If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Joshua Tree National Park, look no further. You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your California tent camping excursion.
$10 - $119 / night
Permits are available for sale on-site using a fee machine. The fee machines at EL Mirage sell $15 daily, $30 weekly and $90 annual passes.
The Tanglewood Group Campground provides a picturesque spot for an extended family or large group getaway. It is nestled in the pine-covered mountains of Southern California, providing a variety of recreational opportunities for visitors of any age.
A variety of hiking, mountain biking and off-road vehicle trails are nearby, including the scenic Gold Fever Trail. Climbing is also a popular activity. Fishing and boating in the nearby Big Bear Lake are also popular activities enjoyed by visitors to the campground. Anglers can look forward to a catch of trout, bluegill, crappie, catfish and largemouth bass, among other fish. Because of cold water temperatures and the presence of underwater obstacles near the shorelines, swimming at the lake is somewhat discouraged, unless done in designated areas.
The campground is located northeast of Big Bear Lake at an elevation of 7,542 feet. It is situated in a dense pine forest along the Gold Fever Auto Tour Trail, which provides a variety of interpretive sites that highlight the rich gold mining history of the area.
A general store and restaurants are available about eight miles southwest of the campground in Fawnskin. The closest available showers are at Serrano Campground, east of Fawnskin.
Rules & Reservation Policies As you make travel plans that include reservations on Recreation.gov, there are standard policies that apply to most locations of which you should be aware. Do keep in mind, however, that there are many exceptions, so it is best to review reservation information listed on individual facility pages for those policies and procedures that pertain to your specific locations. Any location or activity requiring a permit or lottery will have unique requirements and policies. Please check individual facility pages for pertinent information for those sites. Booking Window For most locations, you can reserve six months in advance of your stay for individual sites and 12 months in advance for group sites. There are some exceptions, so it is best to check with each facility. Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation. Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount. You can cancel or change reservations through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Tours & Tickets: You may request changes to tour dates at no cost before the arrival date. If you cancel before your tour date, you may be eligible for a refund. Cancellation fees apply. Please check the tour facility description details page for cancellation policies. Permits: Varies by location. Please check the permit details for the permit location. Late Cancellations Overnight and Day Use Facilities: Late cancellations are those cancelled between 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival. Individual Campsites: If a customer cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival they will be charged a $10.00 service fee and will also forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a single night's reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply. Cabins / Lookouts: Customers will be charged a $10.00 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night's use fee if a cabin or lookout reservation is cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Facility: If a customer cancels a group overnight facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date they will be charged the $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Day Use Area: If a customer cancels a group day use facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date, they will forfeit the total day use fee with no service fee charge. No-Shows Camping / Day Use: A camping no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Reserved campsites and group overnight facilities will be held until check-out time on the day following your scheduled arrival. Group day-use facilities will be held until check-in time on your scheduled arrival date. If a customer does not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by the times listed under "Late Cancellations" above, the customer may be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit use fees. Tours: A tour or ticket no-show is one who does not cancel a ticket before arrival and does not arrive for the tour. Tour no-shows are not entitled to a refund. Refunds Customers must request refunds no later than 14 days after the scheduled departure date. Recreation.gov will not grant refund requests after 14 days of departure. Reservation Fee: For some facilities, tours or permits an additional reservation fee is charged. For some overnight and day-use facilities, an additional non-refundable reservation fee may apply. The non-refundable reservation fee for tours and tickets is $1.00. The non-refundable reservation fee for permits varies by location. Refunds for Bankcard Purchases: Refunds for bank card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank card. Refunds for Check or Cash Purchases: Refunds for Recreation.gov payments made by check or money order, and cash payments at selected campgrounds will be issued a check refund. A refund will be processed within 30 days of receipt and approval. Please Note: Refund requests made during or after departure can only be processed when approved by the facility management staff based upon local policy. Refunds for Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team will attempt to notify users and offer alternate dates (as appropriate). If this is not possible, reservations will be cancelled and all fees paid will be refunded. Reservation fees for free tickets are non-refundable in the event of an emergency closure. Recreation.gov Billing Information Reservation transaction will appear on customer's credit card statements as "Recreation.gov 877-444-6777." Changes to Policies and Procedures Recreation.gov reserves the right, when necessary, to modify reservation policies. These policies were last updated July
$149 - $159 / night
Big Pine Flat Family Campground is located in the mountains at an elevation of 6820 feet. It has 19 sites and is a first come-first serve campground. There is an on-site campground host. Campsites include picnic table, fire ring, and drinking water. Nearest showers are located at Serrano Campground. For more information and current fire restrictions call the Big Bear Discovery Center: 909- 866-3437.
