Hotels in Joshua Tree National Park
Aside from camping, there are no overnight accommodations within the park.
Camping
The park has nine developed drive-in campgrounds. At this writing, you can make reservations for individual sites only at Black Rock Canyon and Indian Cove (tel. 877/444-6777; www.recreation.gov). You can make group camping reservations (sites accommodate 10-70 people) at the same number and website. Belle Campground is on Pinto Basin Road 9 miles south of Twentynine Palms. Black Rock Campground is in the northwest corner, at the head of the 35-mile California Riding and Hiking Trail (to reach it, you have to leave the park boundaries), and is the most developed campground. There is also a visitor center here. Cottonwood Campground is in the southern portion of the park, near the Cottonwood Visitor Center. Hidden Valley Campground, 14 miles south of Joshua Tree, California, is on the main park road. Indian Cove is just inside park boundaries west of Twentynine Palms; as at Black Rock, there are hiking trails leading farther into Joshua Tree, but no roads. Jumbo Rocks Campground, named for its -- surprise! -- jumbo rocks, is 11 miles south of Twentynine Palms. Take Park Boulevard to reach Ryan Campground, 16 miles southeast of Joshua Tree, California. Sheep Pass group camp, a few miles east of Ryan Campground, has group sites only. White Tank Campground is 2 miles beyond the Belle Campground. There are no showers or laundry facilities at any of the campgrounds, and you can make fires only in the fire pits provided at each campsite (bring your own wood).
The park also allows backcountry camping in the wilderness areas; regulations include mandatory registration on boards at the trail heads. Park staffers recommend backcountry enthusiasts buy the Trails Illustrated topographic map of the park (available through the park association) before embarking on a backpacking trip.
Outside of the park boundaries, there are a few commercial campgrounds. One of the best is the Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground, 5 miles north of Calif. 62 on Sunfair Road near the town of Joshua Tree (tel. 760/366-1213; www.jtlake.com). It has a fishing lake (with bass, bluegill, and catfish), a dump station, a small convenience store, laundry machines, and 44 RV hookups ($28 per night). Tent sites are $16 for two people. Showers cost $5 for walk-ins but are free for guests.
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5 Results
- Hotel
29 Palms Inn
Dating to the 1920s, this legendary hostelry is located on 70 acres at the Oasis of Mara, just a stone's throw from the primary visitor center for the park. The inn is home to several artesian-fed ponds, not to mention the actual 29 palm trees for which the surrounding town is named.…$$Near The Park
- Hotel
Joshua Tree Highlands Houses
This innovative lodging complex consists of a trio of handsomely renovated homes near the park entrance. We’d say they’re the snazziest places to hang your hat in the Joshua Tree area, as all include usable kitchens, hot tubs, outdoor fireplaces and lots of retro-inspired style.…$$Near The Park - Hotel
Joshua Tree Inn
Best known as the spot where country-rock icon Gram Parsons died in 1973—Room 8 is dedicated to his memory—the 1950s-era motel is more than a morbid asterisk in rock-and-roll history. The roadside motel features a great courtyard pool and adobe style rooms, more than a few of which…$Near The Park - Hotel
Pioneertown Motel
In the 1940s and 1950s, Pioneertown served as the location for numerous movies featuring Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and the Sons of the Pioneers—for whom the town is named. Today movie shoots are few and far between, but the old hotel that housed the stars in the halcyon days is still a…$Near The Park - Hotel
Spin and Margie’s Desert Hide-a-Way
I love this eccentric and eclectic little getaway, tucked away in the desert a few miles east of the town of Joshua Tree. With tiled floors and small, fully equipped kitchens, the rooms are colorful to say the least, decorated with Mexican saddleblankets, beaded curtains, and plenty…$$Near The Park
