This is a very nice Campground places to book up and weekends to fully book up so try to plan early…read morelike really early different spots have different benefits some are shady and some are not some are more roomy and some are not some have parking for more than one person While others the parking is extremely tight also need to look at the proximity to the pit toilets pit toilets meaning that it's just a hole in the ground but it isn't closed with the door overall the Ambiance and the environment is amazing and well maintained frequently I see that there are Ranger Patrol vehicles that drive by to check and the many times that we have visited we have always been very impressed with the cleanliness and the order and how well the park is maintained many people come here over and over again because of the amazing Ambience and the environment it is so quiet here and unclear nights you can definitely see all the stars and you are one with them this is far enough to be away from the daily hustle and bustle but close enough to be able to do a weekend trip

Indian Cove Campground is hands down one of the most unique and peaceful places to stay in Joshua…read moreTree National Park. Surrounded by massive rock formations, it feels secluded, quiet, and incredibly raw -- like you're camping inside a natural stone cathedral. The campsites are well spaced, giving you privacy and that true desert solitude. No RV hookups, no noise, no distractions -- just rocks, sky, wind, and silence. This is real camping, not a parking lot with tents. Sunsets here are unreal, and at night the stars are absolutely breathtaking. If you're into hiking, climbing, photography, or just disconnecting from everything, this place is perfect. You can step out of your tent and immediately feel like you're deep in the wilderness. Facilities are basic but clean and well maintained, which is exactly what you want in a place like this. Indian Cove isn't for everyone -- and that's why it's special. Highly recommended for anyone who wants an authentic Joshua Tree experience

TLDR: site 29 is the best in my opinion. there's cool wildlife if you look for it. flush toilets…read moreand running water. potable water free and many faucets around campground. hiking trails within walking distance. black rock campground was a great in-between for glamping and regular camping. I think the most defining features of this campsite are the flush toilets and running water in the bathrooms. however there are no showers. there is potable water faucets scattered about the campground. there are many sites to choose from but after walking around the campground, the best ones are furthest from the entrance (like where we stayed at site 29) highly recommending site 29!!!! very secluded and not crowded next to your neigboring sites. close to the bathroom with no smell. the campground has a nature center open 8am-4pm on the weekends and has a Ranger present as well as other staff. there are hiking trails about 0.75 miles from the campground at High View Trailhead (walkable or can drive there since there's a parking lot at trailhead)

+ Decentely remote venue to go camping with folks. + Nice…read morethat there's a visitor center in the center of the campground for our convenience. . The camp sites are close together, so you can see and hear your neighbors. Not so secluded. If you want more privacy, maybe you'll prefer a different campground. Deserts, man. So dry and often warm.

Yude and Wendy were amazing! I had the best stay and the best service! I recommend staying hereread more

This is a really fun place IF THE WEATHER IS GOOD!. If it isn't, ie., really extremely hot and…read morewindy, it is a really tough place to enjoy. BUT I do LOVE THE CONCEPT and the staff there are EXCEPTIONALLY KIND AND WELCOMING. I was there for my 70th birthday last weekend and despite the terrible weather they made me feel SO VERY APPRECIATED. Thank you so much. P.S. two small comments - please make sure guests know that there is a lantern in the unit (we didn't see it and ate in the dark both nights) and perhaps include a good broom in the units - it was so windy and the place is so dry and dusty that we brought lots of sand and stones in to the unit and into our beds making for a "Princess and the Pea" couple of not so great sleeps:-)

I attended my first retreat of The Billys at this venue. The event was 5 days/4 nights with home…read morecooked meals included. The facility is remote and accessible via labelled dirt roads. Be sure to have printed instructions before going because GPS is not very reliable. I stayed in a room with 4 bunkbeds (there were only 3 of us). We each got to sleep in the bottom bunk and use the upper one to spread out our luggage. Some guys opted to sleep in campers or in tents that they had pitched. The desert terrain had a variety of vegetation and we had 2 or 3 docents who were familiar with the names and descriptions of many of the plants, rocks, and birds. As the name implies, there was clear and bright stellar activity at night. We were able to see a multitude of stars, a bright moon as well as one of our solar system's planets. The facility has 4 showers and 2 open to air toilets near the community center. There is a half bath room off the main house. My only complaint was the mattress on my bunkbed. It was two gym mats the size of a twin mattress one on top of the other. If you have a sensitive neck for sleeping you might want to bring an extra pillow. Stay well-hydrated. They have excellent water that tastes good straight from the tap.

Definitely! Three glorious days spent with other nude males. Great comradeship and great food. The…read moreweather couldn't be better last weekend. The view is amazing. You can be sexual or not and the men won't judge you. Great big happy family!

