Joshua Tree National Park$35
Cottonwood
Total sites: 59
Booking Window: 6 months
Booking Window: 6 months
3,035 ft
69°F
52°F
52°F
no signal
Cottonwood Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, CA - Latest Reviews, Photos & Campground Map
Cottonwood Campground is part of Joshua Tree National Park in California (37 min east of Indio, CA) with an elevation of 3,035 feet. Cottonwood Campground is rated 4.3 stars from 1,619 reviews. There are a total of 59 campsites including 1 tent-only site. The campground is open all year. 58 sites can accommodate RVs between 20 and 48 feet. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Each site includes a picnic table and fire ring with grill. Prices start at $35.00 per night. Some amenities include drinking water, restroom, trash dumpster, amphitheater, and flush toilets. Activities include hiking trails.
Campground Capacity (Next 30 Days)
Campsite Reviews (1630)
4.3 out of 5
| 5 star | 58% | |
| 4 star | 24% | |
| 3 star | 10% | |
| 2 star | 4% | |
| 1 star | 2% |
@KristinS310851 · Camped on Apr 2, 2026 at Campsite #B31
Very friendly staff at the gate, restrooms were clean for a campground, overall great experience
@QilianZ8C6BE51 · Camped on Apr 2, 2026 at Campsite #B20
When we arrived at our site, we found that the fire pit was not located next to the picnic table. Instead, it was separated by several small bushes, which made the layout quite confusing. At first, it even seemed closer to the neighboring site, so we had to spend some time confirming that we were using the correct area.Additionally, while the weather was calm when we arrived, strong winds picked up during the night. The wind came through the tent, making it very cold, and the constant noise from the tent flapping made it difficult to sleep. As a result, the children did not rest well.
@SarahW4027937 · Camped on Mar 31, 2026 at Campsite #B1
Nice campground, accessible from I-10. This site had a slight slope to it, but nothing too significant.
@RichardK748784 · Camped on Mar 30, 2026 at Campsite #A6
Easy to find. Clean and all amenities were pleasing.
@BrendanRFD3160 · Camped on Mar 30, 2026 at Campsite #A20
Great facilities. Friendly neighbors. Beautiful sunset
@LohithkumFF2E0 · Camped on Mar 30, 2026 at Campsite #B22
We had a nice camp night at the Cottonwood camp site with family. Though it was cloudy night, we had very good time and pleasant weather. The restrooms were neat and clean, less crowed. We love the Cottonwood Campsite.
No Service
@KristopheA8784 · Camped on Mar 30, 2026 at Campsite #B20
I have no doubts those leaving reviews about loud and rude neighbors are telling the truth. However, for our time, this was the quietest campground we've ever stayed at. This was during spring break and all sites were full, but it was so quiet after dark that when someone coughed about 5 sites away it felt jarringly loud. Almost complete silence. During the day there was of course the normal noises. We were able to sleep between the hours of 10pm to 7am without any issues of noise. The bathrooms were kept clean. There's no mirrors or electricity in there, but besides these things was totally serviceable. Trash and water were both easy to access. We drank the water without issue. The sites provide easy access to hiking trails towards Cottonwood Springs. Our site, 20B, was very close to the restrooms, a trash bin, and water. I was worried this would lead to some disturbance or smell, but nope, no issues at all. Not all sites are great for tent camping, as there are a mix of bushes scattered around which reduce the space where a tent can fit, and some are not quite as flat as preferred in a tent. Most sites had an RV. I would recommend 20B for tent campers, we fit a 9x9 tent between 2 bushes, and we could have fit another slightly larger tent in a different spot, though it has a slight slope. This site has more bushes than many other sites which helps a lot at making it feel secluded. As of now, the site across from this site, on the outside of the loop, is not in use which means you aren't going to have an RV parked out there, unless they start using the site again. If you did have an issue, we didn't see a ranger up there once (though I'm sure they do come through). No cellular service so, you'd likely have to head down to the visitor center during their open hours to try to get it resolved. This shouldn't scare you, but you will find a lot of critters in or near your site. We saw desert recluse, scorpions, lizards, rodents, and snakes (including rattlers).
@PhilippaS28905 · Camped on Mar 29, 2026 at Campsite #A27
Great campsite
@RonaldC5295622 · Camped on Mar 27, 2026 at Campsite #A29
Everything was clean, and the camp site was ready for us when we arrived. The near by ranger station was nice and the rangers were friendly and very helpful. They recommended the route to take through the park to hit the most popular attractions.
@KeithR4150375 · Camped on Mar 27, 2026 at Campsite #B11
I always go here for Joshua Tree trips
@RichardE734484 · Camped on Mar 26, 2026 at Campsite #B1
very nice and clean
@GurdeepDAA11CD · Camped on Mar 25, 2026 at Campsite #B7
Very scenic but was windy at night
@MichaelL540355 · Camped on Mar 24, 2026 at Campsite #B5
Great camp host
@JerryT4749875 · Camped on Mar 23, 2026 at Campsite #A19
Neighbor noise past 10 pm
@BernhardLFF80B · Camped on Mar 21, 2026 at Campsite #A19
Great day, clean facilities awesome place to spend the evening roasting marshmallows.
@RebeccaOE9528F · Camped on Mar 21, 2026 at Campsite #B19
Quiet and clean. More toilet stalls for women needed!
@MarkS8760847 · Camped on Mar 19, 2026 at Campsite #A8
The campground is great, with running water and flush toilets. It's a bit of a drive to the main attractions of the park, but if that doesn't bother you, this is a great place to stay in Joshua Tree.
@MichaelS838841 · Camped on Mar 19, 2026 at Campsite #B8
We tent camped one night. Nice campground. Bathrooms are clean. Water easily accessible. No designated tent pad site which was ok since it was not full, but could possibly have your neighbor close depending on where they set up. We did hear someone walking and standing close to our tent in the middle of the night. They left as we got out of the tent. Dark sky park which is awesome! No lights even in the bathrooms. You can see all kinds of constellations.
@PeterD8307189 · Camped on Mar 17, 2026 at Campsite #A31
Nice campground, only far from the heart of Joshua tree
@RichardR254074 · Camped on Mar 16, 2026 at Campsite #A29
Clean restrooms, convenient dump station, will be back.
@ShaylanMC3476C · Camped on Mar 15, 2026 at Campsite #B12
Great campground, easy directions to get there, beautiful area and bathrooms were clean, drinking water available, and the campfire grills were awesome for grilling corn and potatoes on our trip. Will definitely come back! Trail right outside our campground was also beautiful.
@BradS9486590 · Camped on Mar 15, 2026 at Campsite #B31
Campground was OK. First time here. Nice bathrooms, Running water. Much better than the dry campgrounds in the north part of the park. Pretty quiet. Pretty quick access to interesting places in CA south of the campground.
@RalphM3841796 · Camped on Mar 13, 2026 at Campsite #A5
Great campground with a great host.
No Service
@GeorgeR1617124 · Camped on Mar 12, 2026 at Campsite #B27
Cottonwood Spring, Mastadon Peak and Lost Palms Oasis are the main attractions. Highly recommended them all. Liked site B27. Plenty long enough for 22 TT and pickup truck. Added bonus: miles and miles of desert wilderness beyond our patio.
@DanielC8838163 · Camped on Mar 12, 2026 at Campsite #A5
Clean bathtoom and quiet neighbors.
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