Joshua Tree South BLM | Wild Camping
United States
Details
- Verified:
- 2 months ago
- GPS:
- 33.67453, -115.80265
- Altitude:
- 0.0 masl
- Contributor:
-
Herr Lehmanns goes around the world
Amenities
- Electricity:
- No
- Wifi:
- No
- Kitchen:
- No
- Restaurant:
- No
- Showers:
- No
- Water:
- No
- Toilets:
- No
- Big Rig Friendly:
- Yes
- Tent Friendly:
- Yes
- Pet Friendly:
- Yes
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Description
iOverlander cannot verify if wild camping is permitted at this location. It is your responsibility to verify local laws or obtain consent before staying the night.
Free Campsites at south entrance of the NP. The National Park has potable water and dump for $5.
Its BLM Land....so no problem for overnight camp.....official overflow camp for Joshua Tree Park
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Latest Check-Ins
Very quiet with a few other campers. Good place for a good nights sleep. 2 Bars Verizon 5G.
Report Check-InGot here after dark. Spots are not marked too well so parked right by the first fire ring I saw. Can see some RVs, vans, and tents. No noise from I-10 and two bars of 5Ge from AT&T
Report Check-InLarge flat area just a mile or two North of the 10, left off Cottonwood Springs Rd and just outside the Joshua Tree NP boundary. Many large rv campsites. Most have rock fire rings. We came in at sunset in light rain. Maybe 10 rvs there. Well spaced. Some generator noise but not bad.
Report Check-InGreat area just south of the national park entrance. There were around 20 rigs of all sizes and types when we visited in mid-November, but there's plenty of space and no feeling of crowding. We arrived in the dark and had no trouble finding a spot for a van, though YMMV if you have a trailer. Most areas are pretty level. I'd also be careful if it has been raining, as I suspect the surface could get muddy and have poor traction. You can see the interstate in the distance but can't hear it. Plenty of Verizon signal.
Report Check-InGreat location, lots of open space, easy road in, some freeway noise, but a beautiful spot
Report Check-InPerfect spot just outside the Park. The only downside is the nice spots are at the north end of the park…other than that, perfect☺️
Report Check-InI was here for a while so stayed on both the east and west side of Cottonwood Road just to switch things up. I’ve listed some differences below but it seems like the west side is waaay busier than the east side with at least 30+ campers while there were about 10 of us on the east side. There’s lots of space though so no one’s very close to each other
Road on both sides is great with hard packed sand and 4wd isn’t necessary (I’m in a 2wd truck camper and saw just about every type of rig/vehicle you can imagine pass by without issue) but the east side has bigger potholes/ruts (nothing crazy but if you’re in a car with low clearance I might stick to the west side just in case)
At least in the spots I was at, the east side had perfect t-mobile coverage while the west side had 1-3 bars that were pretty slow to load sometimes but not terrible. East side had a broken glass everywheeeeere and the west side was pretty clean but that could’ve just been luck of the draw
Report Check-In6 miles south of the Joshua Tree Cottonwood entrance! lots of rigs, but plenty of space for everyone to spread out. was supppper windy while we were here. great Verizon service!
Report Check-InStayed one night in early April 2023, no problems. After getting to the park and spending the last two days exploring it’s a real shame this camping is on the south side and not the north, as it’s the best place to camp near JTNP, it’s just quite far away from the best portion of the park (the northwest corner, in my opinion) the options on the north side in 29 palms are slim and not the best (we stayed one night at the casino and it was quiet I just hate parking lots). The south side has real phone service and flat spots to park so definitely my favorite for the park, it’s just on the wrong end
Report Check-InGreat spot for overnighting right outside Joshua Tree National Park. Tons of room, no amenities, no complaints!
Report Check-InCouldn’t find avail first come first serve. On our way out, we found this nice clean very quite n safe BLM site. Highly recommend this place.
Report Check-InPretty nice place to stay. Easy to get there. Close to the park. Glad I found it
Report Check-InHuge area with different pull outs. We arrived around 5:30pm and there were a ton of rigs but we were still able to find a spot. Good T-Mobile service.
Report Check-InVery quiet, plenty of other rigs around. Felt very safe. Verizon signal is good enough to stream, Tmobile not so much. Right outside the park
Report Check-InGreat spot. Close to park and very quiet. Other than some ATV’s driving by several times. Several other vans and RV’s. Good for a nights sleep!
