In this review of Indian Cove Campground at Joshua Tree, California, I’ll give you all the necessary information to decide if this high desert camping area is right for you. I’ll also go through the frequently asked questions the internet is currently asking about this campground. But beforehand, I’ll walk you through getting there, directly below.
Indian Cove Campground Location and Directions
Indian Cove Campground is in the town of Twentynine Palms, California, at the northern edge of the park.
To get to the campground, you’ll need to find the intersection of Twentynine Palms Highway (Highway 62) and Indian Cove Road. If you need an address to program into your car or phone, you can use that of the car stereo business, which sits on the corner of that intersection. The business is called Ground Zero Customs. Their address is the following:
69087 Twentynine Palms Highway, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
When you get to the intersection, turn on to Indian Cove Road going southbound, such that Ground Zero Customs is on your right, and Oasis Cove Market is on your left. You’ll see lots of residential homes on this road, some of which look like new, modern styled Airbnb homes.
Indian Cove Ranger Station
Once you get through the residential homes on Indian Cove Road, you’ll see the ranger station on the right. It’s a good idea to pull over and visit, as the information board right outside the main building’s doorway will have a roster of campers for the night. Make sure your name is on there, and note your site number, so as to avoid any confusion, literally down the road.
Do You Have to Pay the Joshua Tree Entrance Fee to Camp at Indian Cove?
It doesn’t look like you have to pay the Joshua Tree entrance fee to camp at Indian Cove campground. I asked the ranger when I stopped at the station if I needed to check in, or pay to get in, since this is technically part of Joshua Tree. They said that it was not necessary for me to even stop at the station!
I’m seeing other reviewers of this campground say the same thing on the commercial camping review sites, and I can’t find anything about paying an entrance fee on the official campground site under ‘fees’.
Thus right now, I’m going with no, you don’t have to pay the entrance fee to just use the campground.
Indian Cove Boy Scout Trail
After you go past the ranger station, the next landmark you’ll see is the trailhead to the Indian Cove Boy Scout Trail, on the right.
This is a long backpacking trail, and yes you will have to pay a backpacking fee, if you want to go wander miles down this trail, and back country camp in the desert. There are envelopes to fill out and stuff money into, to do so.
Further if you do wander down this trail, 7 or so miles southbound, you actually are officially in Joshua Tree, and probably also need to pay an individual entrance fee on recreation.gov’s website.
Indian Cove Group Camping
And then the next thing you’ll see on your right will be the turn off onto N Indian Cove Road, which goes to the group campsites. If you’re not in one of those, keep going straight.
Indian Cove Campground Entrance
Next you’ll come to the entrance of the campground, and which way you go at the cross roads is based on your campsite number. Basically lower numbered sites are leftward, and higher numbered sites are rightward.
Let the Indian Cove Campground Review Begin!
For this campground review, I’ll mostly be talking about campsite #10, which is where I stayed, using mostly minimalist backpacking camping gear.
To Have Space or Not to Have Space, That is the Question
Campsite #10 was generously spaced with multiple areas to place tents and car camping gear. Well, at least that’s true when it’s not raining.
When I was there, it rained the first hour, and I had to find the highest spot in the area to place my tent, in order to avoid what looked like mini-washes all around. I did find a great spot, near the parking area for the site, and put up my tent and sat inside, while the thunderstorm passed over.
However, campsite #10 was more of an anomaly, in terms of ground area, than the norm, based on my survey of the other sites. A significant amount of these others were not roomy at all. They had one area to park a car, and just enough ground for a tent and nothing more. The rest of the room in each of these was occupied by a fire ring and a concrete table.
I personally would not want my tent as near the fire ring, as some of the sites obligated such to be. These looked more like good van life campsites to me, where no tent would be needed.
The lesson here is chose you site wisely before you come, depending on your head and tent count. If you want one up against one of the cool rock formations, there’s less space in those.
Hard Ground for Tent Stakes
The ground was a bit hard to hammer my tent stakes into. So you’ll need to find a rock to use as a hammer, if you don’t think to bring one.
Sandy Areas of the Ground
Not only was the ground hard for tent stakes, but it was rather sandy all around. This sand got everywhere inside my tent bathtub, and stuck to my sleeping pad, even though I tried to avoid that from happening. So get ready to clean your equipment when you get home, after visiting!
I usually put down a tarp in front of my tent, where I can take my shoes off, and at least smack them together some before putting them in the tent. But the rain prohibited me from putting a tarp down, as I didn’t want to risk making a pathway for water to go under my tent.
Fire Pits are Very Shallow
Campsite #10’s fire pit was really shallow, even more so than the shallow ones at Dogwood Campground in Lake Arrowhead. I’m assuming this shallowness was universal, though I didn’t get close enough to the other site’s fire rings to confirm this.
I think I used like 3 pieces of wood to make a fire, as that’s all the ring could bear, from its lack of depth. I even dug out some of the ashes in the middle of the pit to put my kindling in.
A Small Ways From the Bathroom
Campsite #10 was at the end of a cul-de-sac, and as such, this meant you had to walk all the way to the other end of the road to get to the bathroom. It wasn’t far away, nor was it close. I’ve had it worse in the aforementioned Dogwood Campground. But on one hand, not being near the bathroom meant campers weren’t constantly bothering me, going to and from it. I’ve had that happen at Los Padres’ Paradise Campground before.
But it wasn’t something fun to do in the middle of the night, thus I had my trusty urinal with me.
The bathroom was a single stall, primitive, no-running-water style building. Thus you don’t want to go, in the middle of the night, with a headlamp, and look down into the toilet hole with the light on.
Also because it was a single toilet building, there were times, where you were obligated to wait, as it seemed to be servicing quite a few of the surrounding campsites. This was especially true in the morning, with the after breakfast rush. And the campsite wasn’t even at full capacity when I was there. Not a big deal, just an observation.
