Joshua Tree North Dispersed Camping
BLM
Write a Review Cascade Rd. / Sunflower Rd. Joshua Tree, CA 92252 760-833-7100 Official WebsiteGPS: 34.172, -116.2237
Overview of Joshua Tree North Dispersed Camping
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads. Learn more: Boondocking 101*
Last Price Paid: $0
Reported by white.van_no.plan on 2/14/2024
Longest RV Reported: 44 feet (Toy Hauler Fifth Wheel)
Reported by BandLOnWheels on 3/18/2023
Pad Type dirt
Elevation 2,329 ft / 709 m
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Joshua Tree North Dispersed Camping
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 760-833-7100
Reviews of Joshua Tree North Dispersed Camping 98 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 51 Users
Last reported 1/27/2024
Confirmed by 34 Users
Last reported 2/14/2024
Confirmed by 20 Users
Last reported 1/30/2024
“Okay spot for visiting Joshua Tree”
Reviewed 4/21/2016
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| RV Length: | 30' |
Overall Rating
Since it was Easter there were no sites available in the national park and we also wanted internet access. This was a decent place to spend a few nights but as others have said if you are here during strong winds like we were the dust really blows. We stayed on the west side of Cascade road (not sure if we were in the legal boondocking... more
Since it was Easter there were no sites available in the national park and we also wanted internet access. This was a decent place to spend a few nights but as others have said if you are here during strong winds like we were the dust really blows. We stayed on the west side of Cascade road (not sure if we were in the legal boondocking area) but there were fire rings and it was obvious people had been camping there. There was a lot of low vegetation to our west where the winds were blowing from, which kept the dirt down for us but the few RVs we saw actually camped to our east and south in the dry lake bed were being pelted by blowing dust.
Other than that it is not the most scenic place to camp, but is in a good location for visiting Joshua Tree National Park and the eclectic little town of Joshua Tree. Pie For The People makes an excellent pizza, and laundry and grocery stores are not far.
Some of the roads entering the dry lake are very rutted and rough so we scouted out sites in the Subaru before driving the motorhome in.
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Verizon 4G
Life's Little Adventures would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Good BLM site, avoid East side”
Reviewed 4/9/2016
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Overall Rating
Take Sunfair to Broadway. Pavement ends at the end of the big solar array. We were planning to stay in the NP, but they were all full. The rangers recommend this BLM. So didn't read the reviews. Huge area, the center appears to be a dry lake bed. Rain was forecast, so we wanted to be on higher ground. Unfortunately, we went to t... more
Take Sunfair to Broadway. Pavement ends at the end of the big solar array.
We were planning to stay in the NP, but they were all full. The rangers recommend this BLM. So didn't read the reviews.
Huge area, the center appears to be a dry lake bed. Rain was forecast, so we wanted to be on higher ground. Unfortunately, we went to the far East side of the site, next to a long embankment. --
We discovered that this is used by locals for dirt bikes and ATVs. While they were mostly courteous, we WERE right in the middle of the hill -- so they were riding all around us, from 8 am to 10 PM.
The road in is a fair dirt road, and I was able to pick a route that didn't have too many bad ruts.
Cell reception and data were very good - 4 G.
