Ryan Campground

Ryan Campground is one of our favorite places to stay in Joshua Tree National Park, and we keep coming back for a reason. We’ve camped here multiple times, mostly with a tent, and it’s a great base for both car camping and hiking. The best time to visit is between October and April, when days are cool and nights are chilly but manageable with a warm sleeping bag. We tent camped comfortably in winter conditions. The campground has 31 standard sites with parking plus 3 bike-in sites, and RVs up to 35 feet are allowed. All sites are reservable through Recreation.gov, which makes planning easy. Weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends. The campground costs $30 per night and has no water or electricity, but the pit toilets are clean and well maintained. There’s no cell service (Verizon), so expect to unplug. The setting is beautiful — sunrise and sunset are highlights, with incredible colors lighting up the surrounding rocks and desert landscape. Most sites are fairly bare with limited shade, but sites 9–16, closer to the rock formations, can get some shade depending on the season. Ryan Campground feels quieter and more relaxed than nearby Jumbo Rocks, and one of the big advantages is the ability to start several hikes right from the campground. It’s also a solid choice for families thanks to the space and easy access to trails. Overall, it’s a scenic, peaceful campground and a great option if you want a quieter Joshua Tree experience with excellent hiking and views. Highly recommended.

Fantastic place for family camping and rock climbing. Fill water before coming here there is no water available. Pit toilets are clean lots of toilet paper. Addendum. If you're not a rock climber this may not be the best site for you because rock climbers will we're passing through individual campsites to access the climbing areas. There's three distinct Boulder piles / Rock piles and there's campgrounds all around them so the only way to access these climbing areas is to walk through the campsites. This is perfect for a friendly rock climbers would prefer to be further away from rock climbers. As a rock climber myself I think it's a pretty cool dynamic

Nice campground for true outdoor enthusiasts. We camped 3 nights in our small RV. Reservations only, no hookups, no water, only pit toilets and trash receptacles. Hiking trailhead at campground and short drive to others. Please do not run your generator here and drive slowly to avoid kicking up dust! Enjoy the peace & quiet, views, trees, rocks, and nature!

I did enjoy the campground. Stayed in spot 15 which is fits two cars or one large camper van. 15 is near the bathroom. A popular spot for launching of recreational activities so this vaulted potty gets lots of use. Spots on the west side of the campground were a little more private and quiet. Some stargazing but not as much as cottonwood campground. Ryan’s Ranch is easily accessible thru this campground and parking from 10:00am -6:00 pm is allowed in designated spots. I would add if it’s a holiday consider entering the park from 29 palms entrance. The line to get in the yucca entrance was at least 1 hr long.

Ryan Campground was amazing. The location is peaceful and not too crowded, making it a great spot to connect with nature. The stargazing here is incredible — the night sky is full of stars, as long as you avoid visiting during a full moon when the brightness hides most of them. At the time we stayed, no fire pits were allowed due to fire restrictions, but it didn’t take away from the experience. Highly recommend this campground if you’re visiting Joshua Tree.

Best campground in the park!! Every site is so spacious, the boulders and foliage are incredible and provide plenty of shade. The bathrooms are well kept with sooo many rolls of toilet paper (why?? Lol) and the trash cans are basically empty and easy to access. No potable water on site so come prepared people! My only complaint is the teens in the campground being rowdy and blasting music/hooping and hollering til past midnight on a Thursday… but that’s nothing against the beauty of the park itself, so my five star rating still stands.

A lovely campground. The amenities are the same as the other campgrounds in the park. This one differs in that it has more expansive views while still being close to the rocks and Joshua trees. There are a few hikes that connect to the campground and a few people are even climbing right from their sites. Beautiful.

Solid camping spot, the best spots here are on the perimeter, so you're not in the space of others camps, and get unobstructed views of the area. Being close to the Headstone climbing rock is a huge plus, we woke up extra early to be first on the rock, super important if you want to climb in cool weather. Otherwise you're stuck waiting for larger guided groups to take over the rock, and waiting turns. If you expect a first come first serve site, I'd recommend getting there some time Thursday for the weekend, Friday everything is usually taken.