B12
Joshua Tree National Park › California
› San Bernardino County
› Cottonwood Campground
› Campsite #B12
Campsite #B12 at Cottonwood Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, CA
$35
Campsite #B12
| Drive-In | 6 people |
| 20 ft | Back-In |
| 2 | fair |
2/26
2/27
Campsite #B12 Features: Drive-In access, Back-In parking, 20-foot driveway, Fire ring w/ Grill, Picnic Table, RV Site, Tent Site, Pets Allowed
Campsite Reviews (24)
5.0 out of 5
| 5 star | | 63% |
| 4 star | | 21% |
| 3 star | | 8% |
| 2 star | | 4% |
| 1 star | | 4% |
@PamelaC5145049 · Camped on Feb 9, 2026 at Campsite #B12
What a gift it was to stay at this campground near great hikes, flowers, starry nights and an oasis close by.
@PaulB8317136 · Camped on Apr 24, 2025 at Campsite #B12
The campground was great. Its far away from all the other campsites. And Its a little weird how they put all the campsites right on top of each other in the middle of nowhere they could have spaced them out.Theres a camp store, but they dont really sell anything in there except a few souvenirs and boxed water. it would be great if they had firewood and ice in there, but the nearest store is back down the hill, which isnt too big of a deal its like 15 minutes away. This site is far removed from Joshua tree, the town. Like 45 mins or so to drive so be aware of that.
No Service
@EstherOcFC5933 · Camped on Nov 1, 2024 at Campsite #B12
I was perfect, restroom was near, the view, everything was perfect
No Service
@ArciaD4AD6BE28 · Camped on Apr 3, 2024 at Campsite #B12
A magical place!
@TomS3186246 · Camped on Jan 27, 2024 at Campsite #B12
We had a great time at Cottonwood but please - ban amplified music at NPS campgrounds! Or at the very least put a curfew on it. I appreciate that people enjoy music - as do I - but if you play it in a desert campground you force EVERYONE to listen to it too. It drowns out the sound of birds, the wind and the peaceful quiet of the landscape. Most of us head away from the noise of cities like LA or SF to experience peace we can't get anywhere else, and it's spoiled by a minority who play loud music.
@JoanneRDA4ACC2 · Camped on Nov 23, 2023 at Campsite #B12
this is great spot the parking area can fit 2 cars vertical and 1 car parallel. so we were able to use that space for our friends who visited for dinner. spot is wide and clean, not much privacy from neighbors and they can be loud but we were okay with it. loved our stay to go on short hikes at joshua tree ntnl park. running water flush toilets soap that smells good! luxury!! thank you joshua tree and cottonwood!
@MatthewP515566 · Camped on Oct 4, 2023 at Campsite #B12
The staff I encountered at this campground were wonderful. They truly love their jobs, the wildlife, the land, and the park, and were very friendly. Bathrooms and campsites were well maintained. The land is beautiful, and I love the nice little hike to the oasis.My one wish: Could tent camping please be completely separate from RV/campers? The brush is low, but it is high enough so if it was only tent camping, there would be some privacy, and people generally set their tents back from the road, which also helps. But people camping in RVs or camper trailers sometimes just park on the side of the road, and often have high profile vehicles, so suddenly in your little private-ish tent site you are now looking directly into someone's high, very-nearby RV window. Maybe rules in this regard are already in place and are not being followed? Oh well. Anyway we were only afflicted by that for one night. For the rest of our trip those vehicles were gone and all the tent campers in our area of the campsite were very chill and considerate neighbors.Pro tip: The coyotes are highly unlikely to hurt, confront, or bother you directly. But they will be waiting for you to leave something unattended for them to eat. We knew to take our trash to the bin before going to bed and not to leave any food out. However, we did leave a couple of closed bottles of cooking oil in a cardboard box outside over night. In the morning, both bottles were gone. The olive oil had a pour spout which I found chewed and destroyed next to a trail of oil on the ground. The box of aluminum foil that was with those bottles was also mangled. Cooking oil is now on the list of things we won't leave outside unattended. Also, trash that has touched food (like the package your chicken or sausage came in or used plates) will DEFINITELY attract animals such as coyotes, which is why it's best to place all trash in the animal-proof bins before bed or before leaving your campsite to hike.Joshua Tree is magical. Enjoy!
No Service
@IsaakSE97A6B25 · Camped on May 5, 2023 at Campsite #B12
Everything was so clean! Running water is something that’s a luxury for me because I’m used to the toilets at other campsites being holes in the ground. So this was very nice. The campgrounds had exactly what I was looking for except for parking. 2 cars aren’t enough for one spot.
No Service
@IsaakSE97A6B25 · Camped on May 5, 2023 at Campsite #B12
Everything was so clean! Running water is something thats a luxury for me because Im used to the toilets at other campsites being holes in the ground. So this was very nice. The campgrounds had exactly what I was looking for except for parking. 2 cars arent enough for one spot.
