Joshua Tree North BLM | Wild Camping

United States

Details

Verified:
about 2 months ago
Altitude:
689.0 masl
Website:
None

Amenities

Electricity:
No
Wifi:
No
Kitchen:
No
Restaurant:
No
Showers:
No
Water:
No
Toilets:
No
Big Rig Friendly:
Yes
Tent Friendly:
Yes
Pet Friendly:
Yes

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We came here intending to stay in the dried lake bed but ended up staying off Sunflower Rd instead. The roads in can get really muddy with deep ruts after rainy weather. You do not want to stay here if any rain is in the forecast or you will most likely get stuck. When we arrived, the lake bed was dry but the roads were deeply rutted from recent rain. When we made it into the dry lake bed we happened to park on top of a large pile of hundreds of nails, metal pieces and broken glass which were all half way buried into the sand so couldn’t be seen while driving. We headed out to leave to find a different place to stay but found an okay spot off Sunflower Rd that was a little better but still had broken glass and trash (quiet night though).

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Great spot! Flat ground with plenty of spots. Very close to Joshua Tree. 5G service available (Verizon). Location is also within a reasonable distance of small town.

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As advertised, stayed here on a Monday night in December and seemed to have literally a square mile to myself. Showed up at night and had no problem finding my way, though it might be more difficult when there are more people. Roads leading to the lake bed are a little bumpy, but dry this time of year.

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Big open space with a flat dry-ish lake bed at the bottom. I chose to head a little ways up the back side to have a bit of a view as the sun sets. There are a lot of people but they are spread out and no one is crowded. These campers seem like a mixture of semi full time and recreational campers. There have been a few off road vehicles buzzing around but nothing bad. They just go past as they head out into the hills and then again when they return. I can hear some people shooting off in the distance. The one bad thing is the goatheads. My poor dog has seemed to find them every time I let him out. I’m just spending one night here as I travel and check out some sites, but my impression so far is that it’s a good place to stop off, wether for one night or a few days. I have four bars of Verizon 5G.

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Nice, flat dry lakebed. Plenty of people camping here. Very convenient access to Jtree :)
I will say, be prepared for noise and lights if you come here. One group had strobe lights and a dance party situation and were shooting off fireworks and there were several buggies and cars driving around and doing donuts.
Nice, free place to stay though! And absolutely nobody bothered us and we had plenty of room despite the multitude of campers.

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I go here all the time when I can't get a campsite in Jtree. It's great, I love it here.
If you see a man on a bmx bike riding around, possibly with a javelin, avoid him. Sketchy guy, he following my car and trailer across most of the lakebed when we arrived. Then approached us at 1am when my friend and I were on a walk in the moonlight. He must have been watching us for some time, because he said "are you the guys in the pink trailer?" Said his name was Sado, had a gf with him too. Asked many questions about my trailer, not what most people would ask. Hopefully this guys move along because this is a really special place. Wish other people respected the land more though.

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Lots of people but only can see them from afar. I drove all the way across the lake bed. No neighbors in hearing distance at all. Howling wind one day but it died out over night and a nice quiet morning. Great service and easy access for anything really. Some fire pits scattered throughout the area.

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Great spot close to town/park entrance. It was very windy but died down over night. Just a flat dried up lake bed- lots of people sleeping here but everyone is spread out and quiet. Good T-Mobile Service

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Huge open space, very exposed. A lot of other campers, next to the solar power field are a lot of travelers, the others are permanent campers. Feels very safe though. Police drove by, but didn’t say anything. Very close to the Joshua Tree Park.

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BEST place to camp in Joshua Tree. A lot of people (but in a nice way(?)) everyone is spread out and there are lots of options to find a good place to set up. Also a good area to set up camp with a big group of people. You can either camp in the desert or on the dry lake bed. Both are cool experiences. We spent many days here, multiple times. Highly recommend. Good cell signal and LTE

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Huge open space! Lots of rigs in the distance but no one parked within at least a quarter of a mile of us. Peaceful night of sleep. Came in down one road but left via Broadway and we felt Broadway was a smoother ride.

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Nothing more I can say. This place is great. Good cell service. We got lucky finding firewood left over from people before us. Thank you for that.

We paid it forward and left a ground score at the fire ring.

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Nice BLM for a couple days. Came in off broadway, be careful as there is a huge pothole just as you exit the pavement. We tried staying on the left part but lots of traffic. Ended up staying on the right part near the wire fence - less traffic and chiller. Don’t recommend parking right on the fence line as that appears to be a routine transit area.

