Joshua Tree

[nick_baker]

<p>Visiting Palm Springs in late April/early May, and considering camping out in Joshua Tree. Any advice on good spots for landscapes would be much appreciated, as would camping advice.<br>

thanks</p>

[famico]

<p>Here's some info for you:</p>

<p>http://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm<br>

http://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/camping.htm<br>

http://www.joshua.tree.national-park.com/camping.htm<br>

Hope you enjoy your trip. I'm sure you will, as it's a really neat place to visit.</p>

[johnw63]

<p>I believe I stayed at the Jumbo Rocks campground and it was near lots of the cool stuff.</p>

[nick_baker]

<p>Thanks for the tip - Jumbo Rocks looks interesting. The Black Rock and Cottonwood campgrounds have water, are these interesting photographically or nothing special? Any other tips?<br>

thanks</p>

 

[kts]

<p>Barker dam for sunrise shots....<br /> White Tank campground for Arch Rock and some nice rock formations....sunrise and sunset, also nice for full moon shots<br /> Jumbo rocks including the picnic area across the street...lots of Joshua tree's<br /><br /></p>

[profhlynnjones]

<p>I love the reddish huge rocks in Joshua National Monument, but in my memory there really aren't that many Joshua trees around there. The greatest place to shoot those trees is in Arizona at Joshua Tree State Park.</p>

<p>Lynn</p>

[craig_gillette]

<p>The west end of the park is full of Joshua trees. I've never been to Black Rock or Cottonwood campgrounds so can't comment on the views. I've been at Hidden Valley and Jumbo rocks - that whole area along the road is interesting assuming you like Joshua trees and granite. There is a campground at Wonderland of Rocks at the end of the Indian Cove Road from the north side but I'd suggest something on the main road like Hidden Valley because of the closer access to some of the sights along the central part of the park. Late April/early May will likely be getting warm but not too hot yet? Water is available at the entry stations but not at the campgrounds in the interior (except as noted) so that may make a difference in your camping plans. We've always taken water with us to avoid the potential for getting stuck sharing one lone spigot at the ranger station.</p>

<p>Tweezers and/or forceps are handy, much of the flora has some sort of pointy protection.</p>

<p> </p>

[Jeff Lear]

<p>John Williamson is correct, he stayed at Jumbo Rocks.<br /><br />I was there again, a couple weeks ago. There are a few things you should be aware of... the campgrounds seem to be filling early. We arrived at around midnight on a Friday and spent the next three hours driving from campground to campground only to find that every one of them was filled to capacity. We parked on the side of a dirt road in the middle of the desert and my traveling companion stretched out in the back of my Jeep while I tried to sleep sitting up in the driver's seat. There are a few campgrounds that accept reservations (Indian Cove, Sheep Pass, and Cottonwood Springs) and, given our experience, I would recommend looking into that option. We ended up staying at Jumbo Rocks.<br /><br />I wrote a little story documenting our journey on another forum. It's written for Jeep enthusiasts and not necessarily photographers but I'm a photographer so there are plenty of pictures.</p>

<p>http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f59/our-first-outing-128696/</p>

[craig_gillette]

<p>I've camped at Indian Cove a number of times and day trips. It's at the base of "Wonderland of Rocks" which is essentially the north side of the ridge that you see as you drive in the main road through to Hidden Valley, etc. Lots of climbable rocks and joshua trees, and a fair expanse of open flatland with some isolated outcroppings similar to what you'll see to the south near the road. I've even been there with water flowing in Rattlesnake Canyon which is a creek bed leading well back into the cliffs from the pinic area at the southeast end of the road. It would not be too inconvenient to camp there and return back to Joshua Tree to head south into the main section of the park. Nor is it too far from the trailhead to 49 Palms Oasis. The oasis is a fairly strenuous hike but might be of interest. If you check Google Maps for Joshua tree, you can find these spots on the map then swap to Satellite view to get an idea where they are, and the terrain.</p>

<p>Again, this is a waterless site but the ranger station is close as is the main road and local civilization.</p>

 

[nick_baker]

<p>Thanks for all the replies. We camped at White Tank. We found White Tank, and particularly Jumbo Rocks, the centers for rock formations, although Jumbo Rocks is quite developed. The campsites were busy but there were spaces, at least on Sunday/Monday night, which may not be peak. It was definitely worth being there early morning/late afternoon, particularly for the trees which to me do not appear as atmospheric in midday light.</p>

[bill.akstens]

<p>Although it gets hot in the summer, camp sites are much easier to find June-August. My most recent camping trip to Jumbo Rocks was 24-hour stay over a Thursday-Friday in mid June. The campsite was only about 10% full, highs hit 100F, and lows sank to 69F. Weather was not too bad actually, especially if you take things slow during the peak temp of the afternoon. The biggest problem is bee activity, especially in Jumbo Rocks. The bees are pretty persistent around food and water in the summer. Signs posted in the campground offer some tips for dealing with bees.</p>