Cottonwood Group

Joshua Tree National Park — hiking

Location: Twentynine Palms, CA, CA

Price: From $55 per night

Rating: 4.8 out of 5 (54 reviews)

Season: Memorial Day through Labor Day

Download the NPS app prior to visiting the park – trail maps and more! Cottonwood Group Campground is one of the best places in Joshua Tree National Park for stargazing and wildflower viewing. The group campground is part of the main Cottonwood Campground and has three sites that are by reservation only.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Flush Toilets, Drinking Water, Electric Hookups

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/cottonwood-group to be notified when sites open up.

Cottonwood Group Campground offers excellent stargazing and wildflower viewing opportunities in Joshua Tree National Park's southern section. Google reviewers consistently praise the spacious, private group campsites with convenient amenities including water pumps, fire rings with grilles, and picnic tables under awnings.

Wildlife alert: Gray Fox, White-tailed Antelope Squirrel, Black-throated Sparrow, Phainopepla, Desert Spiny Lizard, Zebra-tailed Lizard, Long-nosed Leopard Lizard

Insider tips for Cottonwood Group: Book early—this is a federal campground with only 3 group sites by reservation only Each site accommodates around a dozen tents scattered among shrubs for privacy Download the NPS app before visiting for trail maps and additional park information

Skip Cottonwood Group if: No hookups available at sites. Seasonal operations only (closed Labor Day through Memorial Day). Group campground only—not suitable for individual campers.

Best time to visit Cottonwood Group: Memorial Day - Labor Day — Official operating season per verified data.

Nearby campgrounds: Cottonwood Campground (Ca) (Twentynine Palms, CA), Jumbo Rocks Campground — Joshua Tree National Park (Twentynine Palms, CA), Sheep Pass Group (Twentynine Palms, CA), Ryan Campground (TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Cottonwood Group

Cell signal at Cottonwood Group (Twentynine Palms, CA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›CA›Cottonwood Group
Cottonwood Group — photo 1
Cottonwood Group — photo 2
Cottonwood Group — photo 3
See all photos
Joshua Tree National Park — hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Cottonwood Group

Share:
Twentynine Palms, CA, CA★ 4.8 (54 reviews)From $55/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Download the NPS app prior to visiting the park – trail maps and more! Cottonwood Group Campground is one of the best places in Joshua Tree National Park for stargazing and wildflower viewing. The group campground is part of the main Cottonwood Campground and has three sites that are by reservation only.

Best for:HikersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMemorial Day through Labor Day
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesElectric Hookups
Family & Pets
Flush Toilets

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ No hookups available at sites✕ Seasonal operations only (closed Labor Day through Memorial Day)✕ Group campground only—not suitable for individual campers

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with only 3 group sites by reservation only

Each site accommodates around a dozen tents scattered among shrubs for privacy

Download the NPS app before visiting for trail maps and additional park information

Best: Memorial Day - Labor Day

Official operating season per verified data

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Gray Fox, White-tailed Antelope Squirrel, Black-throated Sparrow, Phainopepla, Desert Spiny Lizard, Zebra-tailed Lizard, Long-nosed Leopard Lizard

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
760-367-5554· Joshua Tree National Park
Getting there →

The address below is not the physical address of the campground. To get to the campground, take Interstate 10 to the Mecca/Twentynine Palms exit and follow signs to Joshua Tree National Park. The exit is 25 miles east of Indio, California.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Joshua Tree National Park fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Joshua Tree National Park before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Cottonwood Group cost per night?+
Cottonwood Group costs $55 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Cottonwood Group open?+
Cottonwood Group is open Memorial Day through Labor Day. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Cottonwood Group have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Cottonwood Group?+
Cottonwood Group is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Cottonwood Group?+
Cottonwood Group is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Cottonwood Group?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Cottonwood Group is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Cottonwood Group open, and what are check-in times?+
Cottonwood Group is open Memorial Day through Labor Day. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print Facility Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$55 /night★ 4.8 (54)
SeasonMemorial Day through Labor Day
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Cottonwood Group cost per night?+
What season is Cottonwood Group open?+
Does Cottonwood Group have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Cottonwood Campground (Ca)

Twentynine Palms, CA

From $35/night

Jumbo Rocks Campground — Joshua Tree National Park

Twentynine Palms, CA

From $30/night

Sheep Pass Group

Twentynine Palms, CA

From $55/night

Ryan Campground

TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA

From $30/night

Own a campground nearby?

List free on CamperWatch — we take 5% only on bookings we send. No monthly fee.

List your campground →
$55 /nightNo booking fees
+TRIPCheck availability