First-come, first-serve. No showers at campgrounds within the park. Brush up on bird baths before…read moreyou go. Weekend campsites are tough to score during spring peak season (March-April). Get there on a Thursday if you can swing it. If you can't, get there at the crack of dawn on Friday. Campsites will probably be full, but if you have faith and perfect timing, you'll whine/pout in the car for awhile until you snag one as someone else is leaving. This ended up being the case around 6:30 am, when we tested our luck at Ryan Campground after Jumbo Rocks was full. Ryan Campground has 31 campsites. If a post has an orange envelope clipped to it, the site's taken. Otherwise, it's yours. Sites are fairly spacious and surround a cluster of boulders. We snagged #16 for $15/night. If it's a weekend, it's a guarantee people will be circling the grounds each day in search of a site and asking if you plan to leave. They will also approach you at night and ask for advice on a place to camp. If you're feeling altruistic, keep in mind it's 2 vehicles per site. Make sure to consult the weather forecast beforehand--what we thought would be a little breeze ended up being 30 MPH gusts of hell. We took the ominous warning from the state park ranger lightly, who devilishly giggled after saying "no, you won't blow away." We didn't, but our tent collapsed, as did 80% of the tents surrounding us. Amidst our elemental battle, a couple pulled up to ask if we were leaving. We weren't, but invited them to share our site with us. The 4 of us combined couldn't keep our tent upright against the wind. An hour later, a torrential downpour forced us to throw everything into the car and sleep in a hotel. We returned the next morning when the wind died down. The weather didn't deter anyone, the sites were still full. Our tent dried out during the day and we were able to have a great experience. Highly advise a night hike to Ryan Ranch, but bear in mind you may encounter desert stragglers who've ingested hallucinogenics. It's entertaining. No matter your experience of Ryan Campground, you're sure to come away from it with a good story.

Review is for the hike, the payoff is an abandoned adobe homestead with the main structure still…read morestanding and old parts strewn around the base of Ryan Mountain. Joshua Tree will always have a special place in my memory. I came camping here for the first time as an elementary school kid and my friend's father taught me how to pitch a tent, spot constellations, and different types of rocks. Luckily, my kids seem to have inherited the same feelings and loved their time at Ryan's Ranch. Hike is an easy 1.1 miles out and back but you can spend much more time scrambling on the rocks which we did. There are Joshua Trees everywhere you can walk right up to. My favorite part was total freedom to explore. It's not like many hikes that have a set path and barriers to stay in, a lot for the rock scrambles are very close to the trail and there is easy visibility so you won't get lost if you don't wander too far.

Very nice place, friendly staff and a nice store. Only feedback is they might want to have fresh…read morecoffee in the store. My husband went there is the morning because my coffee pot died.

+ The 1/2marathon here was awesome! Thank VR for the organization and amenities…read more + I really appreciated the banana and orange pieces at the snack stations placed every other mile throughout the racetrack. + Beautiful run under the moon and starlit sky. + Music and cheers amping the runners up. A DJ and tattoo art to keep the excitement going. + Ample nearby parking. - The running trail had a few rocks and some uneven ground that could've caused a couple rolled or sprained ankles. - And a couple of the water refill tanks at the main area were empty, but they didn't refill them. Shoutout to Ezekiel for allowing me to visit the giant sculpture while the event was still ongoing. What an ethereal experience!

Been here more then 4-5 times in past 15 years. Quiet, outstanding relaxation and man made lake…read moreused in several famous western movies. Remodeled central bunk house and outlying cabins very modern. Prices a bit less... then several bigger camps nearby. Food is great with excellent large salad bars.

We have attended Cedar Lake Camp for multiple Junior High summer camps. The lodging is clean and a…read moreroom of 8 has its own private bathroom. There is an additional bathroom in the hallway if needed. The kitchen and dining area is clean and I have never been fed so well with good food. We could have seconds if needed as they are generous. The staff are friendly and efficient. The facilities are expansive and the private lake is nice to swim or Kayak in. You can see glimpses of Big Bear lake below. This is a great place to stay for a camp.

Pineknot Campground sits at the base of Snow Summit and makes for a great mountain getaway. It is…read moreso peaceful and well maintained. There are no showers here, but the clean restrooms with running water make camping a little easier. Loved all the shade from the trees and the fire pit and grill at all the campsites. One of the best parts of this campground is how close it is to hiking and biking trails, you can head straight out from camp and be on an adventure in minutes. Big Bear Lake and the village are just a short distance away, so there's plenty to do in the area. This is a well‑kept campground with lots nearby, and bonus points for being dog friendly.

I was very surprised how quiet this campground was. Also clean. Had the beautiful experience of…read moretwo coyotes strolling through our campsite, not scared or aggressive just peaceful. The issues I had were people tying things to the trees leaving huge grooves in the bark, wood gathering, and too many cars and people in campsites. We had a group of about twelve next to us they did have two sites but all stayed at one site with 6 vehicles. Also no campground etiquette... please don't journey through my site. Teach your kids better... I will return as I did like the campground!