Quiet but did hear one gunshot or firework. Not a big deal. Close to the national park. Cold but cool.

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it was an available spot with a little cell service and we were allowed to park there. some unleashed dogs and LOTS of trash.

please take your trash with you! please don't leave USED TOILET PAPER everywhere.

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Great place to spend a few nights. Clean, quiet, easy drive. Was cool at night (around freezing) due to elevation. Many spots to choose from. Enough other rigs around to feel safe but not at all crowded. The first night here we came off Broadway. The next night we came off Sun Mesa. Passed a few abandoned rigs on Sun Mesa, did not feel as safe, so we headed back down towards Broadway.

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Stayed 3 nights and slept like a log. If your gps takes you down broadway street past all the solar panels be sure to go slow where the pavement ends. There’s a large divot where the asphalt turns to dirt that will jolt any fast moving vehicle.

Update 1/2/23 hole is filled in

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Spend 3 nights here. Was easy to find and no issues with 2WD There was a flash flood warning the night before I arrived though so I waited until that was done just in case. Quiet area. Big plot of land with lots of options. Coyotes at night. My last night there were several coyotes right next to my van howling to their friends across the field.

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Nice big flat dry Lake
big enough for many Rigs
no problem staying here for 2 nights
lots of permanent resident around

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Free disperses camping near Joshua Tree NP.
We were here 2 nights. Lots of wide open spaces to set up for the night. Great for sunsets and stargazing. If you go in further you will get away from the light pollution from some of the campsites at the start.
It was very windy both nights we were there.

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Lovely place to camp! Was pretty busy on a Saturday night, but there’s lots of space to park away from other (sometimes noisy) campers. There were some people racing soon buggies and other vehicles late at night, but with a white noise app and closed windows we were able to sleep no problem. Best feature is the amazing view of the stars & city lights at night! (Photo attached) plus there are some camp fire rings you can use too :) highly recommend

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Wonderful spot for a free camping. Tons of other people out there doing the same thing. Very unique spot, felt like we were camping on a different planet. Very level surface, I’d recommend this to anyone spending a few days in Joshua Tree.

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Camped here for about a week. Had good enough ATT signal to work, T-Mobile has good 5g signal, but speed fluctuated more than I was comfortable with. Friend with Verizon also had good signal. Like other reviews said, place is pretty clean and people spread out nicely. We did see a coyote during our week here, but it wasn’t close enough to be worrisome

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The area on the dry lake bed is cleaner and appears to be travelers( camping a few days) Those camped near/ around the lake, seems to be squatters on BLM land. Just by the look of clutter and sheer volume of trash. Would not surprise me that the BLM shuts those areas down. Sad! Nevertheless, spectacular sunsets and sunrises 😊

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We camped here for four days or so in early February. The road in is rough, so drive slow. Drive in on Sunflower Rd - this is the best road. Once you get to Cascade Rd, hang a left and you'll see a giant, wide open, level area where you can go as close or far away from people as your heart desires. Gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. Quiet and peaceful. We did, however, get stuck in a crazy dust storm on our last day and I'm not joking when I say I couldn't see 15 feet in front of us. So, check the weather, especially if you are tenting! All in all, a great free camping spot not far from the north entrance of the park and all sorts of amenities in the town of Joshua Tree. 9/10 because the road was so damn rough.

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Rough and dusty road. Wide and flat. Very quiet.

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Lots of people but plenty of room for everyone to find a spot, great cell service!

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I was expecting this place to be littered with trash based on reviews I read but it was actually nice! Easy to drive on sand with our rwd van. Some locals whippin shitties after dark but otherwise peaceful. Would stay again. Good ATT and Verizon service.

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Wide open dirt flat where you can park wherever. Pretty great spot + you can drive around to find a private enough spot. Good Verizon reception!

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Great open area with easy access to Joshua Tree NP. A lot of campers of all types, but everyone was very spread out and it was very quiet. I recommend coming in via Sunfair Road, then turning onto Sunflower, which is a pretty easy dirt road. I attempted to leave via Cascade Road & turned around as that road is much worse with deep ruts. 3-4 bars of service with TMobile.

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Wide open dried lake, it rained while I was here but noting more than a few wet spots. A few people here but all spread out. Great spot overall!

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Big Open land. Very quite. Last night was so windy. Did not enjoy the stars. But morning is so beautiful sunrise. RV’s and Trailers and other Vans are from each other. Good coverage of T-mobile.

