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 AussieTX on 11/22/2024
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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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-637483 asked on 11/14/2024
How safe is it to leave our RV in the campground while driving and site seeing and living the rigs alone?
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 142 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 89 Users
Last reported 11/22/2024
Confirmed by 48 Users
Last reported 6/30/2024
Confirmed by 24 Users
Last reported 11/22/2024
“Great spot right outside Joshua Tree NP”
Reviewed 12/17/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 5 |
| RV Length: | 24' (Class C) |
Overall Rating
There are so many camping spots to park at and they're all very dispersed. I stayed at a few different spots while I was here and the closest I was to the next person was maybe 200 feet and the furthest was 600 feet or so. Obviously since it's right outside the park, there's a big weekend crowd and there were quite a few campers during... more
There are so many camping spots to park at and they're all very dispersed. I stayed at a few different spots while I was here and the closest I was to the next person was maybe 200 feet and the furthest was 600 feet or so. Obviously since it's right outside the park, there's a big weekend crowd and there were quite a few campers during the week since the parked closed its camping the Sunday before I got here. But there are so many spots and if you want to spend the time traveling down the gravel road you can find some pretty secluded spots. I would recommend driving down the first road (going north towards the park entrance) and not the second one, which is extremely washboarded.
Love: easy access and any rig can get there, right outside the park, so many spots to choose from and they're very far away from each other, the sites are mostly level and need only a few adjustments, fire rings at every site
Dislike: there was some crazy large trash at some of the sites (like an entire stove) and the weekend crowd isn't respectful of neighbors
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Verizon 4G
Danielle C would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great Boondocking”
Reviewed 12/9/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
Overall Rating
Easy access to the south side of Joshua Tree National Park. Lots of room both east and west of entrance road to find a spot. Some highway noise depending on where you land. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset and sunrise and a half-day in Joshua Tree before continuing our journey.
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Verizon 4G
satravis would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Easy, convenient access off I-10”
Reviewed 12/4/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 7 |
| RV Length: | 37' (Bus) |
Overall Rating
There are plentiful level spots off of an easy to navigate dirt road. There were several other campers in view from our spot, but it was very quiet. 30 minutes to grocery stores and restaurants in Indio. About an hour to the major attractions in Joshua Tree. Excellent Verizon signal and passable T-Mobile signal. We were able to work re... more
There are plentiful level spots off of an easy to navigate dirt road. There were several other campers in view from our spot, but it was very quiet. 30 minutes to grocery stores and restaurants in Indio. About an hour to the major attractions in Joshua Tree. Excellent Verizon signal and passable T-Mobile signal. We were able to work remotely at this spot unboosted all week. It has been very windy, so I would not recommend tent camping.
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Verizon 4G
T-Mobile 4G
evergreen.bus would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Easy access, quiet, pretty”
Reviewed 11/22/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
Overall Rating
We are fairly new to trailer camping, and this was our best dispersed camping experience so far as far as how easy it was to get to etc. Joshua Tree is beautiful, too. Most of the main attractions in the park are at the other side though, so it does take a while to get there.
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Verizon 4G
Rpocus would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great spot just of Interstate”
Reviewed 10/30/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
Overall Rating
Easy access right off highway, but far enough that there was minimal road noise. Lots of open sites when I went, and easy to find level parking areas. Wish I had more time to stay.
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AT&T 4G
Punk Rock Hippie would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Far away but nice ”
Reviewed 9/12/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
Overall Rating
Listen, majority of the things to see at Joshua tree are near the north and east entrances. That being said, dispersed camping is less over there so if that fills up you should come to the south entrance. Just plan on a 45 minute drive minimum to get to most hikes and scenic lookouts in the area. There are a few trails near the south e... more
Listen, majority of the things to see at Joshua tree are near the north and east entrances. That being said, dispersed camping is less over there so if that fills up you should come to the south entrance. Just plan on a 45 minute drive minimum to get to most hikes and scenic lookouts in the area. There are a few trails near the south entrance but not much. Normally we love a scenic drive through the park but honestly there isn’t a whole lot to see on the south half of the park. Like I said, if camping near the north or East is full it is a fine alternative but would not be my first choice for location
tyrell would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“BEAUTIFUL desert spot! ”
Reviewed 5/17/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 0 |
Overall Rating
Really beautiful sunset/sunrise and totally clear skies. The campsites are pretty spread out and have fire rings and lots of space (we had three cars). We went in May and it was HOT (95+) during the day but really, really nice at night.
