Joshua Tree South Dispersed Camping
BLM
Write a Review Cottonwood Spring Rd. Chiriaco Summit, CA 92201 760-833-7100 Official WebsiteGPS: 33.6745, -115.8019
Overview of Joshua Tree South Dispersed Camping
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads. Learn more: Boondocking 101.
Last Price Paid: $0
Reported by Adventure-Sue on 4/14/2024
Longest RV Reported: 42 feet (Class A)
Reported by WeavingRVer on 12/7/2017
Pad Type dirt
Elevation 1,771 ft / 539 m
Max Stay 14
Tent Camping Yes
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Featured Video by The Wandering Shores
Q&A - Ask the Community about Joshua Tree South Dispersed Camping
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 760-833-7100
camper-836124 asked on 12/11/2023
Where do people shower when staying here longer term? Seems like planet fitness in Coachella is the closest?
Joni asked on 2/22/2022
Do we have to let any one know where we are camping or can we just find our spot and settle in?
Sal asked on 2/21/2022
Are there many ticks or rattlesnakes at Joshua Tree South? Thanks!
Jess asked on 2/20/2022
Generator okay to use at Joshua Tree South? Like inverted type? Thanks!
Wandering Webers asked on 11/2/2021
How far back can a Class A RV get on those roads? How is the weather in February? Thanks!
FJara asked on 5/12/2021
Hello I’m new to camping and I was wondering if I’m doing tent camping, no RV just my truck, how does the restroom si...
Reviews of Joshua Tree South Dispersed Camping 139 people have reviewed this location.
“Always a good safe alternative!”
Reviewed 12/21/2022
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 14 |
Site Number: | 69 |
Been coming here for 7+ years. Best time is in March & April and October & November months. Those months the weather is almost perfect with 70-80 days and 40-50 nights. Now you will get some 90+ days and 30+ nights, but overall it's very pleasant throughout the 24 hour cycle. No toilets, water, dump station, showers, electric or hosts.... more
Been coming here for 7+ years. Best time is in March & April and October & November months. Those months the weather is almost perfect with 70-80 days and 40-50 nights. Now you will get some 90+ days and 30+ nights, but overall it's very pleasant throughout the 24 hour cycle. No toilets, water, dump station, showers, electric or hosts. You're on your own so bring whatever you need and take whatever you brought back out. In fact if everyone picked up a little more than their mess before they left, wouldn't every campsite be better off? Don't leave food opened up and sitting around ANYWHERE. Inside your RV included. There are multiple types of rats who have amazing sense of smell. They will find a way inside the RV, tent, trailer or vehicle you are sleeping in and devour whatever they get they're little sharp claws and teeth on. There are lots of coyotes so watch all size pets. Big dogs can be taunted to chase and then the pack will attack in unison. I've seen bobcats, jackrabbits, sheep, quail, kit fox, sidewinders, various other rattlesnakes, tarantula, scorpions and various hummingbirds plus hundreds of other living creatures. Take a long walk in any direction into the desert and find beautiful cacti and flowering plants. You could say I've fallen in love with the place and you'd be right.
The spaces are bigger the further out you get away from Cottonwood on either side. The roads are bumpy, but very solid. Don't set up in a wash if it might rain. Get out and physically check out the location you plan on staying at just so you see for yourself if the ground is solid enough off the main dirt roads and the smaller cut through driveways.
Offer your neighbor a beer(or whatever), and you'll be amazed how easy it is to make new friends.
Enjoy SoCal in Coachella Valley !
PathFinder would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great Views, Secluded Spots, Near Busy Road”
Reviewed 12/16/2022
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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We started here for two weeks at the end of November. Nights definitely got very cold but the views were great and it was easy access to the park. The road can get a little busy, but you can get tucked back further if you can endure the bumpier road. As you’re driving up, the road to the right is a little rougher than the road to the l... more
We started here for two weeks at the end of November. Nights definitely got very cold but the views were great and it was easy access to the park. The road can get a little busy, but you can get tucked back further if you can endure the bumpier road. As you’re driving up, the road to the right is a little rougher than the road to the left. There’s a dump station about 5 or so minutes up the road into the park, but you’ll need to buy a park pass which is $30. Worth it if you’re going for the day anyway! Some nights got very windy, so be prepared to strap down things outside.
cats-on-board would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Busy, but a nice place to stay right outside of Joshua Tree National Park”
Reviewed 5/11/2022
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 2 |
I didn't originally want to stay here. It wasn't that far off the highway, there was lots of trash along the main road, and the immediate landscape was pretty barren. But I hadn't planned ahead, and all of Joshua Tree National Park's campgrounds were full. I quickly found out that my initial reaction was very wrong. This spot gets beau... more
I didn't originally want to stay here. It wasn't that far off the highway, there was lots of trash along the main road, and the immediate landscape was pretty barren. But I hadn't planned ahead, and all of Joshua Tree National Park's campgrounds were full. I quickly found out that my initial reaction was very wrong. This spot gets beautiful sunsets, is great for stargazing, and I had no complaints. I thought the light from the Coachella Valley would be too much to see the stars, but I popped out of my vehicle around midnight and the sky was incredible.