The place is very adult it's got Very affordable hook ups the bathrooms are super clean and…read moreplentiful. They have a cool little duck pound you can walk around and they have an event side for when they have concerts and such we love to get away at this spot as it's so peaceful in the middle of the desert and you can wake up and go into the town and have breakfast and watch how active that little town gets. It's amazing this campground definitely get as many started. I can give it.

Kinda of reluctant to leave a review because I want to keep it a secret--but no gatekeeping here, I…read moreguess! Didn't take pics but looking at the other reviews, all are pretty much the same. It was my first time at this campground. Loved the email and text updates. They were very helpful! As we drove up, we were greeted by site staff and given some quick tips and shown our site. Check in and out was SUPER easy the the staff are very accommodating. The site is kept very nicely and actual ground is so level and firm. The location is ideal as it is close to the west entrance to JTNP and other shops and restaurants. Loved the dog park that is adjacent to the campgrounds. The quiet hours are not strictly upheld, however, as there was a very loud group next to us. But, it was not too bad and they were out by 1am. Overall, it was the best experience and I can't wait to get back.

Happy new month, happy September! I killed 3 birds with one…read morestone during our visit to Palm Springs hehe and got to cross Joshua Tree National Park off my list. I always wanted to visit Joshua Tree National Park from seeing all the Instagram post, heard many things about the tree and the movies were filmed here. Yay, it finally happened during August, not a good time to visit but it was the only time we could make it. The weather was super HOT to be in the desert , 3 digit hot . Next time I have other plans Joshua Tree, I will be visiting in cooler times. I was so excited for Joshua Tree, finally happened hehe. We drive in to Joshua Tree twice, the first day we kind got lost looking for Joshua Tree and we started later in the day so we continued the next day. The drive in was nice, the roads were paved. We didn't hike it but just got to drive around the National Park, $30. per car, good for 7 days entrance. I asked the park guard where is the original Joshua Tree located, (hehe) but I learned that there isn't a specific or original. "Joshua" is named after a person. I loved seeing all the Joshua Trees, trying to find the perfect tree shape for our photos. I know how the Joshua Tree looks like, hehe. Joshua Tree is 130 miles east of LA, in southern dessert, we drove from LAX, it was perfect as one of the reason to visit Palm Springs was for JW, got info. that Joshua Tree was in the area, this was truly meant to be, Nearest towns are Twentynine Palms, Palm Desert and Palm Springs. What makes Joshua Tree special, this is where two deserts meet, The Mojave desert and lower Colorado desert, they have crazy rock formations, boulder piles and dark night skies, like International Dark Sky Park) The park is open 24 hours which I would be afraid to be at the park late at night. Don't forget to bring water, snacks, food, wear comfortable shoes, sunscreen, prepared for spotty cell service. All in all, Absolutely beautiful, I got to cross JTNP off my list, took in nature and family time, Carpe Diem, seize the moment, all we have is now. I can't wait to be back again for more Joshua Tree adventures!

As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six-week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. On this trip, we visited 14 national parks, and Joshua Tree National Park was one of the most playful and surprising. My husband came up with what may be the park's most accurate unofficial name: "Amazing Boulders National Park... with a few Joshua trees." After spending a couple of days there, I had to admit he had a point. Yes, the Joshua trees are fascinating. These unusual plants are actually members of the yucca family rather than true trees, and they give the landscape a wonderfully whimsical character. But what completely captivated us were the enormous granite boulder formations scattered throughout the park. They seem to have been dropped from the sky by a giant child building a playground. Hiking here is simply fun. Around every corner, another incredible rock formation appears, and before long you find yourself spotting shapes in the rocks: an elephant, a skull, faces, animals, castles... your imagination takes over. Climbing on the boulders brought out our inner children. Unlike many hikes where you simply follow a trail, Joshua Tree encourages exploration and curiosity. One of the most fascinating aspects of the park is that it lies where two distinct deserts meet: the higher, cooler Mojave Desert, home to the Joshua trees, and the lower, hotter Colorado Desert, creating remarkable diversity in both plants and wildlife. We were fortunate to visit while many of the cacti were in bloom, adding splashes of color to the desert. We also enjoyed watching the abundant wildlife, including desert iguanas, ground squirrels, Gambel's quail, and countless birds that make this seemingly harsh environment feel surprisingly alive. The scenery constantly changes, from forests of Joshua trees to giant rock piles, hidden valleys, cholla gardens, and wide-open desert vistas. It is easy to understand why artists, photographers, climbers, and stargazers have been drawn here for generations. Joshua Tree National Park is one of those rare places that makes you smile while you're exploring it. It is beautiful, quirky, imaginative, and incredibly fun. Whether you come to hike, climb, photograph, or simply let your imagination run wild among the boulders, this park is unforgettable. Highly recommended, and if you find yourself calling it "Amazing Boulders National Park," don't worry... you're probably not the first.