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I found this campground looking on the Internet for places to stay in Joshua Tree NP, and I tent camped there in September 2006.
Describe your camping trip:
I've been to Joshua Tree three times, and the camping was good everywhere. Indian Cove (with a group that hardly ever felt stifled by itself and had plenty of rocks to play lizard on), the great back country, and Belle, the subject of this post.
It is aptly named. All the campsites were so pretty we could hardly pick which one was best. Of the 18 sites, one was occupied when we arrived, on the weekend, in the fall of 2006. Now that's a jewel of a find. This campsite is a great place to be, nestled right in the rocks. The rocks are ample, big and fun to climb (without gear, just simple scampering, fairly easy, but you can find a challenge without looking too hard, if you wish), and most of them line the sites to create natural boundaries between you and your neighbors. It's nice to play on a playground that's so much bigger than you, or just laze about like a lizard (but put on sunscreen). Surrounding this huge rock grove, within view of your campsite, are the desert plains, filled with weird desert plants and the great Joshua trees themselves, with the view of the stony Joshua Tree hills in the background. Little trails and washes weave through them, and you can get pleasantly lost, but still have a view of your campsite if you turn around.
The place remained relatively empty throughout our stay, with one RV in the whole place. There is no ranger post. They just stop by once or twice a day to check the self-registration boxes and make their presence known. We had very little contact with them.
The fee is 10 dollars a night, but a lot of the Web sites are not up-to-date yet with this information. Apparently, it used to be none, but now it's 10 a night and worth every bloody penny. There's no water at the site, unfortunately, but there is a spigot with potable water at the Oasis Visitor Center, a couple miles down the road in the park towards the north entrance. The toilets are there, at the campsite. Nice port-o-potties are the best description. They're not horrible, but they're occasionally stinky (non-flush), but they've got a bit of space. They get the job done without being too awful. This campground is a wonderful place to be. There's a great sense of peace about it, if you get along with the desert well enough.
Here's a great map of the general Joshua Tree set up. Each campsite is limited to six people, three tents, and two cars, but it's easy to get two sites right next to each other. First come, first serve. And it was empty when we showed up. Wonderfully empty.
Pros: Solitude, fun climbing for any level of experience, cheap rates, beautiful scenery. It's a Jewel.
Cons: No water. Also, there were no showers or flush toilets, only vault toilets. Some people don't like these features (or a lack thereof) in a campground).
Nearby attractions: Hiking and rocks to climb, very close to the Oasis Visitors Center.
Further comments: Oh, Joshua Tree. If you haven't been, go. Now, dammit, you don't have time to waste.
Visit Their Website
Visit Their Website
I found this campground looking on the Internet for places to stay in Joshua Tree NP, and I tent camped there in September 2006.
Describe your camping trip:
I've been to Joshua Tree three times, and the camping was good everywhere. Indian Cove (with a group that hardly ever felt stifled by itself and had plenty of rocks to play lizard on), the great back country, and Belle, the subject of this post.
It is aptly named. All the campsites were so pretty we could hardly pick which one was best. Of the 18 sites, one was occupied when we arrived, on the weekend, in the fall of 2006. Now that's a jewel of a find. This campsite is a great place to be, nestled right in the rocks. The rocks are ample, big and fun to climb (without gear, just simple scampering, fairly easy, but you can find a challenge without looking too hard, if you wish), and most of them line the sites to create natural boundaries between you and your neighbors. It's nice to play on a playground that's so much bigger than you, or just laze about like a lizard (but put on sunscreen). Surrounding this huge rock grove, within view of your campsite, are the desert plains, filled with weird desert plants and the great Joshua trees themselves, with the view of the stony Joshua Tree hills in the background. Little trails and washes weave through them, and you can get pleasantly lost, but still have a view of your campsite if you turn around.
The place remained relatively empty throughout our stay, with one RV in the whole place. There is no ranger post. They just stop by once or twice a day to check the self-registration boxes and make their presence known. We had very little contact with them.
The fee is 10 dollars a night, but a lot of the Web sites are not up-to-date yet with this information. Apparently, it used to be none, but now it's 10 a night and worth every bloody penny. There's no water at the site, unfortunately, but there is a spigot with potable water at the Oasis Visitor Center, a couple miles down the road in the park towards the north entrance. The toilets are there, at the campsite. Nice port-o-potties are the best description. They're not horrible, but they're occasionally stinky (non-flush), but they've got a bit of space. They get the job done without being too awful. This campground is a wonderful place to be. There's a great sense of peace about it, if you get along with the desert well enough.
Here's a great map of the general Joshua Tree set up. Each campsite is limited to six people, three tents, and two cars, but it's easy to get two sites right next to each other. First come, first serve. And it was empty when we showed up. Wonderfully empty.
Pros: Solitude, fun climbing for any level of experience, cheap rates, beautiful scenery. It's a Jewel.
Cons: No water. Also, there were no showers or flush toilets, only vault toilets. Some people don't like these features (or a lack thereof) in a campground).
Nearby attractions: Hiking and rocks to climb, very close to the Oasis Visitors Center.
Further comments: Oh, Joshua Tree. If you haven't been, go. Now, dammit, you don't have time to waste.
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