Report Check-InJust as everyone has described, this is a huge area with nice hard pack sand and plenty of space. Great place to boondock and explore at the park. YAY BLM!
Report Check-InGreat place to boondock south of the Cottonwood entrance to Joshua Tree Park. West side seems to be big rigs and generators, east side smaller units and vans. Sites are well spaced out and most have fire pits.
Report Check-InDisbursed BLM camping as described elsewhere. Lots of space easy access.
Report Check-InEasy road, very big spots and we where lucky with a beautiful sunset. There is a little bit of highway noise but not too much. Very good spot if you want to discover the south part of YT.
Report Check-InAbsolutely perfect spot to park for the night. Super close to the southern entrance of Joshua Tree NP, tons of open space for rigs of all sizes. Even with the close proximity to the highway, there was very little noise.
Report Check-InThis place is awesome! Tons of open spaces to park. Lots of people hanging out for the night as well. This area of the park doesn’t have as much to see as other entrances but the camping here is worth it to drive in and explore the park during the day
Report Check-InSuper belle place . Terrain un peu en pente mais tranquille même si c’est sur le bord de l’autoroute
Report Check-InGreat spot. Lots of space, just outside the south gates to Joshua Tree. The road goes on for a long time. Can hear some traffic noise. Warmer than the BLM land just north of Joshua Tree because this is at a lower elevation.
Report Check-InLots of space, windy, t-mobile serve can search but not stream. Would stay again.
Report Check-InEasy to spot on the cottonwood entrance of the park, you can see all the campers and vans. It was so windy that our van is shaking a bit. (Here since 6 pm its 7 pm)
Report Check-Inbelle place tranquille
belle vue sur les montagnes
quelques autres personnes
I stayed here for 4 nights. I love it here, quiet, nice sunrise & sunset. I think I was the only one there for 3 days. A few RVs, car camper, van did join me on Thursday night . But Monday thru Wednesday nights were quiet. Anyway, the place is huge, and you can park anywhere you want. Nice sunset and sunrise. There are fire pits everywhere. You don’t need a rv or van or a truck camper, just drive your car here , set up a tent here, stay for the night, it us romantic, it is a nice get away place
Report Check-Innice flat spots. think we were the only car there, but it also the middle of summer and extremely hot. great place to spend the night tho!
Report Check-InI love it here. I even like watching the I10 traffic. Lots of people here (a + for me) but quiet. I’m
In a minivan and had no issue finding a site without a lot of sand. 2 bars Verizon. No water, toilets. Great place .
This area is huge! Even on Coachella weekend there were still over 100 spots down this road. Good for any size rig. No amenities. 1-3 bars LTE on ATT. FREE!
Report Check-InWas a l little apprehensive, but it was quiet and I was quite comfortable once I got parked. Lots of nice rigs and friendly people.
Report Check-InGreat place to stop and stay south of Joshua Tree NP. Hard to find a flat spot.
Report Check-InAbsolutely fine to park here- not sure why they have the red writing up there. It’s BLM land with fire rings and many spots. The camping road intersect the road leading into the park- I parked on the right. Less people. It’s at least 40 min drive to all the good stuff at Joshua tree park. You don’t technically have to pay at south entrance but they make you show a receipt if you attempt to exit out the north entrance. If you have a pass, you’re good.
Report Check-InWonderful free camping just south of the entrance to JT, off the 10. Plenty of spots on both sides of the road. No amenities, so BYO water and pack out all waste. Bathrooms and potable water about 7 miles north at Cottonwood visitors center in the park
Report Check-InThere is AT&T signal, not easy to find flat parking. But great location.
Report Check-InWe stayed here for four days back in January and had a good time. If you've been to Joshua Tree NP, you probably know the most beautiful part is the northwest side. This is a good spot to camp, especially for the price, but if you are looking for good cell reception and amenities nearby, I would recommend heading towards the north entrance. The nearest town and what we could get for service is 25+ minutes away. Definitely be careful because the soil is extremely sandy and although we did not get stuck, I think it would be very easy. We came in on a Friday and struggled to find a level spot without parking on top of someone, and your levelers will just sink into the sand 🤣 so take that into consideration. Sunrises and sunsets were unreal.
