Available sites
59 total sitesAbout Cottonwood Campground (CA)
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Open year round
This campground is open year round, providing flexibility for your stay.
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Site Setup and Access
- Pull Through Site
Water and Hygiene
- Restrooms
Cooking and Fire
- Picnic Table
- Fire Pit
Parking and Transport
- Parking
Pets and Policies
- Pet friendly
Rates, Sites & Availability
59 Sites Available
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Site Details
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59 Sites Available
No available sites
All sites are booked for your selected dates. Try showing all sites to see booked options, create an alert to be notified when something opens up, or adjust your dates.
Reviews (1155)
What Guests Are Saying
Cottonwood Campground offers a stunning location for stargazing and has clean, well-maintained restroom facilities with running water. Many visitors enjoyed the peaceful, quiet atmosphere and nearby hiking trails, making it a great spot for outdoor activities. Some challenges included noise from nearby restrooms, close campsites, and limited parking options, but overall, guests had a positive experience and expressed a desire to return.
What Guests Are Saying
Cottonwood Campground offers a stunning location for stargazing and has clean, well-maintained restroom facilities with running water. Many visitors enjoyed the peaceful, quiet atmosphere and nearby hiking trails, making it a great spot for outdoor activities. Some challenges included noise from nearby restrooms, close campsites, and limited parking options, but overall, guests had a positive experience and expressed a desire to return.
Review Summary
Dianna C
VerifiedAugust 28, 2025 • Stayed at: A11, Loop: COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUND (CA)
Beware of the bees…otherwise everything was great! We went in August which made for hot days, but the starry nights were superb! And hearing a coyote family calling to each other was something my kids really loved!
DENIS K
VerifiedSeptember 17, 2025 • Stayed at: A25, Loop: COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUND (CA)
No host. Fair/Good flush toilets, & running sink water. Lots of coyotes roaming the campground from sunset to noon. We saw 4-5 before (early) bedtime daily. We stayed about 5 nights. No power/water just Dump on site.
DENIS K
VerifiedSeptember 17, 2025 • Stayed at: A25, Loop: COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUND (CA)
No host. Fair/Good flush toilets, & running sink water. Lots of coyotes roaming the campground from sunset to noon. We saw 4-5 before (early) bedtime daily. We stayed about 5 nights. No power/water just Dump on site.
Carmen M
VerifiedSeptember 30, 2025 • Stayed at: B31, Loop: COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUND (CA)
To be honest this is by far the most unclean and unkept campground at any national park we’ve ever been to. I’m not sure why it’s so overlooked. There seems to be many rangers at the visitor center close by. Sites are spread apart and sun rise/sun set are beautiful. The bathrooms don’t have lights which is great. Dark skies are awesome. But, so much trash rolling around. We picked up what we could but can’t clean up the entire campground in two nights of a stay.
Carmen M
VerifiedSeptember 30, 2025 • Stayed at: B31, Loop: COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUND (CA)
To be honest this is by far the most unclean and unkept campground at any national park we’ve ever been to. I’m not sure why it’s so overlooked. There seems to be many rangers at the visitor center close by. Sites are spread apart and sun rise/sun set are beautiful. The bathrooms don’t have lights which is great. Dark skies are awesome. But, so much trash rolling around. We picked up what we could but can’t clean up the entire campground in two nights of a stay.
William L
VerifiedOctober 1, 2025 • Stayed at: A25, Loop: COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUND (CA)
I camp in Cottonwood every month during week days. Making reservations online is a great improvement over first-come-first- served in the past.
William L
VerifiedOctober 1, 2025 • Stayed at: A25, Loop: COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUND (CA)
I camp in Cottonwood every month during week days. Making reservations online is a great improvement over first-come-first- served in the past.
George P
VerifiedOctober 3, 2025 • Stayed at: B09, Loop: COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUND (CA)
Nice spot on the mastadon peak trailhead or Lost Palms Oasis for the more fit. Reasonably separated sites. Water, bathrooms but no showers. Lots of families both times here.
Paul M
VerifiedOctober 3, 2025 • Stayed at: A21, Loop: COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUND (CA)
This was a good campground. The spaces aren’t too close together, they were a good size, and the bathrooms and water are close by. I like the fact that this is a dark sky campground- no electric lights in the bathrooms and virtually no light coming from the nearby visitor center area. We (I) came for star gazing and telescope observing and it went very well. The only drawback was some campers who stayed up very late being loud and keeping others awake. Aside from that, it was great!
George P
VerifiedOctober 3, 2025 • Stayed at: B09, Loop: COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUND (CA)
Nice spot on the mastadon peak trailhead or Lost Palms Oasis for the more fit. Reasonably separated sites. Water, bathrooms but no showers. Lots of families both times here.
Location & Directions for Cottonwood Campground (CA)
74485 National Park Drive, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 United States
Getting There
<p>The park headquarters address is not the physical address of the campground. To get to the campground, take Interstate 10 to the I-10 exit 168 Mecca/Twentynine Palms exit and follow signs to Joshua Tree National Park. The exit is 25 mi east of ...
The park headquarters address is not the physical address of the campground. To get to the campground, take Interstate 10 to the I-10 exit 168 Mecca/Twentynine Palms exit and follow signs to Joshua Tree National Park. The exit is 25 mi east of Indio, California.
Highway access
Cottonwood Campground is accessible via Interstate 10, with the I-10 exit 168 Mecca/Twentynine Palms exit located approximately 25 miles to the west.
Nearby Campgrounds
Nearby destinations
Last updated: October 17, 2026