Cottonwood Campground

A few years ago (September of 2022), my friends planned my bachelor party to JTree. We stayed at site B31. It was a great experience. We had a total of 3 tents that were 2-4 person sized, a large pop-up for shade, and we still had plenty of space for 5 large guys. Restrooms were clean and well maintained, and there was access to water throughout the campgrounds. This trip was the catalyst for my friends and I to plan a similar camping trip annually. The following year, we came back to this campground and stayed at site A07. This site was great as well, but it did have some gulleys and sloped spots. We were able to get the same 3 tents but we were on the boundary of the site. The gulleys were maybe a foot wide by a foot deep from water runoff. Nothing crazy, but watch your step at night. JTree is considered a dark sky area. Perfect for seeing the night sky, milky way, and if you've never seen a truly dark sky, go to JTree during a new moon! It will put life into perspective. Great campground! Would absolutely stay again!

This is not a place for glamping. If you're looking for a challenging hike with an elevation gain from 9K to just over 11K and bitchin view at the end, then I highly recommend it! Not for beginners, unless you plan on overnight camping. I did a turn around that was approximately 5 hours and roughly 11 miles. Definitely felt it the next day. This review has nothing to do with Cottonwood Campground, it's for Cottonwood Trail, located in Inyo County. The road that leads to the trailhead starts in the city of Lone Pine and takes you to Cirque Lake. If you get up early, you might catch a local restaurant on the way back down the highway. Lone Pine closes early.

Love the Campground, enough room for 2 small families, restroom was close by. The unique landscape is amazing, will come back next time for sure, Didn't get a chance to hike the trails.

Great campground if you are looking to disconnect, see the stars, and have easy access to the rest of the park. I was tenting at B23, the ground was soft enough to put in stakes with a bit of effort. No cell service and the restrooms don't have lights. So make sure you bring a light for nighttime bathroom trips.

I love this campground because it has real flush toilets and almost zero light pollution at night. The night sky is stunning. We stayed in B20, and I would recommend any site along that stretch. Note that there isn't any cell service here or within about a 20 minute drive. You must buy firewood outside the park. I have two criticisms. The first is that there isn't a tent only section so we had a real eyesore of an RV trailer directly across from us wrecking what would otherwise be a gorgeous desert view (the generator was annoying as well). My second criticism is that some of the sites are extremely close to one another. Great for several family groups who decide to camp together, but risky otherwise.

Large group campsite located within Joshua Tree National Park. Obviously, there's no hotel here, so I cannot rate the rooms or the service. I recommend bringing sunscreen and bug spray. They do allow recreational vehicles, but tents are superior when you're camping under the stars, or are in the desert in general.

Fall asleep to the gentle hum of RV generators that drown out the call of owls, coyotes and conversations of your campmates. For your friends and family who are less enthused about roughing it, The restrooms are great, with running water and flush toilets. There are water spigots sprinkled throughout the campground. An ideal spot to fill up your water bottles before venturing deeper into the park. Note that not all the sites are RV friendly- some are quite small and we saw a few people have difficulty fitting their tow vehicle in with their trailer in the same spot. Note: there is no additional parking in this campground. Once settled, a quick bike ride brings you to the trailhead for lost palm trail. You can also walk or ride your bike to the visitor center to gawk at tour buses disgorging large groups of tourists in bucket hats and name badges. Head across the street to Pinkham canyon road for a mountain bike ride (make it a loop with the entrance road if you’re feeling adventurous) overall cottonwood campground is a great place to consider staying.

We loved this campground. It wasn't too far away from some great spots to explore. There are restrooms throughout the campground so you never have to go far. Picnic tables and fire pits at each campsite as well. Even with a Full Moon in the sky we could see the full milky way with our naked eyes. The sunrise above the mountains was amazing!