Call us crazy, but we made a last minute decision to camp in Joshua Tree over spring break. We were supposed to be heading into Arizona to spend a week in the woods, by a creek with a waterfall and excellent trout fishing. But wouldn’t you know, that exact week the temperatures were going to drop 20 degrees lower than the entire previous month and we just weren’t interested in 25 degree nights. Naturally the last day of our visit would have been back up into the mid 60s. Go figure.
Joshua Tree
We really didn’t want to head back to the desert, having just been there the previous week, but given some time and weather constraints, Joshua Tree ended up looking like our best bet. So two days before our trip I pulled out my phone and started researching. Just as I’d expected there were no reservations available, so I went with plan B, which was: find a plan B.
I am happy to say that it ended up working out perfectly and we got the best spot in Belle campground. That’s not something I would always expect to happen, but I figured this trip just had the Lord’s blessing on it. And from the way we came about getting our spot, I knew it had to be true.
We rolled up a little later than I had hoped. Check out time is noon, and ideally the earlier the arrival the better chance you have at catching someone on their way out. We didn’t arrive until about 2pm, so we were shocked that we were able to snag a spot in the first campground we came to. It wasn’t the best fit for our trailer and large crew, but we were ready to make do. We were also blocked from early sunlight by a large boulder, so I was concerned about our ability to last all week on our one solar panel. (We do not have a generator). But I had been eyeing up the site next to us, which was large, open, and had the best boulders for play and exploration. Well wouldn’t you know, the next morning that family rolled out at 8am. SCORE! We moved a few things over to claim that site, pulled in our slide, and got ready to hook up. But then…
The car wouldn’t start
Remember I mentioned the cold weather in Arizona? Yeah, well really most of the west coast was having a colder week, including Joshua Tree. Between the shade of the boulder, the near freezing early morning temperature, and the slight elevation (JT is the high desert) our big ‘ol diesel van was too cold to start. And the can of diesel starter was mysteriously missing. Ruh-roh.
The next few hours were quite the journey, as I sent my husband hitchhiking 12 miles into town. Thankfully he was offered a ride from a ranger to the edge of the park, leaving him only a mile to walk to the local AutoZone. He then spent the next 20 minutes waiting for a series of LYFTs that never showed up, and resigned himself to walking back to camp. A pit stop into the Joshua Tree visitors center, however, turned into another ride with a park ranger back to our site (but not before scaring a lone mother by asking her for a ride. I explained to him later that approaching a woman alone with her children, while holding a mysterious spray can probably wasn’t the best choice). Basically the morning was spent relying on strangers, while simultaneously having to remind ourselves that none of the strangers circling the campground knew that we were actually hogging two spots (with the park ranger’s blessing, of course). By lunch time we were finally able to get the car started and shift the trailer over, and all was well. WHEW!
Okay, so we got kind of lucky, huh? Perhaps. But we had plenty of other options in mind as far as how we would stay in Joshua Tree if we weren’t able to get a spot at a first-come-first-served campground. So the next time you decide to make a last minute camping trip to Joshua Tree (or any other park) you can use these tips to help you find a place to stay.
How to Camp Without a Reservation
- First come First served (FF) campsites. There are actually 3 FF campgrounds inside of Joshua Tree National Park. The best part about FF campsites? If you decide you want to stay an extra day, you can! No one has a reservation to kick you out.
- Keep checking online for last minute cancellations. Yes, they really do happen.
- Check with other campgrounds outside of the national park. The first time we ever camped at Joshua Tree we were only able to get a spot outside of the park. It turned out to be a great campground and had bathrooms, running water, and a junior ranger program.
- Harvest Host/Boondockers membership. While this won’t get you into the park itself, it can get you close. Plus you get the bonus of a unique experience.
- Boondocking. We use the Campendium app to search for local boondocking locations and there are two just outside of the Joshua Tree National Park.
Happy camping, happy adventuring!
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