Guide
Been here many times since it is local to me.
This place has changed a lot over the years, and not necessarily for the good, in my opinion.
What there is:
What there is no longer:
Beware of skunks and loud trains!
It is still a somewhat nice place to visit for a couple hours with the kids.
We have camped in a tent. The tents sites are adjacent to the lake.
Trailer camping isn't too bad, other than being adjacent to the busy railroad. Most sites have grass.
Traveler
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.
TravelerThe 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.
GuideThere were no trees at all. We were told to wait for a white truck when we got there. No one came. We called the security number and they told us they would be by. We waited about 20 minutes and ended up leaving. The tent sites were gravel. Overall not impressed.
TravelerIf you have to camp near Barstow, this is a good place for a week-day stay. Calico ghost town was a fun spot for our kids, not too busy on a week day in the spring though I’m sure it can be crazy (and hot) at other times. The campsites were hit or miss. We staid in a tent site which was tiny, right next to all the others, with no trees or vegetation for privacy, and no permanent fire ring or picnic bench. We walked around and some of the other RV sites are bigger and nicer. Classic desert views. I give it 4 stars for access to the ghost town and price.
LegendGeneral: 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.
Guide
Traveling while pulling my utility trailer along makes slow going. And pulling up a long, long, long desert mountain grade can be downright exhausting.
So this is a mighty grateful thumbs up review. Robert made my day when I phoned up in the late afternoon and offered me a limited use rate on one their full hookup sites.
And of course, I got in real late, just after late closing hours–10 pm!
I got the last pull through site at the end of the lane. It was a breeze to pull in, get my deep cycle battery charging. 30 Amp with an adapter is all I need.
Shady Lane is mostly populated by real big rigs. So a 50amp socket is also on the post.
The park is a little distance from the highway, so it's blessedly quiet overall. After a grueling pull from Las Vegas, it was a wonderful blessing to crawl into my tent with my feline road companion, Missy. She just loves tent camping the very best. It was down in the 40s last night, but our traveling bed is a cushy cloud ☁️ from Heaven 🌠🌌✨ Just me and Missy and all those stars on that dark desert night.
Just woke to a lovely quiet morning here at Shady Lane. Fully renewed, to make my long drive down towards San Diego.
Looks they offer all the basics, showers, laumdry, and the same wifi network is offered all over these desert parts.. So once signed up, its the same login wherever you go on this network.. That's handy. Great wifi signal all the way down at the end of the lane, too.
Most importantly, Shady Lane offers tent spots and doesn't get snooty about whether you're pulling a utility trailer, or a spit shined mega-rig. On the phone, when I spoke with Robert, told him what I'm pulling along, he was as nice as can be.
I'm glad I found this quiet little desert overnighter. 🏜 Just right for Missy and me.
Traveler
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
Guide
I agree with others warning about the rough road to the campground. Winds blew down my tent and I had to sleep in my car. Left next morning.
GuideWind 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!
Traveler
We found Owl Canyon a few years back and became enchanted with this place. About three miles of washboarded (but maintained) gravel road leads to a small campgroundwith exquisite rock formations and plenty of hiking trails leading off in all directions. The first time we were here, we were the only campers other than the adorable camp hosts who had taken the trouble to put small solar lights on the vault toilets and soap on a rope hanging from the water faucets. Unfortunately, they are no longer there and neither is the solitude. The camp had a wide range of campers from Coleman pup tents to Land Yachts. UCSB has a large research station where students come out and study geology and mapping. It was fun to chat with them and get infected with their enthusiasm. The weather was mild enough to sleep out under the stars. The night sky is stunning! Wind can be an issue as it was this last visit. Tents were challenged and I was woken up in the middle of the night by a levitated camp chair landing on me. i will guess if you go sometime after spring break and mid-week, the campground won't be as crowded. Toilets are clean, water is limited and the price is right. Make sure to take extra tarps and rope to rig up a wind break or two and you are sure to have a nice stay. .
