon Campground
    Nov. 25, 2024

    Afton Canyon Campground

    Sunny Delight

    It’s a beautiful ride up the groomed dirt road, but there are definitely some steep and curved spots. Definitely not big rig friendly! All spots are in full sun and most have shaded picnic tables. There is a water spigot near the first site on the left when you enter the camping area. The keyhole shaped road does allow for an easy turnaround if you’re towing a small trailer. The sites vary from small and secluded surrounded by tall shrubs, ideal for cars, vans or tents. Others are deep enough for backing in a trailer and not having to unhitch your truck. All sites are back in but the road is just wide enough to provide decent swing space. This area is first come first served and takes cash or checks only. Envelopes and a secure dropbox are available at the info board. The info board is quite faded, but to the best of my knowledge as of November 2024 sites were six dollars per night or three dollars with your America the beautiful pass. 14 day limit. I was there nine days and only saw it get busy on the weekend. Mostly very respectful OHVers making use of the many dirt trails that head off into the canyons. There is a railroad bridge adjacent to the campground and the freight trains do come through fairly frequently, but that is the only other sign of civilization in this area.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Razor Road Dispersed Camping
    Oct. 26, 2024

    Razor Road Dispersed Camping

    Peaceful and quiet with lots of space

    Verizon had excellent reception, enough room between campers to run a generator without bothering anyone. Lots of litter everywhere. It would be nice if people would haul out more trash than what they bring in. After all it is free camping.

  • Kim N.
    Camper-submitted photo from Calico Ghost Town
    Oct. 19, 2024

    Calico Ghost Town

    halloween event

    Great camping site during halloween event. Very kid friendly. There were free balloon twisters, pumpkin craving, arts and crafts, toss games. We enjoyed the train ride. it was about $5 per a ride. Campsites were dirt roads. we had electric hookup. Dump station was easy to access and water/trash located next to it. No fees for water and dump. Weather was perfect in mid 70's. Would definitely take the kids back again before they get older.

  • EThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from BLM Desert Site
    Oct. 17, 2024

    BLM Desert Site

    BLM desert site

    35.08627305276245,-117.54092669125416 Great space. Easy to find. Away from highway enough. Very windy. Great sunset and sunrise.

  • Julia H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Razor Road Dispersed Camping
    Aug. 6, 2024

    Razor Road Dispersed Camping

    Ehh

    It was an aight spot. did the job. the spots are like behind a sketchy gas station, so i drove down a little bit so i wasn’t near it. tons of garbage. other than that, decent morning view ! stayed safe the whole night. can’t complain.

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Ord Mountain Dispersed
    Jul. 7, 2024

    Ord Mountain Dispersed

    Actual location 34.684300, -116.960600

    I did the best I could with finding the exact location on the map using The Dyrt's current capabilities to add a new location.  This site is located at 34.684300,-116.960600, across the 247 road from Sawtooth Canyon Campground / New Jack City rock climbing area. Hopefully someone can go in at some point and fix the location to be more precise.

    We checked this place out but didn’t stay. We liked the beautiful wide open surroundings, the good cell reception, and the easy access from the main road, but it seemed like this is a place better suited for bigger groups, especially those who will be riding ATVs or dirt bikes around. So, if you’re looking for a big open space to hang out with a big group where you can be loud and not disturb anyone, this would be a good place for it. We also heard gun shots nearby so further down the road is probably a good shooting area. 

    Obviously no amenities so please pack in/ pack out. It was surprisingly not too trashed so that was nice. We made it down the dirt road fine in our 26 ft class c. Proceed at your own comfort level, but it seems like a road that would be ok for any rig (maybe not a class A?) if you go slow and watch for dips and bumps.

  • Vincent B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Afton Canyon Campground
    Jun. 10, 2024

    Afton Canyon Campground

    Convenient stop before the Mojave Trail

    Wind was too intense to get the car back tent up at night. Good place to stop before or after the Mojave Trail. There's a small water crossing just after the campground before accessing the trail. My Subaru Crosstrek made it fairly easily just note its presence.

    Sites had a concrete table, fire pit with cooking bars, cover over the table and room for a couple cars.

    Community vault toilets were available. I'd advise bringing toilet paper!

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Calico Ghost Town
    Jun. 7, 2024

    Calico Ghost Town

    Nice but small sites

    I think I was lucky. There was myself and two others in the entire campground. Granted it was June and hot. The sites are ok. The electric and water worked. The bathrooms were clean and maintained. The shower costs $1.00 for 6 minutes. The water was pleasantly warm. The Ghost town is a fun place to walk through.

  • Jason M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Barstow-Calico KOA
    May. 20, 2024

    Barstow-Calico KOA

    Great Waypoint for Passing Through

    It's an excellent location for access to Barstow and Calico. We appreciated the pool, hammocks next to the pool, and the treats at the store. Sites are primarily pull-throughs, and many are occupied by people passing through them for one night. There are easy hookups, 50 amp service, and easy on/off from the highway. We visited both Barstow and Calico and had a good time at both.

