Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground
Joshua Tree, California
4.673 reviews
Joshua Tree Lake RV Campground in Joshua Tree, California, provides a lakeside and desert camping experience at the gateway to Joshua Tree National Park—the 800,000-acre California desert preserve where the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts converge and the iconic twisted Joshua trees create the alien landscape that has made this park one of the most photographed national parks in the American West. The campground's pond and lake, wedding venue, live music programming, and exceptional dark-sky stargazing access distinguish it from the park's own developed campgrounds, providing resort-amenity camping with the Joshua Tree character—moonlit boulder piles, star-filled desert skies, and the haunting silhouettes of Yucca brevifolia in the desert night—that defines the high-desert camping experience at the edge of one of California's most beloved national parks.
The campground's facility reflects the desert environment and destination event character: a private lake and pond for fishing and desert water recreation, planned activities and live music and entertainment programming that takes advantage of the dramatic desert landscape setting, a wedding venue for celebrations in the Joshua Tree destination event market, bird and wildlife watching in the desert tortoise and roadrunner habitat, a general store, pavilion, showers, bathrooms, dump station, pet-friendly policies, Wi-Fi, and mountain and desert views that frame every camping site with the park scenery that brought guests to Joshua Tree in the first place. Stargazing events and the campground's exceptional night-sky access provide the evening programming that no facilities can improve upon in this dark-sky desert.
Joshua Tree National Park's Wonderland of Rocks—a concentration of massive rounded granite monoliths that rose from magma intrusions 100 million years ago and were exposed by erosion to create the boulder-pile landscape that defines the park's distinctive visual character—contains over 8,000 documented rock climbing routes that have made Joshua Tree the most visited and most iconic rock climbing destination in North America. The Skull Rock Nature Trail, Keys View's panoramic Coachella Valley overlook, and the Cottonwood Spring oasis in the Sonoran Desert section provide the representative national park experiences accessible on day hikes from the campground's Joshua Tree gateway position.
The town of Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms, and the High Desert arts and culture community that has grown around the national park's western gateway have developed a distinctive creative culture of galleries, music venues, and the annual Joshua Tree Music Festival that reflect the desert landscape's effect on artistic practice in the creative community that has colonized the Morongo Valley's high desert terrain. The Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum in Joshua Tree—a free outdoor sculpture garden of assemblage art created by Purifoy from the debris of the 1965 Watts Riots—is one of the most significant and unusual outdoor art installations in California.
Joshua Tree Lake RV Campground operates year-round in the high Mojave Desert's four-season climate, with the fall and spring seasons from October through April delivering the most comfortable desert temperatures for hiking, rock climbing, and boulder exploration in Joshua Tree National Park—the summer months above 100 degrees Fahrenheit make the park's sun-exposed terrain genuinely dangerous for unprepared hikers in the heat of the day, while the mild winter nights create extraordinary stargazing conditions when the desert air's low humidity and the campground's minimal light pollution combine with the Milky Way's winter arc over the park's boulder silhouettes. The spring wildflower season in February and March after winter rains creates the desert bloom that brings maximum visitor volume to Joshua Tree.
What does this place offer
- Bathrooms
- Bird/Wildlife Watching
- Desert
- Dog Park
- Dump Station
- Fishing
- Full Hookup
- General Store
- Lake
- Live Music/Entertainment
Select your site to book online
4.67
Overall rating
3 reviews
A
AmyFair Oaks, California
November 2024
Really great campground not too far from Joshua Tree National Park. Be sure to take the road from 62 and not from the north or it's 5 miles of dirt road. Owner was very friendly, sites were level and clean.
B
BobbieWashington, Utah
December 2024
My stay at Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground was great. All the Staff was super nice.
B
BryanCottage Grove, Oregon
March 2025
Very clean park. Sites could be a bit more level. You face your neighbors front door and the spaces are not that big. For a desert RV park it was good
I would stay again
Good water, power and sewer hookup’s
Lady in the office was very nice and helpful
Location
2601 Sunfair Rd Joshua Tree, CA 92252
Things to know
Check-in: 12:00 PM
Check-out: 11:00 AMRules
Registration and Arrival
Check-In Procedure
- Check-in begins at 12 PM.
- Check-out is at 11 AM.
- Let us know at check-in if you plan to stay later for an additional fee.
- You will need to be checked in before we close if you did not make reservations.
- This may not be available due to incoming reservations.
- All campsite fees are due and payable in advance when reserved or at check-in prior to camping.
- Please make special arrangements for Late Arrivals via our email at [email protected] if you will not be arriving during office hours.
- We may copy identification for all adults. State-issued driver’s licenses/photo IDs are acceptable forms of identification.
- All guests must have the following required information when you check in for security purposes:
- Identification for all adults.
- State-issued driver's licenses and IDs are acceptable forms of ID (sorry, passports and other government-issued IDs cannot be accepted at this time).
- Make / model/plate numbers for all vehicles - including trailers.
- Upon check-in, we will make copies of all adult guests’ IDs for everyone 18 years and older.
- Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult & we must document the first/last names of everyone.
- While each park attempts to accommodate your exact spot request, the on-site manager has the ultimate decision for spot placement.
Office and Visitor Hours
- Sunday - Thursday is 8:30 AM - 8 PM.
- Friday & Saturday is 8:30 AM - 9 PM.
- Day Use hours open 9 AM until Sunset.
Visitors and Guests
- All non-camping visitors must register in the office and pay a day-use fee.
- Car tags are issued to all guests.
- Visitor hours are from 8:30 am to 8 pm.
- Guests on site after 8 pm will be expected to pay camping fees.
- All RVs must be operational.
- Guests must provide current copies of vehicle registration and insurance upon request.
Reservation
- All RV rates are based on 2 persons, and fees for extra persons will be added to your reservation when you book or check in.
- Pets will be added and paid for at check-in if not added to your reservation at the time of booking.
- Reservations are available for RVs/Trailers with full and partial hookups, RV/Trailer dry camp, and Tenting/Car camping.
- RV dry camping and tent camping reservations are available, so use the link above.
- Reservations can be booked up to 11:59 PM the day prior to your arrival.
- All campsites are on a first-to-come, first-served basis without reservations/walk-ins.
Quiet Hours
- Quiet hour is from 10 pm to 7 am.
- Please, no generator use after 10 pm.
- Sorry, no generators in the tenting areas.
- Please respect your neighbors with regard to noise and dust.
- Please visit our calendar of events page, as we often remain open while hosting private events that may have noise/music into the night.
Children Policy
- Children must have adult supervision at all times when near the lake or roads.
Pet Policy
- Please keep pets on a leash at all times and pick up their deposits.
- Friendly pets only, please.
Behavior
- Rude, excessive, or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.
- You will be asked to leave without a refund.
Park Amenities and Facilities
- Showers are for registered guests.
- Please don't wash dishes or clothes in the bathrooms, showers, sinks, or cleaning stations.
- A wash station for dishes is available in the camp.
- The Joshua Tree laundromat is located 9 miles from the campground in downtown Joshua Tree.
- Absolutely no pools or similar water features for insurance reasons.
- Sorry, there is no swimming in the fishing lake.
- Please do not move tables or fire barrels.
- The camp fee includes the use of amenities such as flushing toilets, hot showers, and potable water at our dishwashing stations.
Wifi
- Wi-Fi is provided by a separate company, which charges a service fee for its use.
- We do not control the rates, speed, or troubleshooting of the service.
- For questions or support, contact Mojave Wi-Fi regarding Mojo Hotspots via their website www.mojavewifi.com.
Damages
- Any negligent conduct, vandalism, or damage to campground property that is caused by you or your party will result in removal from the property w/o refund.
- You will be held liable for any/all damages.
- Please be responsible for your property and your safety.
- We are not responsible for any damages.
- Absolutely no hammocks or shade attached to trees or posts.
- You will be responsible for fees due to damages.
Weapons
- The use of firearms, bb/pellet guns, bow and arrows, and slingshots are not permitted on the grounds.
Fire Policy
- Fireworks are strictly prohibited in San Bernardino County, where the campground is located.
- All fires must be contained inside the burn barrels.
- We allow fires only in the fire barrels provided (ABSOLUTELY NO GROUND FIRES PER COUNTY CODE).
- Please do not leave fires unattended.
- We may suspend campfires and BBQ use if high winds are in the forecast.
- Be sure to ask the camp office about any current restrictions.
- Come prepared! We frequently have to issue a fire ban for wood and charcoal fires.
- Please come prepared with a gas stove or gas grill as a backup plan.
- The bans can go into effect suddenly due to current weather conditions.
Lake Policy
- Fishing is for a fee only.