Traveler
We stayed here for the weekend, the only issue is the gates around the lake and the fact that you can no longer cook off in the spring. The other issue is how many ground squirrels there were! I ended up with two in my tent and one in my van! Very unsettling. There is also a great lack of shade. The camp is fairly clean, but some of the prices are pretty high
GuideI stayed with a group here for 3 nights a few years ago in October. This is a beautiful campground. Very primitive, with pit toilets and one water faucet. Trash is carry in carry out. It is a small campground (Less than 25 sites). It was also extremely hot (I think above 110F during the day), but at night it was beautiful. We didn't even need a tent because of the mild temperatures and calm breeze. Our group site had plenty of room for everyone, and picnic tables that had a covering to provide some shade during the day. The area felt very remote and quiet, and we were able to hike right from our site each day.
Legend
This place wasn't as bad as we thought it was going to be. The guy running the place was so nice!! But... There were a few really hilariously creepy things that happened. Like a naked homeless guy getting chased out of the pool. And a bunch of wild raccoons wrestling outside our tent and eventually being chased off by a very enthusiastic RV guy. It wasn't like we felt unsafe or unclean... Just a lot of interesting people around to make our overnight stay amusing!
Traveler
Tips: When you’re on the road heading into Holcomb go slow (Rocky). Prep for dusty ground sediment. Bring extra water and chargers. Dropped to around 40 degrees at night so bring extra blankets/ jackets. Bring firewood from town. Otherwise, As expected when arrived with fireplace, secluded space (enough from other tents), space to spread out, and scenic meadow views. We saw mule deer and of course the horses! Check out grand view mountain trail, it was a gorgeous view- across the lake. Oh and it’s rifle hunting season in Oct, FYI.
LegendCampground review
This campground has really nice features and it's all free! Because this campground is on BLM land there is no formal payment or registration process. You just come in and find a spot. It's more popular here in the fall to spring months. Summer is pretty hot. During busy times most full-feature camp spots are taken by early weekend. The good news is that there are unlimited primitive camping spots for tents. You simply park in one of the dozens of pullouts and set up your tent. If you get one of the full-feature camp spots it includes: picnic table, fire pit grill, and roofed platform. There are a couple fault toilets but no water source. The best part of this campground is its proximity to climbing. Drive down to the end of the camping to find the climbing parking lot. The closest routes are a one minute walk!
Gear review
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I sometimes get to test out awesome new products, and during this trip I test drove some sweet Tredagain sandals. I always preferring buying products from companies that are creative in their environmentally friendly approaches. These sandals are a clever solution to rubber waste by using old tire rubber for the upcycled sandal materials. I've been wearing these sandals for a few weeks, and I wore them for the entirety of our camping trip here (except when I wore my climbing shoes). As with any sandals, they took a couple days to break in. Since I've been wearing them though I've gotten no blisters (which I sometimes do with the straps of other sandals) and the rubber has become formed to my foot! They're so comfortable, and the rubber material also doesn't seem to get flattened like some other sandals I've had. The look is classic and people have complimented about the design. These will be my go-to sandals - for outdoor use or casual wear - for a while. Check it out: https://tredagain.com
Guide
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.
Traveler
Really good site. Showers, pit toilet, running water, but it's 10$ a night. Hardly any shade unless you get a good site. However they have glamping tents and even own personal hotsprings for a ridiculous fee. I didn't stay there. There is supposed to be blm land around there but everyone keeps it a secret on how to get to where you need to go. The hotsprings is clothing optional, so if you don't mind naked people, or you wanna strip down yourself, you should go check it out 💯💯. Went in early April and it was already really warm in the area
GuideIt’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.