  • S
    Camper-submitted photo from Owl Canyon Campground
    Apr. 16, 2024

    Owl Canyon Campground

    AVOID - Not suitable for RVs

    Nearly 5 miles of either hard washboard dirt road (Shaking parts of the vehicle loose) or loose sand that you can get stuck in.

    After driving 4 miles down the track there was a huge ditch across the middle of the road, which was uncrossable in a vehicle and lead to us turning around.

    Didn’t get to stay at the site as it was unreachable, had to book a motel as it was late in the day to book another site.

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Newberry Mountain RV Park
    Mar. 31, 2024

    Newberry Mountain RV Park

    Nice Little Campground

    The campground (CG) was super easy to find as it was right off I-40 on old Route 66. Our check-in could not have been easier, and the reception was very nice. There are 18 FHU sites here, with half being for long-termers on the west side and short-term pull-throughs on the east side. We were given an option of several sites and chose site 17. We had to disconnect and park on the side of this gravel site. The Wi-Fi speed was 3.32 for Download and 2.35 for Upload, which worked okay. We got 3 bars on Verizon. Due to the expected freeze warning, we did not hook up to the water or sewer. There are a few trees in the CG so getting a clear shot for satellite is easy. The old caboose, the Hwy 66 hotel mural, and the ducks around the pond were a nice touch. They had a shower house and laundry, but we did not use them. Heads up that we got diesel at the exit a couple of miles west of the campground, and that was the most expensive price we experienced in CA at$6.69/gallon last January.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Silurian Dry Lake Bed
    Mar. 28, 2024

    Silurian Dry Lake Bed

    Close to Vegas, but still outside!

    Great place to stop off the 15 on the way to where ever you're going! One other car other than us at this spot. Few other campers closer to the main road.

  • Stephanie W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Calico Ghost Town
    Mar. 15, 2024

    Calico Ghost Town

    Good location awful camp site

    We loved visiting calico ghost town! It was fabulous, but the two nights at the campground were rough. We stayed in the “O” section which I didn’t want based on the map but after we arrived, I’m glad we were in That section. The other side of the campground looked awful. Our sites were small but the main campsite area had lots that were Even smaller! I mean we had 10’ from the edge of our camper to the next camper. How do I know? Our 10’ awning was only an inch or two from my parents camper next door. The picnic tables were nice in our area but warped and awful in the main campsite area. The bathrooms were dirty. They didn’t stink but they don’t appear to clean anything. I brought Clorox wipes with me every time to wipe the toilets. There was no toilet paper in the bathrooms ever and the light are off at night but on during the day. Super helpful. I passed on the showers - didn’t even look at them based off the toilet area. The first night there was so many parties and loud drunks. It went on past midnight. The people next to us were loud and had apparently rented a trailer and had it swapped out for a new one at midnight and no one seemed to care about even attempting to be semi quiet for the neighbors. The second night was a Sunday. Everyone moved out and it was much quieter but early Monday in the am the trash picks up. I probably wouldn’t stay there again.

  • Timmee F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Afton Canyon Campground
    Mar. 3, 2024

    Afton Canyon Campground

    Windy windy windy!

    My wife and I stopped here in March on out way to death valley 3 miles down a wasboard road which wasn't to bad though the wind good lordy the wind was soooooo loud and so strong!

  • K
    Camper-submitted photo from Calico Ghost Town
    Jan. 21, 2024

    Calico Ghost Town

    Great campground

    Reasonable price for full hook up - 40 dollars Amazing place, quiet, the ghost town was really a good surprise it s really interesting, nice hiking around. Definitely recommends

  • Lori K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Afton Canyon Campground
    Jan. 4, 2024

    Afton Canyon Campground

    So beautiful

    Easy to access with 34 ft class A motor home. Beautiful spots with a metal canopy over top of picnic table. Plenty of room.

  • 5 STAR X P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Razor Road Dispersed Camping
    Dec. 26, 2023

    Razor Road Dispersed Camping

    Excellent stop before Vegas

    Several firepits, leveled big area. You can continue on this dirt road to get farther from the freeway to get a quieter sleep. I dropped in very late, so I didn't want to go further exploring in the dark, but I saw campers drive further out.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Mojave Narrows Regional Park - CLOSED TIL FURTHER NOTICE
    Nov. 26, 2023

    Mojave Narrows Regional Park - CLOSED TIL FURTHER NOTICE

    You'd better like trains!

    General: A mix of FHU RV sites tent sites, group sites around Horseshoe Lake and some additional dry camping and equestrian sites around Pelican Lake. There are also four RVs you can “rent” in the Horseshoe Lake area. The sites around Horseshoe Lake are close to an active rail line. And by active, I mean really active – I stopped counting after I counted 24 trains lumbering by during our short overnight stay. 

