Joshua Tree North Dispersed Camping

We stayed here for 4 nights last fall. There is a ton of space and rigs of all size can camp here. Weekdays were enjoyable with some of the most gorgeous sunsets. Weekends are definitely the downfall to this place. It becomes very dusty, with ATV's, dirt bikes etc. driving all over the place. We would stay here again, but only on weekdays.

Followed Broadway straight out and drove across the lakebed to a quieter part. There are ditches because of ATVs so drive carefully. Lots of space between campers/RVs but you can see all your neighbors. Some trash, pick some up if you can. A volunteer told us the land has become a lot dirtier in the last year because more people are staying there. Overall it was a great place to stay, and saw some beautiful stars. I would likely stay here again.

We really enjoyed our stay here. There is plenty of room to space out and it is very close to the north and west entrances of Joshua Tree National Park. We took the recommendation of another reviewer and drove in on Broadway right out onto the lake bed. It did get a little noisy on the weekends, but only from off on the distance (gunshots, loud music, etc.). Also, check the forecast because some days can get very windy.

We've been here twice over the last couple of years. Access is still pretty bad, but it's easiest if you just take broadway all the way out onto the lake bed. Yes, lots of ATV's and dirtbikes but they stick to the "scar" , or the main strip running NW to SE. Each time we've stayed we just head for the very back and it's always been mostly quiet. No rain this time, thankfully!

We stayed here for quite a few nights. It's 10 minutes away from the charming town of Joshua Tree, and not much further to multiple National Park entrances (49 Palms trail, Black Canyon hiking trails, main north entrance). There are a few trailers out here that have clearly been here for weeks and have loads of trash piled around them. As you head east out onto the dry lake bed, you're far enough away that it's really not a concern.

It is a very stark camping experience, with very little vegetation, but the uniqueness and strange beauty of the area grew on us. It clears out during the day, and in the evenings dozens of vans, RVs, and trailers flock back for the evening. Sunrises and sunsets are beautiful.

The wind can get pretty gnarly, and we had a few days of 30+ mph gusts that pushed a lot of dust around. We either stayed inside our trailer or drove into town these days. Going outside was unpleasant on account of the constant wind and dust in the air. This is the only reason for 4 stars overall. The rest of the time, the March weather was extremely pleasant during the day, and in the 40s at night.

We experienced the expected desert motorheads on the weekend, but the rest of the week it's mostly quiet.

The roads in are pretty rough, though we did get our 27' Airstream in without issue (it was just slow). It's best to head north on Sunfair Road from Highway 62, then turn east on one of several different roads. Broadway is the smoothest. If you turn north on Cascade Road there is a deep dip that would hang up most trailers and RVs. Sunflower is further north and avoids traveling on Cascade Road, but it's wash boarded. Your best bet is to stay on Broadway until you reach the mud flat.

The wind blew in some trash, which we filled a trash bag with. Consider spending a few minutes picking up trash while you're here to do your part for the planet. There is surprisingly little trash here given the number of visitors and the way people typically treat the desert.

Blazing fast Verizon. With no booster, I clocked 38 mbps download on a weekday.

Overall a fun site that we will visit again when we return to JTNP!

Whoever thinks this place is great is probably the people that live in one of the homeless camps set up here.
It’s an open dirt/stubble field and people are dumb enough to have fires in it. So dangerous.

Yes there’s lots of room because there’s not even scrub brush in most of it so people just park where they want.
So close to the city you get road noise and city lights.

There was a car that looked stolen up on a block with parts of it missing and trash piled around it. The worst BLM experience I’ve had, If I hadn’t got in so late I would have turned around and left.

Wide open flat space for dispersed camping. Any size rig is ok. Hardly any vegetation so all neighbors are visible and so are you. So privacy is limited.

There are many ways to drive in, but nearly all roads are dirt/sand. And it must have rained recently because there were huge trenches and tire tracks on the road. Take it slow and you will be fine.

Dry camping. No water, toilets or trash bins that I know of. Generator friendly but some of my neighbors did move away from me, probably due to the generator noise. (Sorry I had to charge my batteries!) good cell phone service for at&t users.

Word of caution. Joshua tree is known for dark skies and very little light pollution. Good star gazing. However, it can make things difficult to navigate at night, especially if you have a large rig. The asphalt roads are marked with street signs but quickly turn into dirt roads that weave around the campground. Know your entrances and exits, and orient yourself once you find your camp. That way, if you go out to explore, or disconnect to head into town, and you can easily find your way back to your campsite. I recommend a flag pole with an LED light to distinguish your rig from the others. Makes it easier to find.

Town is a few minutes away with plenty of gas stations, dumps, laundromat etc.