Cottonwood Group Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, CA

Cottonwood Group Campground is part of Joshua Tree National Park in California (41 min east of Coachella, CA) with an elevation of 3,084 feet. There are a total of 3 campsites which are all tent-only sites. The campground is open all year. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Each site includes a picnic table and fire ring. Fees range from $35.00 to $40.00. Some amenities include amphitheater, flush toilets. Activities include hiking trails.

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Campsite Reviews (37)

4.8 out of 5

5 star		78%
4 star		11%
3 star		3%
2 star		0%
1 star		0%

@JayL5220997 · Camped on May 11, 2024 at Campsite #G2

There are multiple tables and shaded cover areas! The bathrooms are very close as well. I recommend doing the Mastodon Peak hike near the site as well!

@LeonardC715762 · Camped on May 10, 2024 at Campsite #G2

facilities, tables, areas to tent, and fire pit were in good shape and clean. parking was close enough and sufficient. it was nice to have decent shade over the tables too.

@ConradB2125887 · Camped on Mar 17, 2024 at Campsite #G2

People with no reservations often use the camping area instead of the picnic area. Also neighbors are often noisy and disruptive. The place is great though. Just a bit more ranger presence would be nice.

@BrianM6776107 · Camped on Feb 16, 2024 at Campsite #G3

We had a large group that use all three group sites in this area. What a great location! Lots of space to spread out, picnic tables and shade structures were in great shape, and there were plenty of fire rings to choose from. The bathrooms were kept clean and stocked with toilet paper by the ranger staff. There is also lots of parking for these sites. It was really nice that the group sites were separated by some distance from the other camping/RV sites. The location gave us access to some great hiking and the south side of the park was a bit warmer than the north side since the elevation at this site is only about 3000' ASL. The only suggestion I would have for this location would be to add a light in the restroom or maybe even one of those solar tube lights through the ceiling. Highly recommend and we will definitely be back.

@RandyS7957196 · Camped on Jan 26, 2024 at Campsite #G1

Excellent campsite.

@RosaG0DFAF0650 · Camped on Dec 15, 2023 at Campsite #G1

The group campsites at Cottonwood in Joshua tree are spacious. They have various tables under a sun shade structure. The restroom was kept clean each day. There was plenty of parking, the parking was not a far walk to the campsite. It was great staying here. I would recommend for large groups as it is very spacious. It also has various big fire pits to sit around at night.

@LiliC41A25DABF · Camped on Nov 25, 2023 at Campsite #G2

Group Campsite 2 at Cottonwood. November 25th - 27th. There were 17 of us, including children. We never camped in the dessert and we loved it. Clean, no bugs or animals to worry about so let the kids run loose and no need to store away food at night. There was no one else at the campsite so we had it all to ourselves. Group Site number 2 comes with FOUR overhangs! So there are plenty of spots far away from each other to set up your tent at. Sky was clear but not as many stars as we hoped for. Nearest place to purchase wood was about 15 miles at the nearest Chevron. We had called ahead of time and they had some but when we showed up they had sold out so we had to head over to Indio to purchase some which is about a 40 min drive from campsite. You do not need to pay a entrance pass if you are entering from the south west entrance, only if you are coming in from Northeast entrance. We did not know this so everyone (4 cars) purchased pass and we never ended up showing it to anyone. Oh well! Hope fees go to something good. It was fairly cold at night and windy, so please prepare with adequate layers and blankets/sleeping bags around this time of year. We used rocks inside each corner of our tents to make sure nothing blew away but it never got that bad although the rocks helped I'm sure, to at least not put a strain on the stakes etc. We were able to keep a fire going every night just fine. Bathrooms are very clean and kept up well. Night hike with the kids was great with clear skies and moonlight. We rarely had anyone visit the site, although a few people came in to picnic and leave which was fine but they sat at other empty sites. The site is great, will come back during slightly warmer time.

@LizethNE34043E · Camped on Aug 18, 2023 at Campsite #G2

It was beautiful!!! We all loved it and had such a peaceful night. Definitely recommend.