The campground: You can camp in the areas both to the left and right of the main road that goes from the highway up into Joshua Tree. If you're coming from the highway and see the Joshua Tree National Park sign, you've gone too far. Once you're off the main road things become really bumpy with ruts, dips, and one area that's been completely washed out and you have to go around, but I saw everything from cars to large RVs navigating this road. It's definitely easier to navigate during the daylight. There were so many places to camp that I was really able to choose a spot I was most comfortable with while traveling solo.
The campsites vary in their degree of cleanliness and level land. I found a couple bottle caps at one of my sites, but nothing major. Most of the sites have a rock fire ring (heads up: you need a permit in CA for a fire, and always check in with the state's current fire restrictions). The area had quite a few campers, but the spots are spaced nicely and there's plenty of room to keep driving further off the main road to find a spot that not around other campers. (If you're looking for somewhere that feels secluded, however, this is not it.) While I didn't notice much noise from the highway, there was a little bit of noise from campers arriving later in evening.
The main downside to this campground was the wind. Both nights it was very windy. I definitely saw people camping in tents, but I also saw people really struggling to put up and secure their tents in the wind.
The area: The campground is right at the South Entrance to Joshua Tree, which is the Colorado Desert section of the park. (Mind you, it can take over an hour to get to the Northern area of Joshua Tree.) It's about 10-20 minutes away from Joshua Tree's Cottonwood Visitor Center, a picnic area with bathrooms (at the front of the Cottonwood campground), and the Lost Palms Oasis. Keep in mind, there's very little cell service once inside the park. There's also a gas station & small café about ten minutes down the highway (heading East); the gas there is pricey, but they have a decent sized food mart to go with it.
Booking: This is a dispersed BLM campsite; no booking or fee. Just drive in and find a spot.
Cell Service: I could use the internet and make calls no problem with Verizon.
marveled would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Joshua Tree South Dispersed Camping provides easy access to the south entrance of Joshua Tree National Park.”
Reviewed 4/25/2022
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 5 |
Site Number: | N/A |
Joshua Tree South Dispersed Camping provides numerous sites that are located very close to the south entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. You need to be aware that most of the notable features of the park are closer to the north entrance, so if you stay here, you will need to be prepared for about a 35 mile drive to get to the most ... more
Joshua Tree South Dispersed Camping provides numerous sites that are located very close to the south entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. You need to be aware that most of the notable features of the park are closer to the north entrance, so if you stay here, you will need to be prepared for about a 35 mile drive to get to the most famous parts of the park such as the huge boulders and the groves of Joshua trees. But if you are looking for a boondocking experience with lots of space between sites and plenty of sites to choose from, Joshua Tree South is a great choice.
I visited in late March and early April. The weather was perfect. High 70's or low 80's mid-afternoon and high 40's at night. This time of year there were plenty of open sites to choose from. This is a large area and you can travel down the road that accesses the sites for a couple of miles at least. I don't know if there are busier times, but I would not want to camp here in the summer, unless you plan to run a generator and air conditioner most of the time. I did experience a couple of very windy afternoons and nights, but I also had several very calm nights.
The sites slope from south to north, but are pretty level east to west. I pulled in with my tail facing south, so the side to side leveling was only a couple of inches, but the front to back leveling was about 6 or 7 inches, which is not hard with most tongue jacks. The site surface is naturally occurring desconstructed granite like you might find on a garden path. It makes a clean surface with surprisingly little dust. I found it to be a great surface on which to camp. There is some desert vegetation. Most sites can be accessed from a circle around a rock fire ring, so it would be unusual to have to back into a site, although there are a few tighter sites that might require backing in. It was generally very quiet, although I did have one neighbor fire up their generator at 6:30 am, but that only happened one morning. I have AT&T and I mostly had 2 bars of 4G LTE, but it sometimes was 0 bars.
The actual park sign is only a few hundred yards north of the access road to the dispersed camping, but the Cottonwood Visitor Center is about six miles further north. The Cottonwood Visitor Center has information, merchandise, bathrooms and picnic tables. There is a dump and water station about a quarter mile on toward the Cottonwood campground. You can dump and fill for a modest $5 fee payable at the visitor center (honor system). From there it is about a 30 mile drive northwest before you start to see the notable rocks and Joshua trees of the park, but the drive is interesting. I actually drove about 350 non-towing miles exploring the park during the five days that I had there. Sounds like a lot of driving but it is punctuated with numerous interesting places to stop and sightsee or hike.
