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

+ 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!

Beautiful Camp site! Had a great time with family tent…read morecamping. Only complaint I have is that some of the other people around our campsite were loud but to no fault of the campground. We will be back soon!

Jumbo Rocks Campground has 124 campsites and is one of the more popular campgrounds at Joshua Tree…read moreNational Park. Because of that, they require reservations year-round for $30 per site. Next to the campground has massive rock formations. If you're not staying at the campground there are only four parking spots but you can park on the side of the road just outside the entrance. The campground is in a central location with other campgrounds and attractions nearby. Even if you're not staying there it's nice to walk around and check out the rocks.

We camp at Jumbo Rocks every year and it never gets old. The rock formations are just stunning like…read morenature's playground. You do need to book in advance though, this place fills up quick. Restrooms? Meh. Not the best, but we bring our own setup so it's not a dealbreaker. Just a heads-up: double-check how many vehicles your campsite allows. Last year we showed up with two cars but only had one parking spot such a rookie mistake! Thankfully our neighbors were cool and let us use their extra. There are tons of trails around here, with different levels depending on how much you feel like sweating. No water on-site though, so come prepared. Especially if you're visiting in the summer please bring a pack, hydrate often, and avoid turning your hike into a heat stroke story. Also, bees! They're not aggressive, but if you're allergic, bring your EpiPen or maybe rethink the trip. And the sunset? Unreal. Watching the sun bounce off those rocks is something else. If you're not staying overnight, you can still swing by and do the Skull Rock Trail it's short, sweet, and perfect for a day trip.

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.

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.

One of the best campsites I've ever been to. It's located near Joshua tree and originally I thought…read morethere would be others here but we were the only ones onsite. They provide many amenities for $150 per night. You get this awning which covers two large picnic tables, a smoker slash grill, a preparation table trashcan and a gas grill for those days when fire season is in full swing. They provide paper towels and TP for the portal potty and they have a large 5,000 gallon water tank and portable 5 gallon water jugs for use around camp which we used to put out the campfire after use. They have a fire pit and chairs and tables. You essentially get 10 acres of land to yourself. You can go hiking, rock climbing or mountain biking in marked trails. We stayed for two nights and had a blast as it was way more than we expected. This maybe our new go to campsite only 2.5 hour drive from the SGV. I recommend if you go that you go in a high clearance vehicle as 4x4 is not needed but you may run into an incline where you loose traction and needs push or pull from someone as one of our friends needed.

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!

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.

Very simple, clean, close to the national park (5min). The hosts are very kind. Full bathrooms…read morewith showers. Would use again for a night or two.

Stay Dates: 9/4 to 9/6 (Labor Day weekend) Group size: 4…read moreadults, 2 kids Sites: 105 & 108 We booked this campsite 6 months in advance due to its popularity. Since we wanted to stay here on Labor Day weekend, we were excited to score two sites for the long weekend. Upon arriving to the campground (after driving up the winding roads up to Big Bear), we checked in at the booth and then proceeded to our sites. After backing into the parkin space, we got out of our truck and wanted to scout the area before unloading our gear. The first thing we noticed was that the area was HUGE. There was seemingly enough space to pitch at least 4 large tents at one site! It was also pretty well-maintained and clean, too. Our stay was brief, but pleasant. We enjoy the mostly quiet nighttime hours. The other highlight of this campground were the clean hot water showers. It's nice that you don't have to pay extra to use the showers (unlike some other campgrounds). The only downside was the struggle to push the silver button for the shower because the water doesn't stay on long enough if you just press it once. We didn't do any hiking this time around, but we did make a visit to the Big Bear Village and the Alpine Coaster during out weekend stay. Overall, this is an excellent campground in Big Bear Lake and it's worth the 6-month lead time for booking since its location and cleanliness are top-notch!

We loved the clean restrooms and the hot showers…read more We also loved having hosts in the campground, which helped keep the campground quiet at night. This campground has a lot of tall trees that provide plenty of shade, especially in the Evening Star Loop. We chose Site #111 in the Lake View Loop because the map described it as shaded. We found that it is actually only partially shaded. If you bring a canopy, it would be perfect. Note: Site #111 is located near the sewage container. I would definitely camp here again, but next time I will choose Site #114 instead. All of the sites are very clean, and the hosts drive around the campground from time to time to check on things, which made me feel very safe.

Easy and idea spot for light hiking just after you park your car. Trail leads to some key spots in…read morethe park including the the remnants of the Barker Dam that once served the area. Surrounding area are steep cliffs and bluffs offering some really epic views. Be sure to keep an close eye out for infamous Big Horn Sheep that often adorn the sides of the canyons on top of rocks and steep terrain.

Hiked Barker Dam Trail in January 2026 and it ended up being one of my favorite spots in Joshua…read moreTree National Park. The dam was filled with water (which apparently isn't always the case), and I had most of the trail completely to myself. Peaceful, scenic, and classic Joshua Tree views the entire way. Easy hike, big payoff, and felt like discovering a hidden gem. Loved it.