@katherine25017 · Camped on Dec 22, 2022 at Campsite #G2

Campground was great but I don’t know if the signs aren’t clear or people just didn’t care. But random day use groups with their big parties would come by and try to use our group site all day. I think it would have been a great experience but the hosts aren’t around this area to help prevent after hours music.

@AmritS6080320 · Camped on Dec 2, 2022 at Campsite #G1

Cottonwood Group is a fantastic spot. It’s in the Southern part of the park so it’s secluded and really nice. The group site is huge and can easily fit 15 people. There were four cement picnic tables under a covered area. A BBQ and a fire ring. In early-December the weather was pleasant during the day - didn’t need a jacket when hiking/walking. But it did get very cold at night. We went through 6 bundles of firewood.

@CraigL3652027 · Camped on Nov 15, 2022 at Campsite #G3

beautiful camp

@MaryJaneH71577 · Camped on Oct 18, 2022 at Campsite #G2

Large campsite. Appreciated the running water and flushing toilets. Lots of spots for tents. Also a lot of loud squatters, but that's not the fault of the park.

@SiweiZ2275480 · Camped on Aug 27, 2022 at Campsite #G2

Nice campsite Great for family camp Water supply and bathroom clean and nice

@CalebH7922274 · Camped on Aug 12, 2022 at Campsite #G2

The campsite is very nice. There are several sun shade structures, tables, and a couple fire pits. The spot has some bushes and other plants in it that may limit the number of tents, but we had about 5 tents and had plenty of room. There are also nice restrooms close-by and running water. Overall, a beautiful location and great amenities. Me and my group had a very good time there. I would definitely come back!

@SidL1236683 · Camped on Jun 20, 2022 at Campsite #G2

The restroom is clean. The picnic areas are clean.

@UnjooL2104863 · Camped on Jun 19, 2022 at Campsite #G2

The location is away from the crowds. I love clean flushing restrooms. The portable water is conveniently located on the campground.

@TheresaA670049 · Camped on May 26, 2022 at Campsite #G2

Loved overhead cover to protect from sun. Nice place for camping

@NancyP3737622 · Camped on Apr 1, 2022 at Campsite #G2

We went with group from our church with 36 total people (we had two sites). The kids loved playing in the area and the covered picnic areas were really nice, especially in the heat! We are planning to return again in the future!

@JangHyunY331 · Camped on Nov 19, 2021 at Campsite #G1

We enjoyed this place which is very spacious and well-maintained.

@JosueV896 · Camped on Oct 20, 2021 at Campsite #G2

Site was clean and well maintained. We had a group of 20+ campers, the site provided ample space for all with multiple tables and fire rings. Super clean restrooms a total plus!

@EstherN435 · Camped on Sep 28, 2021 at Campsite #G2

My first time at the Group site and loved it. Perfect for a large family/group trip. Clean, shade-covered picnic tables, extra cooking/prep table. Large campfire pit, and separate stand up charcoal grill. Clean bathroom well stocked with toilet paper, with working toilets and faucets. We were the only campers there since it was a Tues-Wed, and our site had plenty of space for 2 six-person tents and 1 2-person tent. Quiet, and far away from the main campground. Plenty of parking. Only challenge is that parking is not directly next to the camp area itself, so we had to carry our equipment a few hundred feet - will probably bring a small dolly next time. Also could be confusing to newcomers, to make sure to turn at the GROUP site and not the normal Cottonwood site.

@OmarP548 · Camped on Aug 12, 2021 at Campsite #G3

Best spot for stargazing. Coyotes got a little close, spooked us for a second but everything was fine

@JoseLuisG810 · Camped on Jun 5, 2021 at Campsite #G2

Very spacious. The pictures are a bit misguided making the site look small. Also there are 3 Ramadas not 2

@JohnM682 · Camped on Jun 3, 2021 at Campsite #G1

Had a great time looking at the stars late into the night and campsite was clean and easy to set up in.

@JavierT884 · Camped on May 7, 2021 at Campsite #G2

Awesome spot, CLEAN!!!, the park rangers and volunteers are awesome, hiking trail is right there and moderate, coyotes, rattles and quail are easy to spot, be careful and LEAVE NO TRACE please.

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