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Honestly the trashiest BLM land we’ve stayed at yet. There are multiple people living here/squatting on the land. But overall we felt safe, weren’t bothered by anyone, and enjoyed our overnight stay.
No trees so or shelter just an FYI.

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I have been here for 4 days. I read all the comments and must add the fact that there has been gun fire throughout the day and night here. Today it started at 7am, it is almost 3pm and hasn't stopped. If you or your pet do not like gunfire DO NOT STAY HERE!

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Huge flat area in the beginning there was a lot of no trespassing signs but kept going and found lots of campers and open space.
Some pretty sketch looking sites toward entrance but keep going back. Roads all washboard and ruts so use caution driving in after dark. Would be a treacherous mess in the rain. Saw lots of fire rings. No wood so would need to bring your own.
Fine for a night before heading into park.

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Great big, wide open, flat BLM land. We arrived at sunset, parked for the night. Easy.

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Good spot to watch the sunset... found a spot with no issues. Probably 50-75 other campers here but plenty of space.

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echo what others have said. very windy but manageable. some folks driving donuts and dirt bikes, kicking up dust. otherwise a wide open, clean space. don't stay near the solar field!

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Decent spot. Open field with many sites. We found a spot that dipped down a little bit for some privacy. Can hear some highway noise. Good sunrise and sunsets. Fires allowed. 10-15 minutes to Joshua tree. Ok att cell service.

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We camped further west up to the grass and the higher ground started. You drive by some very sketchy post ups but further west it is more remote.

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Really cool spot, lots of wide open space for camping. Super quiet at night. Some folks do indeed seem to live out here full time but they stay to themselves as does everyone out here. Motocross and OHV enthusiasts swarm out here during weekends but are largely respectful of campsites. Roads and trails go on for miles out here, so finding a secluded spot is not by any means difficult. Pretty solid ATT service (2-3 LTE bars) and Really good Verizon service (3-4 LTE bars) without using a weboost. Came in March and the high temps hovered around 75-78. Definitely will be back. The sunsets here are unbelievable.

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This place is really beautiful, got here right before sunset! Other campers here, everyone seems very respectful of space and noise. We are two solo female van travelers, felt safe here. The road was a little bumpy coming in but take it slow and you’ll be fine! Would totally come here again!

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Very good place and lots of room... very flat ... a little rocky driving in .. In our ford transit van... even when lots of people here still lots of room to be secluded ! Up against the hills you can shoot your guns.. definitely will be coming back

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Works well but I personally liked the South BLM a lot better. I thought it was warmer and liked the view a bit more. Although this one doesn’t have a highway. Seems like some people live out here? I guess just another version of California’s housing crisis...

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Funny interesting spot to camp! Lots of space, especially when you dive out onto the lake bed - but no privacy in daylight as you can see for miles. Quiet on a Thursday in December, I imagine it can get rowdy in warmer weather.

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Beautiful wide open land; off-road enthusiasts playground near the mountains. A lot of open spots; busy on the weekends, but should still find a great spot. Go in as far as you desire based on road conditions. Roads near solar farm are decent, but farther east is quite rutted. We saw a lot of large campers go on the east roads, but we preferred staying away from the noisier crowds.
We found a cool little spot that was private and beautiful view. Our spot was a favorite to many as it was quite messy, but after a day of cleanup and raking, it’s now very nice.
Lots of bunnies, coyotes nearby, hawks, owls & probably a lot of ground critters we didn’t see.
We did see a few that obviously lived here, and one was riding through checking out campers (from a distance). Perhaps he was just foraging. We felt safe here though and were never bothered.
Enjoy the land, but be cautious after a rain; it may be difficult to navigate.

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Large dry lake bed. So much room. Very flat. There were many other people camped out here but we could barely hear them. Dead silence at night. Beautiful view of the sunset/moonrise.

Had no issues getting my 2wd promaster in here. It was a bit bumpy but just take it slow.

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Great location. Camped here on Thanksgiving weekend after a day in JTree. Enough space to spread out from the crowd.

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Lots of people, at least 50 cars on the lake bed, but plenty of space left

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Great open spaces. Ridiculous night sky views. Some noise with the dirt bikes but they chill as the night goes on. But they wake up early!

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Very nice and big open area. Plenty of other campers but far away. Quiet at night and beautiful being in the desert. Good cell reception.

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Great spot! We decided to camp right in the middle of the playa but many others are on the outskirts. Quiet and our nearest neighbor is about 1/2 mile away on a Wednesday. 2 bars tmobile.

