Home › California › Cottonwood Campground (Ca)
Cottonwood Campground (Ca): how hard is it to reserve?
Joshua Tree National Park · National Park Service · Indio, CA
As of Oct 10, 2026, 66% of Friday and Saturday site-nights at Cottonwood Campground (Ca) over the next 90 days are already reserved, compared with 21% of weeknights. Weekends are much harder than weekdays here — shifting a trip to Sunday–Thursday is the easiest way to get a site. In the next 30 days, 24 of 30 dates have at least one open site (1,014 open site-nights in total; 3,515 over 90 days).
Upcoming weekends
| Weekend (Fri–Sat) | Booked | Open sites Fri | Open sites Sat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | 100% | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 23, 2026 | 100% | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | 83% | 18 | 2 |
| Nov 6, 2026 | 100% | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 13, 2026 | 100% | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 20, 2026 | 79% | 25 | 0 |
Snapshot history
| Snapshot date | Score | Weekends booked | Weeknights booked | Open dates 30d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2026 | 52 | 66% | 21% | 24 |
About Cottonwood Campground (Ca)
- 59 campsites (59 listed in availability data)
- $35 per night
- Recreation.gov rating 4.3/5 from 1,689 reviews
- Equipment: Tent, RV, Trailer, Caravan/Camper Van, Pickup Camper, Pop up
- Activities: Day Use Area, Wildlife Viewing, Hiking, Interpretive Programs, Camping
Download the NPS app prior to visiting the park – trail maps and more! Cottonwood Campground is one of the best places in Joshua Tree National Park for stargazing and wildflower viewing. Easy access from Interstate 10, makes it a popular stopover for travelers. To get the most out of your visit Plan Like a Park Ranger Visitors who enjoy warm, dry winters flock to Joshua Tree from October through May, when temperatures reach between 70 to 90-degrees during the day and drop to 40 to 60-degrees at night. Summer is the park's off-season due to the uncomfortably high desert heat; however, reservati…
Description excerpt from Recreation.gov.
Check live availability and book on Recreation.gov →
Other campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park
| Campground | Difficulty | Weekends booked | Open dates (30d) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jumbo Rocks Campground Joshua Tree National Park | Hard | 94% | 23 |
| Black Rock Campground Joshua Tree National Park | Moderate | 68% | 25 |
| Indian Cove Campground Joshua Tree National Park | Hard | 91% | 23 |
| Ryan Campground Joshua Tree National Park | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
Nearby campgrounds
| Campground | State | Difficulty | Weekends booked | Open dates (30d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Grove Campground Cleveland National Forest | CA | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Heart Bar Campground San Bernardino National Forest | CA | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| San Gorgonio San Bernardino National Forest | CA | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Observatory Campground Cleveland National Forest | CA | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Barton Flats San Bernardino National Forest | CA | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Dripping Springs Campground (Ca) Cleveland National Forest | CA | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |