Best For
Families and scramblers who want a central park location with rock formation access and enough sites (30) to feel less crowded than Jumbo Rocks — but demand here is relentless every single day of the week.
30
Sites
No
Hookups
Vault
Toilets
Ryan Campground is the only campground in the park where day-of-week demand reads Very High on Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday simultaneously — meaning there is no safe weekday to assume easy availability. With 30 sites (20 standard, 10 tent-only) and a 4.5 rating from 568 reviews, it delivers a premium experience in the heart of the park near Ryan Mountain trail. November is the hardest booking month at 23.0% planned 6+ months ahead; September offers the most last-minute flexibility at 38.7%. The 2023 data shows 908 reservations in March alone — the equivalent of each of its 30 sites turning over roughly 30 times in a month. If you want this campground for a specific peak-season date, plan at the 6-month mark and expect competition.
Content from Joshua Tree National Park park guide
October through April is the core visitor season at Joshua Tree, with November representing the single most competitive booking month in the park — 17.7% of November reservations are made 6+ months in advance across 8,472 total bookings. March and April see the highest raw reservation volume (11,352 and 10,250 respectively), driven by spring wildflowers and ideal 70–90°F daytime temperatures. August is the easiest month to find a site with 40.8% of bookings made last-minute, but summer temperatures regularly exceed 100°F in the lower elevations.
Joshua Tree has two main entrances — the West Entrance near Joshua Tree town and the North Entrance near Twentynine Palms — plus the South Entrance at Cottonwood off Interstate 10, which accesses only the southern campgrounds. There is no park shuttle; a private vehicle is required to move between campgrounds, trailheads, and visitor centers. Note that Belle, Hidden Valley, and White Tank campgrounds are first-come, first-served and must be paid for at an entrance station within one hour of occupying a site.
Total reservations in January — 2023: 703 · 2024: 753 · 2025: 679
Address
Riverside County, California
Coordinates
33.9831, -116.1545
Very high demand - sites typically fill up immediately when the booking window opens. Plan to book the moment reservations open.
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
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The park entrance fee is $35 per vehicle, valid for 7 days. Nightly camping fees vary by campground and are charged separately through Recreation.gov for reservation campgrounds, or paid at entrance stations for first-come, first-served sites. The America the Beautiful Annual Pass ($80) covers the $35 entrance fee but does not reduce nightly camping fees — it is still worth the investment for anyone visiting multiple federal lands in the same year.
The maximum stay at every campground is 14 days within any 28-day period. Pets are permitted in campgrounds and on paved roads but are not allowed on trails or in the backcountry. No water is available at Belle, Hidden Valley, or White Tank campgrounds, and water is limited even at campgrounds that do have it — bring at least one gallon per person per day. Cell service is unreliable throughout most of the park; download the NPS app and offline maps before arrival. The nearest full-service town is Twentynine Palms, which has grocery stores, gas, and medical facilities.