+ 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!

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

Spent the night here in a Dirtbag Y site. Tad, the host, is very easy to work with and very…read morehelpful. He promptly met us and reviewed everything we needed to know and all the things provided in the yurt setup. All we brought was food and drink, everything else provided. Definitely recommend. Check reviews on hipcamp.com - 4.6 star rating from 1,344 reviews

Stayed here a couple of days ago cause everything was booked up in Joshua Tree. We reserved a spot…read morea couple of days before, but when we got there, there weren't any spots available. I texted the owner, and in about 1 minute, Tad came out and guided us to a spot we could camp for the night. It was right next to the other spots but had not fire ring. So what does Tad do? Goes and brings us a portable fire pit! Awesome service! Anyways, the place is really just a part of the owners property right by there house. But it is nice, for a few nights of camping when you can't get a spot in the park. I would totally stay here again. They'll even cook you breakfast if you order it the night before. It is an extra charge though, I think $12. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because of the bathroom situation. It was just a bucket behind a wall, no door even! But Tad told us they were getting a port-a-potty very soon. I definitely recommend Dirtbag Campground!

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.

Me and my family have been coming to Sam's for over 40 years. It's a tradition started by my…read moregrandparents and us as grandchildren continue to carry this tradition. This was my first time coming here since I was 10 years old. Wow. The nostalgia hit so hard. The snack shop, hot pools, duck feeding, friendly staff etc. Only thing I would change though is the 1 tent per site. Other than that, Sam's will always be a place to come to for a family vacation.

This was a disappointing experience. The parking lot is very inconvenient for a new visiter with a…read morelarger RV. It's confusing and small. I had picked an RV site but it was scratched out and replaced with another site number. it was two sites away so I didn't mention it. My site was next to a permanent resident fifth wheel in horrible condition. Little did I know it was one of the better permanent RVs there. When you see all the "rules" for campers there you assume this is a nice place. I think they even wanted to know the year of our RV, like they have standards. HA! Went on a walk around and there were junky RVs everywhere that are old, broken RVs surrounded by hoards and hanging laundry (NOT allowed! LOL) Seeing all the permanent septic hoses on the ground and with the "p trap" dip showing they are open 24-7 was awful. Speaking of laundry, after a week in Mexico we had two loads to run. Our friends had one. Luckily there were three working - because only about 30% of the washing machines/dryers were actually functioning. They only had coin operated washers and no change machine. The pool area was older but clean and nice. The pool was cold! There is a separate, covered area with four hot pools of various temperatures. These were well used and I should point out there can be children present - just pointing this out as it can be less then relaxing to have a child playing with dolls in the spa with you. Unfortunately the sauna was not working when I was there. It had some very pretty grounds around the pool for games and barbecue. Nice pond with turtles, too. When we went to leave, we tried to hook up to empty the grey and black tanks. Our septic hook up was modified for a smaller hose size and there was no way for us to be able to use it. Very frustrating and we didn't want find an alternate there since it was quite early in the morning. The guy banging on metal and running equipment behind us hadn't even showed up to make noise yet that morning. After we left we reached out to the management via email and it has been over a week with NO response. We had asked for a partial refund due to the issues mentioned. With no reply, I feel compelled to warn others, since you will have no recourse once they get your money apparently. While we enjoyed the pool for a couple hours and felt like I was pretty safe there, the amenities and services were otherwise lacking and not worth, in my opinion, what we paid. It felt very, "bait and switch." The location was ok for decompressing from our Mexico trip, but next time we will go back the way we came (a hidden gem by Salton Sea)

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.

Hit and miss here to find a spot. No reservations. Came for spring break and it was packed. Luckily…read morewe found one open spot on a Monday. Gorgeous at this site though.

Campsites are on a first come, first serve basis. There are some that are reservations only, but we…read moreusually go for the Jumbo Rocks campsite as there are tons of spots. This time around, we decided to try out Belle Campground. The process is the same: pick a spot, fill out the form, clip it on your campsite post, and deposit the money filled envelope at the camp fee box (usually located near the info boards). It's a smaller campground with 18 spots at $15 per night. They have vault toilets and trash bins located throughout the area. The toilets are stocked with toilet paper, but it never hurts to bring some, just in case. Each campsite has a picnic table, fire ring, and BBQ grill. There is no water available, so bring enough for each person as well as cooking purposes. Overall, this was a nice campsite. It is a bit smaller than we were used to compared to Jumbo Rocks, but we enjoyed it all the same.

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!