TripsGalaxy Logo
The sky turns hues of pink and purple over a field of Joshua trees.
CA

Joshua Tree National Park

Entrance Fee

$30.00

/ Entrance - Private Vehicle

Park Hours (Today)

All Day

Joshua Tree Visitor Center: 7:30AM - 5:00PM

Miza AI

Plan your Joshua Tree trip

Start →

About the Park

Two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, come together in Joshua Tree National Park. A fascinating variety of plants and animals make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain. Dark night skies, a rich cultural history, and surreal geologic features add to the wonder of this vast wilderness in southern California. Come explore for yourself!

Archeology Farming and Agriculture Ranches Industry Mining Native American Heritage Westward Expansion Homesteading
Miza AI Trip Planner

Ready to explore Joshua Tree National Park?

Take the stress out of planning. Our AI will automatically sequence your stops, find the best hotels, and optimize your driving time in seconds.

What to See & Do

Milly way over a Joshua Tree
Stargazing

Stargazing at Joshua Tree

Enjoy Joshua Tree National Park's amazing night sky.

In Park
A person walking a sidewalk next to a fence in front of chollas with the sun setting over mountains.
Hiking

Hike Cholla Cactus Garden

An easy quarter mile hike through a cholla patch along Pinto Basin Road.

In Park15-30 Minutes
A hiker walking on a dirt trail with rocks in the background
Hiking

Hike Skull Rock

A relatively flat, 1.7-mile loop trail. Hike through the large, granite boulder fields around the Jumbo Rocks area, including one near Park Boulevard that closely resembles a Skull. 

Skull Rock Trailhead1-2 Hours
A uniformed ranger presents a program about Joshua trees along the Cap Rock Nature trail
Guided Tours

Attend a Ranger Stroll

Join a ranger on an educational stroll.

In Park30-45 Minutes
A map holding binoculars up to his face looking into the distance.
Birdwatching

Birding at Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree National Park offers a wide range of birds for birders to discover.

In Park
Hikers on a dirt trail going between Joshua trees and shrubs heading towards a rock formation.
Hiking

Hike Boy Scout Trail

Explore the Wonderland of Rocks on the Boy Scout Trail.

In Park1-10 Hours

Self-Guided Tours

desert vegetation with Joshua trees, desert vegetation, and cloudy blue sky in the background

Joshua Tree to 29 Palms Audio Tour

This audio tour starts at the Joshua Tree Visitor Center in the town of Joshua Tree and ends in Twentynine Palms, CA. This tour is designed to help visitors explore and learn about Joshua Tree National Park. Topics include wildlife, vegetation, deserts, geology, history, and more.

1-3 min 22 stops
Joshua trees with desert mountains, blue sky, clouds, and a snow mountain in the background

29 Palms to Joshua Tree Audio Tour

This audio tour starts at the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center in the town of Twentynine Palms and ends in Joshua Tree, California. This tour is designed to help visitors explore and learn about Joshua Tree National Park. Topics include wildlife, vegetation, deserts, geology, history, and more.

1-3 min 20 stops
Yellow flower lined road leading towards mountains with a Joshua Tree entrance sign.

Cottonwood to Joshua Tree Audio Tour

This audio tour starts at the South Entrance near Cottonwood Spring and ends in the town of Joshua Tree, California. This tour is designed to help visitors explore and learn about Joshua Tree National Park. Topics include wildlife, vegetation, deserts, geology, history, and more.

1-4 min 25 stops

Visitor Centers

A building with shaded structures and shadows being cast onto concrete floor.

Joshua Tree Visitor Center

Located in downtown Joshua Tree just five miles from the West Entrance, the Joshua Tree Visitor Center offers educational exhibits, a bookstore, and visitor resources. Grab a park map, buy an entrance pass, and chat with a park ranger to get all your questions answered before heading into the park! The parking lot at the visitor center has 2 standard accessible spaces and 40 other spaces. The restrooms have grab bars available in all larger stalls intended for wheelchair users and running water.

7:30AM - 5:00PM 760-367-5500
The front of a building with a large arrowhead sign. A large Joshua tree grows in front.

Black Rock Nature Center

Located in the heart of the beautiful Black Rock Campground, the Nature Center offers a bookstore, art gallery, visitor resources, and a picnic area. Visitors can chat with a park ranger, shop at the bookstore, and observe exhibits in the art gallery. There is also a water-bottle filling station and a restroom with flush toilets. The Nature Center is open on weekends from 8:00-11:00am 12:00-4:00pm. Hours may vary depending on staff availability, especially in the summer.

Closed 760-367-5500
A ranger talking with two visitors at a desk in a visitor center

Cottonwood Visitor Center

Located on Pinto Basin Road, approximately 7 miles north of Interstate 10 (exit 168), the Cottonwood Visitor Center is a convenient stop for those entering and exiting the park from the south. It has educational exhibits, a bookstore, visitor resources, and restroom facilities. You can grab a park map, buy an entrance pass, fill up your water bottle, and chat with a park ranger to get all your questions answered. The flush toilets are currently out of service.