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Verizon 4G
Jacqui would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great location and beautiful sunsets”
Reviewed 4/17/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 11 |
| RV Length: | 26' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Stayed here 3/22/2020 to 4/2/2020. I really enjoyed my time here even though the park was closed due to COVID-19. The cell service was great, there were plenty of spots that had good privacy, and it was right next to the park. The sunsets out here were also stunning. I think it would be even better while the park was open, not only for... more
Stayed here 3/22/2020 to 4/2/2020. I really enjoyed my time here even though the park was closed due to COVID-19. The cell service was great, there were plenty of spots that had good privacy, and it was right next to the park. The sunsets out here were also stunning. I think it would be even better while the park was open, not only for the obvious reason of being able to visit the park, but also because you would have access to water and the dump station. The closest town with stores and supplies is Indio, which is about 45 minutes away, so you'll probably want to stock up before coming out here.
The only downside of this area was the washboard on the road coming in. The road was flat and not too rocky, but it was some of the worst washboard I've ever driven over. I found that going faster, around 25 mph, actually worked much better driving over it than trying to go slow.
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Verizon 4G
Blake would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great spot especially for beginner Boondockers”
Reviewed 4/14/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
| Site Number: | NA |
| RV Length: | 26' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
We are here right now and will stay for 14 days. This is our first time out Boondocking. There are tons of spots here suitable for all size rigs. Presently there are trailers, car campers, fifth wheel's and big rigs. It's super easy to find, exit 160 off the 10. The park is currently closed, previous to April 1st it was open to hi... more
We are here right now and will stay for 14 days. This is our first time out Boondocking. There are tons of spots here suitable for all size rigs. Presently there are trailers, car campers, fifth wheel's and big rigs. It's super easy to find, exit 160 off the 10. The park is currently closed, previous to April 1st it was open to hikers and bicycles but now even that is not permitted. You have lots of choices for spots. Just before the entrance to the park are two roads and you can take a right or left and find spots easy to pull into. These spots are the most crowded as the road although washboard is easy to navigate.
If you want more privacy there is a road before these just past the high power lines that affory way more privacy but the road is harder to navigate and spots harder to get into. This is where we are. If you go this route, besure to walk the site you choose to make sure you will not get stuck in loose sand. The spots up bu the park entrance are on harded packed land from what we could see.
No services here as the Cottonwood Visitor Center in the park is inaccessible due to the closure. Next exit at Chiriaco Summit has a Chevron Station when you can get fresh water. There is also convenience store and post office. Closest dump stations are at Loves Truck Stop in Indio ($10 fee) and the Valley Sanitary District in Indo (free but closed.... due to COVID-19 I assume).
We see a lot of little trash, cig butts and small pieces of paper, etc but overall clean BUT we are seeing a fair amount of human poop (come on people, dig a hole).
It can be windy here at times and the noise from the highway is not bad at all. Great site for solar. Our system is serving us well.
Great cell signal.
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Verizon 4G
T-Mobile 4G
Bob&Nicolette would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Reviewed 3/14/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 14 |
Overall Rating
About 40 mins to the city, there is a gas station 5 minutes to the east. Lots of available spaces and any size rig will fit. If you have a park pass, there is water and dump site in the park about 12 minutes north. Farily quite spot as the interstate is a good distance away. Beautiful view. No issues with connecting to the inter... more
About 40 mins to the city, there is a gas station 5 minutes to the east. Lots of available spaces and any size rig will fit. If you have a park pass, there is water and dump site in the park about 12 minutes north. Farily quite spot as the interstate is a good distance away. Beautiful view.
No issues with connecting to the internet.
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AT&T 4G
T-Mobile 4G
StarShots would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Page 8 of 15
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Amenities
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- dry camping
- Dispersed Camping
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