LegendI had always wanted to visit a ghost town so when this came up in our travel path, we had to stop for a night. Located in Yermo, CA, this campground offers over 250 sites although we were about one of 5 campers there on our visit which made it even more ghostly. It is a desert like area with few trees. There was a bathroom with showers nearby, fire ring and hook-ups. Also lots of steep canyon walls and abandoned mine shafts. Since there were hardly any others there, we picked our spot and set up for the evening. I kept wondering when a coyote or some other wild animal was going to show up. The next morning, we wandered into the Ghost Town for some entertainment. We took pictures of the bottle house, mercantile, and many other buildings. There was a shooting show going on that was really cool and the boys enjoyed ice cream on a hot day. I loved the ghost town themed park and would like to visit again one day and explore when we have more time.
GuideI was here one October where the weather was above 100F during the day. The sites have absolutely no shade or cover, and are just lined up in a row next to each other with no privacy. We ended up choosing to spend more of our time at Owl Canyon (BLM campground nearby) because it was much more secluded, had better views, and offered shade. The advantages to Calico are: bathrooms with showers, water, and dump stations. However we were ok with a primitive site and did not want to feel crowded in.
RangerWe arrived on a Friday night, without reservations. Our first night of van living. Found the security guard who connected us with the ranger. There were plenty of sites to chose from. The ranger then found us a better site for $5 less, The place was quiet, Beautiful sunset. We aren't off-roaders but noticed a lot of ATVs around. Seems like the place to be. There are also mountain bike trails around. In the morning we discovered the Calico Ghost Town attraction right next to the park. In fact entrance to the ghost town is included in the camping fees. The town is an abandoned silver mining town. There's a few historical buildings and mines you can hike around. You can pay for a tour of the mine. Lots of old west quaint shops, and restaurants. We watched a skit of a shoot out preformed in the main square. Spent more time there than planned, it was that fun.
GuideFree admission to Ghost Town with camping reservation. Good fall to spring. Way to hot in summer. No shade. Dusty but that’s expected in an OHV Campground. We just held an outing there with 24 people. Great time!! https://hitched4fun.com/2018/09/15/2018-calico-ghost-town-ca-outing/
ScoutMost of the wet camping spots are very rocky and not level. Bring extra blocks to level your RV. Restrooms were not very clean.
RangerThere are 253 different sites. There are primitive sites, only electric sites as well as full hook up sites. Section A came with the full hookup, I saw mainly large class A RVs parking there, probably came for a longer time. I took a space in camp B with only electricity, which is enough for me and my Class B. Basically when you drive to the gate, they tell you to go inside and pick a place for yourself, the ranger will come and collect the fee later. I liked that.
The bathrooms and the park is clean, it has paid showers. Park admissions are also included for both days in your nightly camping fee. The town itself has many little tours that they charge extra for. I only tried the train ride. The ranger was around all day and at night, security took over. I visited in February and it was perfect weather to stay outdoors all day, however, in the summer camping, there might be too hot. I did not see many shaded areas.
If you don’t go when there is a big event there it will be peaceful and quiet. It can get crowded and dirty when there are special events going on there, Halloween or New Years Eve.
GuideYou 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.
TravelerThis Covid summer my family and I took two trips out to the Calico Ghost Town campground. The first was over Fathers day weekend and the second at the end of September. We had a great time despite the over 100 degree weather. Because there are so few people the wildlife is abundant. It was nice to take walks and hike the hills. The night sky is amazing (download the app that tells you what everything is, "star walk 2") your kids may have never seen the stars like this. Lots of places to ride OHV and great shooting in Mule Canyon. Caves to explore in camp and free admission to the ghost town.
Campground could use more trees but the showers and toilets are nice.
A great desert get away! ENJOY and please keep it clean!
Tent camping near Joshua Tree National Park offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the stunning desert landscape while enjoying the great outdoors. With a variety of campgrounds available, campers can find the perfect spot to set up their tents and explore the natural beauty of the area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Joshua Tree National Park?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Joshua Tree National Park is Deep Creek Hot Springs Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Joshua Tree National Park?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 tent camping locations near Joshua Tree National Park, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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