Some recommendations while staying here - obviously check out the park (do a little drive at sunrise if you can - youre right by the entrance!), take a visit down to see the Salton Sea (Bombay Beach is a good spot to really get a feel for the place), Slab City, and of course, Palm Springs.
Report Check-InIf you here for the night it’s better under the power lines. Main road was full with long stays. No one under the power line. I pulled in and parked. A good spot by the power line towers. Turn in on the small road that runs parallel to the power lines .the road is on both sides of the highway.
Report Check-InVery small freeway noise in the distance. Dog friendly, easy to find a spot. Great place to stop.
Report Check-InDope spot with good service, met a whole little van caravan village here. The distant sounds of the highway are kinda soothing
Report Check-InGreat location and lots of spots to camp. Watch for soft sand 😊there are several people that get stuck but lots of help to get you out if necessary.
Report Check-InEasy peasy. Drove through Joshua Tree and then set here for the night before hitting the Mexican border in the morning. Lots of people, all quiet and respectful. Tons of space.
Report Check-InEasy access. Fits all size rigs only feet from J-Tree entrance. Beautiful space and tons of spots. Followed the advice of others and stayed in designated sites to avoid soft sand. Very convenient
Report Check-InHad a lovely day as I arrived at 11 am. Cell signal.
The sunset was fabulous.
Started a fire.
Left immediately as soon as I saw a million mice come to said fire. Then around my van’s wheel. “The
I’ve come out at night!”
huge flat pull of area just outside JTNP, right outside of the southern entrance. we stayed a little west of the given coordinates as the spots closest to the raid were full but there are plenty of spots to pull off along the dirt/sand road. we got there after dark and left in the morning to head into the park. beware of non packed sand! lots of people with heavy rigs get stuck in the sand here if you go too far off the beaten path. we were ok with 25 foot skoolie but we saw someone get stuck and need to get towed out.
Report Check-InWell kept and quiet place just outside Joshua Tree. Absolute gem of a spot - don’t worry about not finding something because there are a ton of spaces. I even met a few people towing large 5th wheels so the dirt road is hard enough packed. Basically full cell service with Verizon.
Report Check-InQuiet and peaceful! After a hot drive into California from Arizona, we needed some rest and this spot was great for the night. Beautiful sunset and sunrise views! Our 2WD van had no issues driving through. Our cell phone service was working surprisingly well out here! (Sprint & T-Mobile)
Report Check-InGreat place super close to JT!
But PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE deal with your waste. The first site I pulled into had multiple piles of human and dog poop covered only by rocks - they hadn’t even dug holes. Wherever you go, leave it better than you found it and we will all benefit.
We took a right down Cottonwood Spring Rd. Highly recommend, spaces are spread out and it seems to be less busy, at least when we came, than the left side.
Wonderful spots to stay with fire pits right outside of Joshua tree! The spot we selected both nights was as close to the mountains as you can get, so limited noise from the highway! It was also fairly far down the road, but worth it to us!
AT&T service with 2-3 LTE bars
Report Check-InSuper crowded for New Years because developed campgrounds in the park were closed for New Years. Hundreds of campers all along this road, but still room for everybody if you don’t mind neighbors
Report Check-InBEWARE it is easy to get stuck here if you stray from established spots or drive into sandy areas.
I was here for three days and had two different vehicles get stuck nearby. Both were luckily pulled out by very kind guys with 4x4s (thanks Danny and Jamie!)
Don't go anywhere that looks sandy, even if there are tire tracks. Don't drive off road, even if it looks like it's hard.
Stay on the main roads and at obvious sites and you'll be fine in any vehicle.
Other than that: nice place! Some spots have small trees or bushes nearby. Some freeway nose, but it's far off. Great sunsets.
Report Check-InStayed for one night so I could wake up early and go to the park. Pleasant place to sleep, there were many other campers, but there’s lots of space, and it wasn’t loud
Report Check-InLarge area with lots of pull offs with fire rings. It was pretty full since it was the weekend but keep going in and you’ll find something. Be wary some of the spots have fairly loose sand. But most were very hard packed.
The road in was bumpy but easily doable in 2wd van.
Report Check-InPlenty of spots, far enough from the freeway that you hear very little noise. Great spot for a weekend of dry camping, or needing a quiet spot right of the 10 freeway.