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Verizon 4G
yourpcgeek49 would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Good location, but very poor roads made for a bouncy and risky drive”
Reviewed 3/12/2016
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| RV Length: | 42' (Class A) |
Overall Rating
We camped here in March 2016. We took Sunfair Road (paved) up to E. Broadway (parts paved) to Cascade Rd (dirt) and searched for a spot to camp. There were a dozen or so RVs camped in the area, but much of the terrain was covered in desert shrubs and not suitable for driving/camping unless you go much further north and east into the la... more
We camped here in March 2016. We took Sunfair Road (paved) up to E. Broadway (parts paved) to Cascade Rd (dirt) and searched for a spot to camp. There were a dozen or so RVs camped in the area, but much of the terrain was covered in desert shrubs and not suitable for driving/camping unless you go much further north and east into the lake bed area. Unfortunately the roads (both named and unnamed) were in terrible condition with deep ruts crossing them, so we gave up and just stopped alongside a road and camped. It appears that during a wet spell some off road vehicles must have driven all over in the mud which then hardened leaving the roads very uneven. We've done a fair bit of boondocking and this is the first place we would NOT return to, simply because there's no way we'd drive our motorhome over those roads again. We chatted with the owner of the motorhome nearest to us and he said he tore some wiring under his chassis while navigating the roads. We also left earlier than planned as rain was forecast and someone came around in an ATV (not sure if he was a camp host or just a kind camper) warning people to clear out before the rain turned everything back into mud. It is very conveniently located for visiting Joshua Tree National Park, and cell service was good. If the dirt roads were in better condition we'd consider returning.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Wide open and free”
Reviewed 2/28/2016
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | Zilch |
Overall Rating
We opted to stay on this BLM dry lake bed instead of inside the National Park in order to avoid the crowds and to stay for free. It was wide open with hardly any other campers on the weekend we were there. It's a 20 minute drive to the Park Blvd. entrance to the park. It's overall a very convenient location to both the park and The... more
We opted to stay on this BLM dry lake bed instead of inside the National Park in order to avoid the crowds and to stay for free. It was wide open with hardly any other campers on the weekend we were there. It's a 20 minute drive to the Park Blvd. entrance to the park. It's overall a very convenient location to both the park and
The best part is the cell coverage. There isn't any coverage inside the park!
We drove east on the 62 through Joshua Tree, turned left on Sunfair Rd, and then right on Sunflower, which is a dirt road that leads you out into the dry lake bed.
We got potable water from the Indian Cove Ranger Station.
The only downsides were the dust (but hey, it's the desert) and the off road vehicles (which, in all honesty, our kids loved watching from afar).
Next time we go to Joshua Tree, we'll be staying here again!
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Verizon 4G
Find The Hills would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Dusty and Fun”
Reviewed 12/14/2015
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 14 |
| Site Number: | LOL |
Overall Rating
This is by far one of the more unique places we camped this year. Drive through the small town of Joshua Tree, down a few roads north of town, and you're in the middle of a flat, dusty, dry lake bed. We arrived on a Saturday night and were surprised to find that many people were already camping out there, but it's HUGE, so no one w... more
This is by far one of the more unique places we camped this year. Drive through the small town of Joshua Tree, down a few roads north of town, and you're in the middle of a flat, dusty, dry lake bed.
We arrived on a Saturday night and were surprised to find that many people were already camping out there, but it's HUGE, so no one was close enough to bother us. After driving down a short, bumpy road, we found a vacant fire ring to curl around.
This spot is very close to the West entrance of JTNP, so it's very convenient for day trips (there's no cell coverage in JTNP, so being here was great for working during the week).
Our kids loved roaming around the lake bed during the day. We had a few other families join us, which added to the fun. We did some driving lessons with the kids and let them get filthy the rest of the time.
The wind kicked up one day and forced us inside all day because of the blowing dust. The other thing: the temperatures here are about 10-15 degrees colder than the town of Joshua Tree (only 5 minutes away). The soil here holds very little heat so it gets decently cold overnight.
The only downside to this place: the dust. It gets everywhere. Just accept that your life will involve a few trips to the laundromat afterwards and enjoy yourself.
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Verizon 4G
Jon would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“A convenient overflow camping area for Joshua Tree National Park...and its free.”
Reviewed 12/7/2015
| Days stayed: | 2 |
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| RV Length: | 35' (Class A) |
Overall Rating
Prior to heading into Joshua Tree National Park, we elected to boondock out of the park until after the weekend. This area on north Joshua is known by rv'ers as a favorite place to camp near the National Park. You can stay out here for free for up to 14 days. Although the hills add some beauty to this place, we rate it only as a “fair”... more
Prior to heading into Joshua Tree National Park, we elected to boondock out of the park until after the weekend. This area on north Joshua is known by rv'ers as a favorite place to camp near the National Park. You can stay out here for free for up to 14 days. Although the hills add some beauty to this place, we rate it only as a “fair” location at best to hang out. We would prefer a more desolate hide out.