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We stayed past the lake bed off one of the OHV trails which seemed more private away from other people. There are a few pits around if you look carefully. Quick walk up to the top of the hill with great sunset views. It was generally quiet but people were off-roading past sunset which I guess is to be expected on a Saturday but the bright lights and noise was a bit annoying. Good Verizon cell service.

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Great spot! Easy to get to and flat. Full Verizon signal. Quiet at night but we did hear planes and some coyotes. It’s a huge dirt/sandy old lake bed but we saw cars, rv’s and trucks drive through with no problem. Nice spot for a quick couple of nights and head out.

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We enjoyed our stay on the dry lake bed with 3 bars AT&T. We followed Broadway out past the solar farm, then beyond several campers gathered right at the BLM entrance, continuing down the dirt road and avoiding a few ruts in the dried mud. Where we camped our neighbors were few and far. Only a couple ATV’s could be heard around 8:30am. Peaceful and quiet otherwise, with a beautiful sunset and sunrise. There is a small pond remaining of what used to be Coyote Lake, so birds and geese are present in the morning for a pleasant view. Watch for nails around old fire pits.

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I like this spot. I didn’t go as far out as others. I stayed on the dry lake but to the far right and near the wire fence. Nobody bothered me and it feels safe. Coyotes are present of course so be wary of your small animals. Lots of other campers here scattered around but not on top of each other. Good Verizon service 2-3 bars.

On the weekends expect ATVs and motocross as you are near a bunch of OHV trails. They stay mostly in the very center of the lake, so if you don’t want them having to rally around you, camp on the exterior of the lake — you will see what I mean and where the trails are. Just envision that they are going to have to get to them somehow. They were all chill, respectful and kept their distance.

Overall I do recommend this spot. It’s close to Jtree, bike trails, Walmart, Stater Bros., the showers at the Coyote shop and it has great sunsets. Of course it does get windy at times but that’s Jtree.

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It's a little rutted out on the road back but nice and flat once you get out to the lake bed.

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Good ATT service (4 bars), quiet, the dirt road is about a mile and 4x4 not needed in dry weather. Like someone else said if it had rained the mid might be tricky.

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we got here around 8pm, 2 other cars were parked but tonsss and tons of room between plenty room for all types of camping. big rigs included. bumpy ride down but not too bad. looks like it gets pretty muddy& sticky in the rain.

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Lots of room indeed. Nice view over the town at night. North end used as a shooting range though, spent cartridges everywhere and people shooting around in the evening. Garbagy. Ok for a night.

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Great open space where lots of people can park with plenty of space between. we enjoyed a nice quiet night here. However I wouldn't recommend parking here if it rains, it gets muddy.

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Amazing place! Free to camp near a dried river bed. There were other cars, RVs and tents camping here when we arrived around 23.00pm and it was easy to find a secluded spot right away. Our spot had a fire pit we assume there are no restrictions.

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Quiet, beautiful spot. A little bumpy to enter but still quite accessible.

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Quiet, clean & beautiful views of surroundings.

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perfect place in the desert to spend the night. Quiet and windy

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spent 3 nights here using it as a base for hiking around joshua tree national park and lots of auto parts/ outdoor equipment stores around to set your rig up a little better. gets to near freezing at night in the winter because of elevation.

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Accsses is via Broadway road.

Drive east on 62. take a left on Sunfair toward the campground (which is 5 miles from highway 62) and about 1.5 miles on Sunfair take. right turn on Broadway. drive to the end of pavement. On your left a solar panel farm and the BLM area is east of it at the end of Broadway.

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Good spot to overnight. Gets busy in the weekends. Take Sunfair road to the place, save a 3km gravel road drive;-)

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Space enough for everyone. Quite. No toilets. No shade. It can be very windy here
There are sometimes ATV‘s and crossbikes showing some stunts. People leave a lot of garbage here...

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Large desert space. Dirt road access.
Plenty of space for slot of people. Quiet place to stay. Fire pits

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It is still an official "overflow camping" of the NP. Quite. More people on the weekend.

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ancient dried lake bed, flat spots, no shade, can be quite windy at night. good spit to spend the night. quuet, only a few campers far away around the lake. Looks like the area is used by some as a dumping ground. Pack in/pack out and keep it clean, a local guy said BLM is talking about forbidding camping due to that.

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Big dry lake bed but free and close to Joshua Park

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kurz vorm NP Eingang ein guter freier Stellplatz

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