No Service
@josephs9140090 · Camped on Apr 7, 2023 at Campsite #B12
The campground has little overhead shade, which is not a problem since I was able to fully charge my batteries with solar. Though the sires were small there was enough brush vegetation to make it private. I arrived on Friday late afternoon. Starting with the Cottonwood Visitor Center I then visited Cholla Garden, Arch Rock, Barker Dam and Ryan's View. The super bloom was amazing with yellow, purple and red flowers almost everywhere. Yes I would recommend this campground in the spring and fall.
No Service
@TylerRC4675733 · Camped on Mar 7, 2023 at Campsite #B12
Got to the campsite around 8:00 p.m. Found our site without any hassle or issue. Couldn't've asked for anything more from a campground.
No Service
@DanielH5239181 · Camped on Feb 15, 2023 at Campsite #B12
Great nearby hiking trails right off camping grounds.
@EstherT5D81DF7 · Camped on Dec 27, 2022 at Campsite #B12
Spots can be tight but I was lucky to book two adjacent sites and they had plenty of room together B10 and B12. If I could only pick one i would have chose B12. Great location, clean flush bathrooms, great for a couple days of r&r.
No Service
@JustinR3682506 · Camped on Nov 29, 2022 at Campsite #B12
Amazing. I have nothing bad to say. Will be back.
No Service
@SaraK4352523 · Camped on Oct 25, 2022 at Campsite #B12
Easy to find. Large site. Very clean bathrooms. Amazing location for stargazing.
No Service
@PaulM6940902 · Camped on Apr 26, 2022 at Campsite #B12
I selected this campground to star-gaze at night as it was reported to have the least light pollution and best night sky's in the park. I was underwhelmed by the nighttime sky-viewing; started out overcast and partly cloudy but even when the clouds departed I still could not clearly see the Milky Way even with no moon out. Don't get me wrong, there were a LOT of STARS, but not the display I had hoped for.Other than that, the camp ground was great. Nicely equipped with standard fare; fire pits, picnic tables, flush toilet bathrooms that were very clean, and nicely spaced camping sites with generous and flat tent space available. It is an easy walk from the camp-sites to Cotton Wood Oasis, a gem of a spot in Joshua Tree. From there it is a moderate hike to Lost Palms Oasis but take water and start early, there is obviously very limited shade and this is the Desert! Descent down to the actual Oasis is not technical but you need to plan your route as there is no definitive trail. Overall this is an excellent hike with great and varied desert vistas. Saw desert quail, many smaller lizards and some larger Chuckwallas, and a few ground squirrels (no sheep).
No Service
@TinaS5EFEA16F9 · Camped on Feb 10, 2022 at Campsite #B12
The landscape scenery and Joshua trees are definitely the highlight of this national park. I wasn't impressed by any of the amenities. There were always lines at the bathrooms, trash and masks everywhere we went. Why no shade structures or wind buffers like there are at Glenn Canyon, Az? What is with the bbq grills that were filled with old coals and trash but no way of cleaning it out? The trail of Cottonwood springs/palm oasis is poorly marked, I was following what I thought was the trail with many foot prints, only to realize it dead ends and the trail was actually across and below from me. I'm not sure what trail I ended up on and without a better map or signage I turned back after reaching a few miles and a great view of the mountain backdrop. If I were to come back it would just be for a drive thru. Much appreciation gained for all that live in this unforgiving and unique desert.
No Service
@JoannLDEBCA4E6 · Camped on Jan 28, 2022 at Campsite #B12
All sites were filled yet the campground was quiet, for the most part. Everyone was considerate of their fellow campers. The site was clean too.
Good
@CynthiaC315 · Camped on Jan 18, 2022 at Campsite #B12
We had a camp neighbor playing loud music until after midnight, and dogs off leash. Another camper had his RV slides extending out into the road making it difficult to get to our reserved camp spot.
No Service
@SnehasishK637 · Camped on Dec 10, 2021 at Campsite #B12
No lights in the restrooms but otherwise clean and well maintained.
No Service
@JulioT734 · Camped on Apr 8, 2021 at Campsite #B12
The stewards/attendants/park rangers do a really great job of keeping roads well maintained, grounds clean, bathrooms well stocked and signs well posted. I would absolutely go again. What a great experience l. The sites are close together but not so close that you feel crowded. Trails start almost immediately from your tent which is so cool and the peaks are very beautiful. My only complaint is other campers not respecting the obvious trash desgination. Its very disrespectful to the land and all the people involved doing such a great job to keep this little oasis pristine for us campers. Please respect the signs and rules everyone. The rangers aren't our servants! Let's treat our land with respect.
No Service
@MelissaH741580 · Camped on Nov 29, 2020 at Campsite #B12
Lovely campground with a semi-private feel with camp spots surrounded by shrubs. Bathroom was clean and stocked with toilet paper (no electricity nor soap). The Mastadon Peak trail is nearby and very much worth your time with its interesting vegetation and stunning views.
@TatyasoB99A3AC · Camped on Oct 2, 2020 at Campsite #B12
Nice and level campsite. Good clean toilets.
@KellyN5343357 · Camped on Jan 25, 2020 at Campsite #B12
This campground was clean and beautiful. Stargazing was phenomenal from this campground. The bathrooms were clean and it had drinking water throughout. 10/10 would recommend this place to camp.
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