This section of BLM land is considered overflow camping for Joshua Tree National Park. You are allowed to be up to one half mile off a “dirt road” named Cascade, identified only by a row of telephone poles...although we later saw a tiny sign identifying the road.
When we arrived there were only a handful of rigs camped out there. But come Friday night, you can expect locals driving their cars out to North Joshua for a night of partying around large bonfires. We saw a couple of large groups out on the lake bed, their cars parked in a circle, with their tiny tents set up nearby. The groups were far enough away, so we barely heard their music and laughter. But come late morning, everyone slowly packed up and headed out.
We did not experience any wind, so no dust. But, we do not recommend camping on the east side of the dry lake bed (plus it is more than 1/2 mile away from the road). During the day, especially a weekend, you have a good chance of having groups of off road enthusiasts as your neighbor...thus you now have the noise of off road motorcycles and dust to contend with.
The nights offer very good stargazing and if you are parked away from the lake bed, can be very quiet. We would camp their again only if we could not find a spot in Joshua National Park and only for a night.
Michael & Imkelina would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“If you get what you pay for, this place is BOGO and then some...”
Reviewed 5/1/2015
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
Overall Rating
We had plans to meet up with some other Airstreamers and travelers. We'd seen pictures and heard stories of meetups here before, which seemed simultaneously awesome as far as the good times, and daunting as far as the photos of nothing but a giant pile of dirt all around you. But the price was right, and we really wanted to hang out... more
We had plans to meet up with some other Airstreamers and travelers. We'd seen pictures and heard stories of meetups here before, which seemed simultaneously awesome as far as the good times, and daunting as far as the photos of nothing but a giant pile of dirt all around you.
But the price was right, and we really wanted to hang out with the people we were going to meet, so onward we went!
Totally worth every cent of completely free camping. Of the 3 nights / 4 days we hung out, one was so windy and dusty you really couldn't even go outside for more than a few seconds without getting your eyes caked with the dirt of the nation. I blame this primarily on the wicked ways our society has gone...no doubt the level of sin we've seen rising in this country everywhere from the casinos of Vegas to the tax shelters of Amish country in Pennsylvania have caused the powers that be to inflict a blight upon all of Southern California.
Then again, it was sunny, hot but breezy, and a great place to let dogs or young children run free. So maybe we're not headed for the apocalypse after all.
We also stayed in a few other places nearby after we left here, and while they were some times more beautiful, they all lacked something that this BLM land doesn't have, either cell reception, or they weren't free, or they were in a parking lot.
Now that we've stayed at a place in the park and can say "we stayed in Joshua Tree proper!" I think I would choose this place to return to again should we find ourselves back in this corner of the United States of America.
Still, I'd like to see our country come together and celebrate love, traditional respect for jumping high fives, and eliminating shellfish from our diets so that the stars align and this dry lake bed might once again spring forth with flowers and plastic easter bunny grass.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
Nathan @ Wand'rly would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Dusty and Dirty Camping”
Reviewed 4/18/2013
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Date stayed: | 4/12/13 |
| Days stayed: | 6 |
Overall Rating
Weather can really affect your experience camping. When we stayed at the dry lake north of Joshua Tree National Park, the wind was whipping. Our first day there it was pretty warm, so we had to crack the windows even though it was windy. As a result we got a pretty thick layer of dirt on everything inside the trailer. The weather... more
Weather can really affect your experience camping. When we stayed at the dry lake north of Joshua Tree National Park, the wind was whipping. Our first day there it was pretty warm, so we had to crack the windows even though it was windy. As a result we got a pretty thick layer of dirt on everything inside the trailer.
The weather report was windy for the rest of the week and we debated leaving. We ended up staying, and temps dropped so we were able to survive the wind without getting any more dirt in the trailer.
The only other complaint about this location is the OHV (Off-Highway Vehicle) activity here. They zip by your trailer dusting up again a ton of dirt.
Verizon and A&T were great, and we got over-the-air HDTV, though not all the channels.
The location is great. Close to the park and some really cute towns.
On our last night we could hear bombs being dropped in the distance. I think it was the nearby military base.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Page 10 of 10
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Amenities
Hookups
- dry camping
- Dispersed Camping
Recreation
- OHV
Site Amenities
- big rig
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