    Site Quality: IMO the waterfront tent sites are the nicest. They are farthest away from the trains (but not far enough!) The other dry sites have paved camper pads; some are “doubles” which would kind of suck if both sites were occupied by people who did not know each other! (Ours was one but fortunately, this was not the case for us on a Sunday in November). 

    Bath/Shower House: There were two restrooms about equidistant from our campsite, but both were very basic– no soap, hooks or shelves and no mirrors (it looked like they had been ripped off the wall). The floors were concrete, and the entire appearance was very drab. I did not use the shower. 

    This was an overnight stop for us, so we did not take advantage of any of the activities (horseback riding, hiking, disc golf, fishing). There was a very nice playground in the day-use area, a reasonable walking distance from the Horseshoe Lake sites. I had called about a week ahead of time to make a reservation (the online reservation system has been down for quite some time) and was assured would not need a reservation. However, there is a gate that is locked at 4 pm and we knew we would not arrive in time, so we called and were able to make a phone reservation when our site was assigned. We were a little concerned when we saw a security guard making rounds around 10 pm (and this combined with the locked gate), we wondered if we were in a safe environment, although we did not encounter any problems. Make sure you know that the park is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (which seems a bit bizarre) so you will need to know the gate code after 4 pm and on those days (the code seems to change daily). Also, I read that seniors (62 and older), active duty military, and veterans receive a $5 discount Sundays through Thursdays but you have to go to the office and show proof and then you will receive a “rebate” a few days later (which we did). This was just an overnight for us as we worked our way back home but we would likely not stay here again.

  • eThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Holcomb Valley Climbers Camp
    Nov. 8, 2023

    Holcomb Valley Climbers Camp

    Site of gold discovery in the 1800s.

    If you’re into panning for gold you just might find some along Holcomb Creek. There are active claims in the area so be respectful. Once you leave the pavement the going gets slower along the trails. You definitely need a high clearance vehicle. There are campgrounds in the area and also yellow post campsites. There wasn’t many other vehicles around the times I’ve been out there. Nice scenery and peaceful.

  • T
    Camper-submitted photo from Oak Springs Ranch Campground
    Oct. 24, 2023

    Oak Springs Ranch Campground

    Primitive five acre off road camping with race track private property

    Private Five acre lot, three acres camping, two acre peewee dirt track plus miles and miles of razor riding near hodges mountain

  • Jessica B.
    Camper-submitted photo from Deep Creek Hot Springs Camp Retreat
    Oct. 15, 2023

    Deep Creek Hot Springs Camp Retreat

    Great spot in the high desert away from the city & next to HOT SPRINGS!

    • Easy going campground with all the necessary amenities for camping and a great spot for our large group of 18 adults & 10 kids to gather and camp out together. You will have to drive 6 miles of mountainous dirt roads to reach the property, but it takes you away from all signs of the city and surrounds you in nature when you get there, making a very nice camping experience.  The spring pools at our site were so relaxing to have all to ourselves and well worth it to reserve for our party! The deep creek hot springs were absolutely fabulous, as they were situated next to a cold creek where we could do therapeutic hot cold plunges. The hike to the hot springs was fairly tough, but we found it easily with the trail starting right on the property! Definitely recommend camping here, just make sure you download directions prior so you don't end up at the wrong place and run into a crazy guy at a shack next door!
  • Jake C.The Dyrt ADMIN User
    Camper-submitted photo from Deep Creek Hot Springs Camp Retreat
    Oct. 4, 2023

    Deep Creek Hot Springs Camp Retreat

    Relax in the Hot Springs

    Jake from the Dyrt here! Deep Creek Camp is a great spot to get out in nature and check out one of the coolest geological features in the area!  Check them out and leave a review about your stay on the Dyrt!


Drive Time


Guide to Joshua Tree National Park

Explore the best options for pets-allowed camping near Joshua Tree National Park, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.

Dog-friendly activities while camping near Joshua Tree National Park

  • At Calico Ghost Town, pets are welcome, and families can enjoy activities like pumpkin carving and train rides during special events.
  • Barstow-Calico KOA offers a pool and hammocks, making it a great spot for relaxing with your pet after a day of exploring.
  • Owl Canyon Campground features beautiful hiking trails that are perfect for you and your dog to enjoy the scenic views together.

Pet-friendly campgrounds include

  • Shady Lane RV Camp is known for its friendly atmosphere and large trees, providing a shady retreat for you and your pet.
  • Newberry Mountain RV Park offers spacious sites with easy access to the desert landscape, ideal for pet owners looking for adventure.
  • Twin Lakes RV Park allows pets and features electric hookups, making it a convenient stop for those traveling with furry companions.

Pet owners appreciate the amenities

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Joshua Tree National Park?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Joshua Tree National Park is Calico Ghost Town with a 4-star rating from 41 reviews.

  • What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Joshua Tree National Park?

    TheDyrt.com has all 32 dog-friendly camping locations near Joshua Tree National Park, with real photos and reviews from campers.