8:30AM - 4:00PM 760-367-5500
An exhibit hall featuring colorful educational exhibits.

Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center

The Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center is located in downtown Twentynine Palms and features educational exhibits, a bookstore and giftshop, and visitor information.

8:00AM - 5:00PM 760-367-5500

Where to Stay

An RV drives past an campground information board.

Jumbo Rocks Campground

There are 124 individual/family sites in Jumbo Rocks Campground. Reservations are required. The campground is centrally located and offers great views of rock formations. This campground is very popular, and sites book up quickly. Campsite fees will increase to $30 per site starting January 1, 2025.

🏕 124 sites🚽 ToiletsReservable
Book on Recreation.gov
A picnic table and fire pit are in a campsite. Behind them are large boulders.

White Tank Campground

This is small campground with 15 sites. There are pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits. There is no water available. RVs and vehicles with trailers may not exceed 25 feet. To secure a site, 1. Locate an empty campsite. 2. Occupy the site (set up a tent or leave personal items to show occupancy). 3. Proceed immediately to an entrance station to complete registration and pay. You must pay for the site within one hour of set up. If entrance stations are closed, payment may be delayed until morning.

🏕 15 sites🚽 Toilets
Two informational boards at the sheep pass group campground with large rocky outcrops behind them.

Sheep Pass Group Campground

Sheep Pass Group Campground has 6 group campsites and is centrally located within Joshua Tree National Park and is easily accessible to hiking trails and rock climbing routes. All campsites are by reservation only. It is one of three group campgrounds in the park. Towering rock formations and uniquely-shaped Joshua trees surround the facility. There is no water available in the campground. Campsite fees are increasing to $55 starting January 1, 2025

🏕 6 sites🚽 ToiletsReservable
Book on Recreation.gov
An unpaved road and campground signage is surrounded by vegetation and rock formations.

Ryan Campground

Ryan Campground has 31 campsites. All campsites are reservation only. The campground is centrally located in the park and is adjacent to the California Riding and Hiking Trail. There are 4 designated equestrian sites and reservations are required. For more equestrian campsites, see Black Rock Campground. There is no water available at Ryan Campground. There are 3 bicycle sites available at $5 per night, with no more than 3 tents and 3 people per campsite.

🏕 32 sites🚽 ToiletsReservable
Book on Recreation.gov
A sign that reads 'Joshua Tree National Park... Indian Cove'. Behind it is a building.

Indian Cove Campground

Indian Cove Campground is located off of Highway 62, thirteen miles east of Joshua Tree Village and ten miles west of Twentynine Palms. It has 101 campsites, including thirteen group campsites. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, there are 39 reservable sites. There are vault toilets but no water at the campsites. There is a water bottle/jug filling station at the small ranger station roughly two miles north of the campground. For a RV-filling station, there is one at our headquarters in 29 Palms.

🏕 101 sites🚽 ToiletsReservable
Book on Recreation.gov
A pit toilet, information board, emergency phone and a path.

Hidden Valley Campground

The Hidden Valley Campground has 44 sites. There are pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits. There is no water so bring plenty of your own. To secure a campsite, 1. Locate an empty campsite. 2. Occupy the site (set up a tent or leave personal items to show site occupancy). 3. Proceed immediately to an entrance station to complete registration and pay. You must pay for the site within one hour of set up. If arriving after entrance stations close, payment may be delayed until the following morning.

🏕 44 sites🚽 Toilets
A road leads past a sign that says "Black Rock Canyon Campground"

Black Rock Campground

This large (99 site) campground is located in the northwest corner of the park. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring with rest rooms and water nearby. Shopping facilities are only five miles away in the town of Yucca Valley. Campsites vary in size and can accommodate both tents and RVs. A day-use picnic area and a dump station are also available. For horse owners, a separate area is provided for camping or for staging a ride.

🏕 99 sites💧 Water🚽 ToiletsReservable
Book on Recreation.gov
Belle Campground information board is shown in front of a trail and a Joshua tree.

Belle Campground

This small campground has 18 sites. There are pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits. There is no water so bring plenty of your own. To secure a campsite, 1. Locate an empty campsite. 2. Occupy the site (set up a tent or leave personal items to show site occupancy). 3. Proceed immediately to an entrance station to complete registration and pay. You must pay for the site within one hour of set up. If arriving after entrance stations close, payment may be delayed until morning.

🏕 18 sites🚽 Toilets
A view looking down onto the Cottonwood Campground showing the bathrooms, tent sites and RV sites.

Cottonwood Campground

The Cottonwood Campground is reservation only and has 62 sites, potable water and flush toilets. The Campground is near the Cottonwood Visitor Center in the southeast part of the park. The closest metropolitan area is Indio about 30 miles away. Cottonwood Campground fees will increase to $35 per site starting January 1, 2025. Cottonwood Group Campground fees will increase to $55 per site starting January 1, 2025.