This is a pretty easy boondocking experience and it is not too far from amenities as well as some fairly substantial towns (Indio, Palm Desert, etc.). I had a great time at this location and if you like the desert I highly recommend it.
SY would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Nice, lots of space for a lot of campers”
Reviewed 4/10/2022
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 1 |
RV Length: | 26' (Travel Trailer) |
Just a short distance from interstate 10 however did not hear noise from it. good views, lots and lots of room. probably a couple of dozen rigs there and plenty of room for more. not crowded at all.
Jim would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Easy access and lots of space”
Reviewed 3/18/2022
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
Very easy access off I-10. From cottonwood road heading north we took a left into the BLM land. The road is in decent condition with some dips in places but not an issue for our 36' 5er. Plenty of spots available upon on our Thursday afternoon arrival. There is soft sand but if you drive carefully and scope it out you should be fine. F... more
Very easy access off I-10. From cottonwood road heading north we took a left into the BLM land. The road is in decent condition with some dips in places but not an issue for our 36' 5er. Plenty of spots available upon on our Thursday afternoon arrival. There is soft sand but if you drive carefully and scope it out you should be fine. Fire rings clearly denote the spaces. We did have to get somewhat creative on leveling so extra blocks may be helpful. Good t-mobile service with around 40mbps down.
Derrick would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Dry, desolate, beautiful in its own way.”
Reviewed 3/14/2022
Days stayed: | 9 |
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RV Length: | 37' (Fifth Wheel) |
We took the road just to the south of the park and drove west almost as far as possible. We trully love being way off by ourselves. It took us almost 10 minutes to get to the main road leading to the Park. Closer to the main road, it was really packed with RV's, car campers and tents. We used the $5 fresh water fill and dump station a... more
We took the road just to the south of the park and drove west almost as far as possible. We trully love being way off by ourselves. It took us almost 10 minutes to get to the main road leading to the Park. Closer to the main road, it was really packed with RV's, car campers and tents. We used the $5 fresh water fill and dump station at the Cottonwood Campground, about 7 miles into the park, right by the Visitor Center. The water tastes good straight from the jug, but we still put all our water through our Berkey just to be a bit cautious.
Exploringatlast would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Lots of space. Good sunrise sunset.”
Reviewed 3/9/2022
Days stayed: | 1 |
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tons of space. just drive through a bit. lots of car paths down the valley. 30-hr from most hikes etc in Joshua Tree.
JayBe would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Nice place close to the park entrance”
Reviewed 3/1/2022
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 14 |
RV Length: | 25' (Fifth Wheel) |
We planned a short stay here but extended while waiting for weather to improve at our next stop. There are lots of sites here and all spaced nicely. We took the 2nd road on the left into the area. It’s a typical washboard road and most of the sites are sloped. Be aware of the sandy areas, we saw two campers get stuck and one had to cal... more
We planned a short stay here but extended while waiting for weather to improve at our next stop. There are lots of sites here and all spaced nicely. We took the 2nd road on the left into the area. It’s a typical washboard road and most of the sites are sloped. Be aware of the sandy areas, we saw two campers get stuck and one had to call a tow truck. A dump station and potable water is available in the Cottonwood Spring camping area inside the National Park. Cost is $5 and payable at the outside window of the visitor center. Credit card only.
The park does not allow dogs on any of the trails but there are a few trails near Mecca that allow dogs and have a great view of the Salton Sea. Indio and La Quinta are 30 minutes away for anything you need. We really enjoyed our time here. It fills up on the weekends but is surprisingly quiet. Verizon and Visible service are fast. So all around a great experience.
Homie At Large would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Quiet and clean”
Reviewed 2/22/2022
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 6 |
Some days it’s a little more crowded but there’s so much room out here, there’s a decent amount of space in between rigs. It can be sandy so be sure to walk around where you plan to park first. Roads are decent but washboard and a bit rocky but if you take your time, it’s no problem. Free camping, dry camping, so pack it out and keep i... more
Some days it’s a little more crowded but there’s so much room out here, there’s a decent amount of space in between rigs. It can be sandy so be sure to walk around where you plan to park first. Roads are decent but washboard and a bit rocky but if you take your time, it’s no problem. Free camping, dry camping, so pack it out and keep it clean so NPS continues to allow folks to camp here.
The McMillan Express would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
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Amenities
Hookups
- dry camping
- Dispersed Camping
Site Amenities
- big rig
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