Report Check-InDecent place to camp for a few nights, I just don't like seeing the freeway in the distance... but I'll be back for sure! Cell service is better here in the South than North Joshua tree area.
Report Check-Innice pulloffs. can see the interstate but far away enough to still be nice
Report Check-InNice spot close to Joshua tree. Found some trash and gun shell casings at our BLM site. But otherwise clean, quiet and close to the 10. Very cold (in December) when we were there but people were friendly and not loud. Heard only 1 car drive past while we slept. Would camp again.
Report Check-InHuge area for free camping. Used by quite a lot of campers but we easily found a spot with over 100 meters from our nearest neighbors. Very quiet and amazingly free of garbage. Great place for an overnight.
Report Check-InGreat camp spot, super spacious. It does have designated free sites but there’s tons of room so if all were taken I’m sure you could find someone to share a spot with and you’d still have your own privacy. I COULD hear the 10, as well as see it, but it wasn’t too loud. People very respectful here and right outside J Tree park entrance.
Report Check-InGreat place to stay! So close to JT NP and it’s free. A lot of other campers.
Report Check-InStayed here for one night. Good spot if you're going into the park from the south end. Lots of spots, just be careful not to park in an ant hill! Make sure you clean up too. Some garbage laying around
Report Check-Inright before the NP entrance. You can still see the highway but overall a quiet spot.
Report Check-InOver a dozen spots. Mostly level with fire pits. Far enough from the highway and just outside the park entrance. Great cell service as well.
Report Check-InSuch a great spot! We was worried about there not being enough spaces but there are plenty! Very nice, relaxed, and can have a campfire!
Report Check-InBLM just before the gate of Joshua tree NP. We arrive around 5pm, a lot of other people were already there but there's a lot of space so no worries. It was quiet.
Report Check-InArrived in the afternoon, already many campers there but huge area, so no problem to find a quiet spot with firering. LTE good, beautiful sunset and quiet. Perfect if you spend the day in joshua tree NP.
Report Check-Inlots of good size sites. mostly desert sand with rock & small brush. you can still see the traffic on the hwy, but it's far enough that you barely hear it. very peaceful.
Report Check-InNice place for one night. Near freeway, but can't hear it. Lots of people for December. No water or toilets, but has many fire pits.
Report Check-InArrived late night under rain, so did not go that far on dirt road. Great spot, but require level. quite place during night, but some traffic during day. Highly recommended!
Report Check-InSoft sand, trees dispersed, fire rings. Can see but not hear I-10. Still warm weather wise. Beautiful sunset. I’d stay here again.
Report Check-Ingood stop before visiting Joshua tree. lots of other RV and campers. there a private road sign so we stopped just before.
Report Check-Inexcellent location. Enter Joshua NP early in morning and no one around to collect fee. sandy but not deep right off main road.
Report Check-InGreat place for informal camping. We hopped over with our camper van and set up shop for the night. No freeway noise. Just keep an eye out for soft sand. It’s semi-rare, but you can see where people have gotten stuck. Very peaceful!
Report Check-InReally nice and quiet with good views, no traffic during the night and easy to find a spot!
Report Check-InNeat desert camping. We didn’t hear the highway at all and filled H2O at the dump station. Watch the tarantulas which avoid humans but love dark spaces in the morning.
Report Check-InPerfect place before Joshua Tree's entrance. Other Rv's and campervans around. Lot of space.
Really close from Joshua Tree Np and from Highway 10. Quiet.
Wide open space. BLM Dispersed Camping Areas both sides of Cottonwood Springs Road.
Report Check-InAs Mr. Lehman discribes...BLM land....stay right from the water service road....only a few people here....for overnight..perfect place...
and when coming from joshua park.....Water and Flush toilets .....just 6miles away...or fill up bevor get out.
Thank you mr. Lehman
With the wind blowing from the north there was zero traffic noise from the highway.
Graded road runs both ways along the embankment, but the track 50 metres before that has more access to cleared spots.
Fairly flat area just off of a service road. Most of the open spots along the road can be accessed by 2wd and large vehicles such as motorhomes. Far enough away from interstate 10 that the road noise and light really isn't an issue.
Report Check-InFree Campsites at south entrance of the NP. The National Park has potable water and dump for $5.
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