🏕 62 sites💧 Water🚽 ToiletsReservable
Book on Recreation.gov

Parking & Access

Getting Here

From I-10, take exit 117 for CA Hwy 62 toward 29 Palms/Yucca Valley. This will allow you to access the West Entrance, the North Entrance, Black Rock, and Indian Cove. Take exit 168 off I-10 to come in at the park's South Entrance.

Official NPS directions

Parking Lots

49 Palms Oasis

The small parking area for the 49 Palms Oasis Trail. There is a vault toilet near the trailhead.

Open in Maps

Barker Dam Parking Lot

The Barker Dam Parking Lot is a paved lot that provides access to the Barker Dam Trail and the Wall Street Mill Trail.

Open in Maps

Intersection Parking Lot

The Intersection Parking Lot is located off of Park Boulevard between the road and Hidden Valley Campground. The lot is named due to it's close proximity to the intersection of Park Boulevard and Barker Dam Road. This lot is a popular parking area for climbers going to a crag in or near the Hidden Valley Campground Area. The lot is relatively large, but it does fill up on weekends and holidays during the busy season.

Open in Maps
Parking spaces and s building with a sign that reads Joshua Tree Cultural Center

Joshua Tree Cultural Center Parking

Parking spaces are available around the building which is both a cultural center and a visitor center for Joshua Tree National Park.

Open in Maps
Vehicles and people in a paved parking area

Keys View Parking

The main Keys View Parking Lot has space for about 30 vehicles in a paved circular parking area. Do not park over the curb or on vegetation. Improper parking may result in a fine. There are two ADA parking spaces available in this lot and the trail is paved. However the steep grade of the trail makes it inaccessible for some visitors. There is also a nearby viewpoint with ADA parking that is more accessible.

Open in Maps
17 cars are parking in a circular dirt lot, numerous people are walking in and around the lot.

Split Rock Parking Lot

The Split Rock Parking Area which provides access to the Split Rock Trailhead. It is a dirt parking lot with one main parking area next to the trailhead and one smaller area next to a vault toilet.

Open in Maps

Getting Here & Transit

How to Get Here

From I-10, take exit 117 for CA Hwy 62 toward 29 Palms/Yucca Valley. This will allow you to access the West Entrance, the North Entrance, Black Rock, and Indian Cove. Take exit 168 off I-10 to come in at the park's South Entrance.

Park Amenities

Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
Benches/Seating
Cellular Signal
Electric Car Charging Station
Electrical Outlet/Cell Phone Charging
Entrance Passes for Sale
Fire Extinguisher
First Aid/Medical Care Available
Gifts/Souvenirs/Books
Grill
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
Information
Information - Maps Available
Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present
Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board

Permits & Reservations

Permits may be required

Some activities in Joshua Tree National Park — including backcountry camping, certain trails, and climbing routes — require advance permits. Check the official NPS website for current requirements before your visit.

Entrance Fees & Passes

Standard Fees

Entrance - Private Vehicle

$30.00

7-day vehicle permit, admitting the passengers of a single, non-commercial vehicle on the day of purchase and for the next six days.

Entrance - Motorcycle

$25.00

Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers.

Entrance - Per Person

$15.00

7-day entrance fee, per person on foot or bike.

Annual & Lifetime Passes

Annual Entrance - Park

$55.00

This pass is valid for 12 months from the month of purchase. It covers the entrance fee to Joshua Tree National Park for the pass signee and accompanying passengers entering in a single, non-commercial vehicle. Joshua Tree Annual Passes are available at park entrance stations and visitor centers.

Operating Hours

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Visitation increases as temperatures moderate in the fall, peaks during the spring wildflower season, and diminishes during the heat of summer. Some areas of the park are designated for day use only. Visitor centers keep separate hours; please see descriptions.

  • MondayAll Day
  • TuesdayAll Day
  • WednesdayAll Day
  • ThursdayAll Day
  • FridayAll Day
  • SaturdayAll Day
  • SundayAll Day

Live Webcams

Click any camera to open the live feed on the NPS website.

When to Go

Crowd Calendar

Plan your trip around peak seasons to avoid crowds or embrace the energy of the busy months. Our crowd predictions are based on historical NPS Visitor Use Statistics.

Jan

Moderate

Feb

Moderate

Mar

High

Apr

High

May

Low

Jun

Low

Jul

Moderate

Aug

Moderate

Sep

High

Oct

Low

Nov

Low

Dec

Low
Low Crowds
Moderate Crowds
High Crowds

Location

74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277-3597

Around This Park

Find nearby essentials on Google Maps.

Searching for the best hotel deals near Joshua Tree National Park...

Common Questions

Planning Joshua Tree

These common questions go deeper into logistics and planning. For real-time updates on road closures and current conditions, always check the Alerts section above.

Reservation policies vary heavily by season. During peak summer months, many popular national parks require timed-entry permits or vehicle reservations just to enter the park, or specific permits for popular hikes (like Half Dome or Angels Landing). Always check the official NPS alerts and recreation.gov before setting your dates.