- Please, do not swim or wad in the lake.
- No contact with the water also means no canoeing, boating, kayaking, etc.
Fishing Policy
- Due to recent safety issues, we have to strictly implement our rules.
- Please read the following to better prepare yourself for your next fishing trip with us:
- We will be asking for identification for all adults who use our services.
- We must document the first/last names of all guests, including minors without IDs.
- All minors must be supervised by an adult.
- Fishing is not allowed on or near the dock.
- Absolutely no fishing/attempted fishing for koi.
- Fishing armbands must be worn and visible.
- Coolers and bags are subject to inspection before, during, and after fishing.
- When you catch a fish, please be kind by allowing it to remain in the water for as long as possible (for breathing).
- Use of live fish as bait is not permitted.
- Do not use our small fish as bait, alive or dead.
- If you must take photos of a catch, only have the fish out of the water for a brief moment, not to exceed 10 seconds.
- You will be responsible for payment of damaged or deceased fish or wildlife due to your negligence, and the animal will be confiscated.
- Use of treble or barbed hooks is prohibited.
- We will inspect all tackle.
- When removing the hooks, use pliers, hook extractors, or similar tools so as to not damage the fish.
- Use caution when overhead casting; know what & who is nearby.
- In case of personal injury as a result of your negligence, you will be held responsible for any fees, insurance, or medical.
- This is a privately owned campground and fishing lake; therefore, we reserve the right to refuse or terminate service at any time.
- Anyone violating the camp/fishing rules and/or regulations will be asked to leave immediately without a refund.
- We reserve the right to educate or make comments to ensure the safety of our clients and products.
Wildlife
- Please be mindful of the "local" reptiles, insects, coyotes, and wildlife that call the desert their home.
- Do not harm or handle any wildlife.
- Please report any encounters/problems so that we may properly address the situation.
Campsite
- Tent camping is allowed for 4 days maximum, every month.
- ORVs/ATVs/Golf carts are not permitted on site.
- Electric scooters/bikes should be ridden with care in certain areas of the campground and must not exceed the 5 mph speed limit.
- Please see the office staff for riding area recommendations.
- Children must be supervised at all times.
- No tent camping into the ground in RV sites.
- No EV camping in the RV sites and no staking.
- Electric vehicles may only reserve RV sites to charge when car camping. no tents.
- Afterward, relax your mind in these widely spaced and airy rustic tent/car camping sites.
- Sturdy tent stakes and guide ropes are a MUST, as winds can gust unexpectedly.
- All vehicles and tents must display registration tags while on the camp premises.
- There is no electricity or water in the Tent areas.
- We refer to the tent sites as primitive/undeveloped.
- We have reduced the number of sites to prevent crowding.
- The sites will still be first come, first served without a reservation and are limited to one (1) table and fire barrel per site; both items must not be moved from their locations.
- We do not allow persons (Tent camping, RVing, or Fishing) to be dropped off at our location.
Maximum Occupancy
- Maximum occupancy at each site is 6 people unless otherwise specified by JTL Staff
Safety
- Please enter and exit the gates and camping areas at a slow and safe 5 mph speed.
- Children, pets, and wildlife are present, and dust must be kept to a minimum level for everyone's safety and enjoyment.
- All motor vehicles must run and be movable in case of emergencies.
- We will not accept trailers/RVs/vehicles that need to be towed in without a running vehicle capable of moving them.
- All campers must have an operational vehicle for emergency departures.
Weather Conditions
- Be prepared for weather conditions to change.
- Always check the forecast before departing for your camping trip.
- Refunds are not given after check-in.
Campground Disclaimer
- Please observe all posted notices and regulations throughout the campground.
- This is for your safety and enjoyment of the natural surroundings.
- Our rates & policies may change without notice.
- Management reserves the right to remove abandoned vehicles from the grounds at the owner’s expense.
- We reserve the right to refuse service to any person not respecting these simple guidelines, and they will be asked to leave, including their guests.
- Spend your day exploring Joshua Tree National Park and all that our desert communities have to offer.
- Plan ahead, check the weather, and bring your own free-standing shade from the desert sun.
- We appreciate your cooperation and hope you have a great stay!
Cancellation Policy
FLEXIBLE
If the guest cancels at least 3 days before their check-in day and time, they will receive a full refund (minus Spot2Nite convenience or resort fees). If the guest cancels within the 3 days before check-in, there will be no refund.
