Cottonwood (Joshua Tree South)
Joshua Tree National Park · near Indio / Palm Springs · California Desert
Camping
At a glance
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Elevation
- 3000
- Campsites
- 62 sites
- Season
- Year-round (best Oct–April)
- Fee
- Varies
Permits and booking
- Reservation required
- Yes
- How to reserve
- Reserve on Recreation.gov (6 months ahead; some first-come). Joshua Tree's southern campground (near the I-10 entrance) — has WATER and flush toilets. Lower Colorado Desert setting; spring wildflower gateway. RV-friendly. Cool-season.
What is here
- Setting
- desert
- Amenities
- Has water & flush toilets · Southern (I-10) park entrance · Spring wildflower displays · Lost Palms Oasis trail
- Best for
- Has water & flush toilets
- Features
- Has water & flush toilets · Southern (I-10) park entrance · Spring wildflower displays · Lost Palms Oasis trail
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Camping detail
- Camp type
- developed · rv
- Intl tip
- Reserve on Recreation.gov 6 months ahead (some first-come). Has water and flush toilets. Southern I-10 entrance (near Palm Springs); lower/warmer Colorado Desert setting. Spring wildflowers can be spectacular. Hike Lost Palms Oasis and Mastodon Peak. RV-friendly. Cool-season. Quieter than the central campgrounds.
The guide
Cottonwood is Joshua Tree's southern gateway campground, near the Interstate 10 entrance, and one of the few in the park with w…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Cottonwood (Joshua Tree South) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 33.742, -115.813