Question about Joshua Tree South Dispersed Camping

Wandering Webers

Wandering Webers asked on 11/2/2021

How far back can a Class A RV get on those roads? How is the weather in February? Thanks!

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Surf2Trails
Surf2Trails
Long Beach, CA
17' Winnebago Micro Minnie
Toyota 4Runner
15 reviews
Surf2Trails

Answered on 11/2/2021:

For a class A, I would limit your range to 1 mile and make sure of two things. First turn around spots, but maybe more importantly sand. The Campendium video for South Dispersed is a pretty good guide. Coming in off the 10 Freeway, I would favor turning left into the dispersed sites exactly like the video shows (The right side is narrower and more sand). There are two dirt roads to the left. Go to the second one. Within the first 5 seconds of the video you will see the rig turn from the pavement. Pause the video before it turns and get a look at that sign on the right. That will be your guide for the turn you need to make on the second dirt road. It is wider, longer and provides you more options. For your first time in, I would favor grabbing a spot in the first 1/2 mile as they are more accessible, easier turn arounds and hard packed dirt. If you have a tow vehicle, then you can go spotting farther in. February is perfect. Temps in the 70s during the day, but 40s at night. Hope this helps.
Arnell
Arnell
CA
24' Travel-Lite Falcon F-24-BH
Toyota Tundra 4WD
20 reviews
Arnell

Answered on 11/2/2021:

I can't answer to how the weather is in February, but I can tell you in late November, it's still warm/cool in the day and cold/windy at night. It's actually been nice when we were there in November. As for a Class A, you can get pretty far out there as long as you're on the main (washboard) road. You will notice most of the Class A's are around the main road (right off the main road going North toward the park), because the ground is packed hard. As you move off the main road going West or East on the washboard road, you will be fine. It gets tricky when you're finding sites off this road where the ground can be soft. I was able to get a family member's 35ft Class A about 2 miles West of the main road, but the ground was still soft moving around, so we did have concerns of settling and getting stuck. Fortunately, we didn't have an issue. Use a scout vehicle if you have one and looks for well-used sites where the ground is packed. It can be done, but don't take unnecessary risks. Good luck!
5 reviews
Mr2718

Answered on 11/5/2021:

The main road goes back for miles. However, there can be soft sands back there. I got stuck and it’s no fun. February is the coldest month. Some years it’s bone dry and other years we get a lot of rain. The north part of the park can even get snow.
22 reviews

Answered on 11/2/2021:

We saw RVs of all classes a lot farther back than I would have gone. But unless you really want to be away from people, there were almost always spots within a few hundred feet of the main road where no rig would have issues. Just drive slowly and watch for potholes. I always suggest walking down the dirt/sand roads first to get a feel for it and find a place. We were there in late January last year and the weather was amazing. I think rainstorms are a bit more likely then, but we never got any.
Tom
Tom
Buckeye, AZ
27' Airstream Airstream 27ft Globetrotter
Ford F150 Lariat
1 review
Tom

Answered on 11/3/2021:

The roads are a combination of dirt and sand. We had no trouble with a F 150 pulling a 27’ Airstream ( about 14,000 lbs total). Weather should be great.
10 reviews

Answered on 11/3/2021:

The roads are washboard, but doable in any RV. I didn’t drive to the end, but you can go pretty far back on both sides of the road. Weather in Feb is really nice, very mild during the day (70's)
HolidayRV
HolidayRV
Meridian, ID
30' Holiday Rambler Savoy LE
1 review

Answered on 11/3/2021:

Roads are fine and weather is not an issue in Feb. It’s a great place to be off grid and lots of quiet. Great running and hiking too. Enjoy!
Simplicity
Simplicity
SD
33' Airstream CLASSIC
GMC 2500hd
56 reviews
Simplicity

Answered on 11/2/2021:

We were there in Jan.deoending on your rig size you can get back pretty far... Would use a TV to scope it out.