Aesthetic Beauty was Everywhere
My site was up against one of the large rock outcrops. This in itself was quite visually stunning, considering their tall, rounded features, sculpted from the attrition of the wind presumably. They also looked staged the way they were stacked together, and on top of each other, as were a giant trying to construct a rock castle with them.
I was lucky, in that I had two sets of these rock formations up against my campsite, but I was also on the end of those, such that looking out towards Twentynine Palms Highway, miles in the distance, I could also see other far away mountain ranges.
The color pallet of all of these scenes was jaw dropping. The desert was different hues of lush, grassy greens, sandy yellows, and rocky reds and greys, while distant mountains were of darkened reds and grayish blues, not to mention the ever changing sky, with its rain clouds meandering around open skies.
Watch the video below to take in all the colors and scenery:
Perfect Temperature
I think you have to grow up in a colder area of the US to appreciate this, but there are times in the Spring, where after a protracted Winter of being cold and uncomfortable outside, you find yourself in a t-shirt and able to relax, as it’s finally the perfect, hospitable temperature.
You don’t get very many of these moments throughout your life, but when you experience one, it is notable. It’s peaceful, calming, but also provides a neuro-chemical high with none of the ill effects of such.
After it rained for an hour when I first arrived, there were several subsequent hours where it was just the perfect temperature outside. Drunk off of this relaxing state it roused, I could finally see why people would want to live there, in the otherwise harsh environment. I was there in early October, btw.
Hiking Trail Right In My Backyard
I couldn’t think to leave this out of my Indian Cove review, but not only were there hiking trails surrounding the campsite, there was one right outside my tent door! There was a tall, distant rocky outcrop a thousand feet from my place, and a path between the two! Another path from that landmark would take you westward to Indian Cove Road. At that point, you could circle back by walking to the entrance and again towards your site.
Other Nearby Trails
Other hiking trails in the area included the Indian Cove Nature Trail, which I walked on before dinner, the Boy Scout Trail, noted earlier in this article, and the Rattlesnake Canyon Trail, which I heard featured running water in the desert, but was more of a trailblazing type trail, where you needed some guidance mechanism (GPS map system or compass) to keep from getting lost.
Again, watch my above Youtube video to see parts of the Nature Trail, which was filmed in at a time of day, before sunset, where everything just glowed, as were I in a virtual postcard.
Campsites Not As Spread Out As I Would Have Wished
Indeed a lot of these Southern California campgrounds near populated areas suffer from their own micro population density problem. I was lucky not to have a rightward neighbor, but I did have a leftward one – 4 or 5 of them, actually. These were college kids, talking smack about everything from politics to women. I won’t say they weren’t entertaining, but drunken revelry was not something I wanted a front seat to, when I was trying to chill out.
Coyotes a Bit Loud When Trying to Sleep
I slept great and long that night, being in nature and all. But every once in a while the coyotes would get a bit rambunctious, and the noise would momentarily pull me into a more conscious state. I should have used my earplugs but was too lazy at that point to fish them out of my pack.
Mosquitos Were Aggressive and in Large Number
I was fine in my Featherstone backpacking tent, with its noseeum mesh. But before going to bed the mosquitos were able to ravage me dozens of times. I was bit so many times, I experienced a mild systemic, inflammatory driven reaction the night after my stay, and just felt run down.
The mosquitos around Joshua Tree aren’t like those in Los Angeles. Their bites itch like crazy, and for days after, like those from the Deep South. The itching is refractory to the point that you break skin digging at some of them.
Several sat there on my noseeum mesh, inches from where I was sleeping, and persistently buzzed around all night, looking for a way through the tent body to get to me. They were pretty annoying in the morning when I kept waking up from the sunlight.
I would definitely recommend spraying DEET onto a bandana and tying it to your arm at dusk. Also a head net would be a welcome piece of gear at this time, as they tend to bite your face and neck.
Other Notable Creatures
I did see some type of centipede crawling under my tent footprint earlier in the day. And at night there was a praying mantis hanging out on my noseeum mesh with me. Hopefully he ate some other bugs around my tent!
I failed to see any bighorn sheep, tortoises, or rabbits when I was walking around the desert, which was a disappointment but it didn’t diminish the overall enjoyment of the trip.
Conclusion
It was a blast and I’d like to do it again! Despite all my minor criticisms, it was a good time! Thanks for checking out my Indian Cove Campground review. Now let’s do some frequently asked questions…
Indian Cove Campground at Joshua Tree FAQ’s
Is Indian Cove inside Joshua Tree?
Indian Cove is inside Joshua Tree National Park, in its north eastern section. However Indian Cove Road is a dead end road that only leads to Indian Cove Campground, and Rattlesnake Canyon Trailhead. You can’t access the majority of the park’s attractions from Indian Cove from a car. You don’t pass through an entrance station that collects an entrance fee when visiting Indian Cove Campground, like you would at the West and North Entrances to the park.
Is Indian Cove Campground open?
Indian Cove Campground is open. The campground stays open 365 days per year, with no off season. Campsites can be reserved up to 6 months in advance at recreation.gov. The most popular time is during the cooler seasons.
Is Indian Cove Campground first come first serve?
Indian Cove Campground is not first come first serve. You must book a campsite reservation at recreation.gov. Same day reservations are now accepted on the site. Cellphone coverage is spotty in the area, so you may have to drive closer to Twentynine Palms, to book your site on your cell phone.
Is there water at Indian Cove Campground?
There is no water at Indian Cove Campground. You must travel 2 miles to the Indian Cover ranger station on Indian Cove Road to get potable water (bring your own container). Or find convenience stores, gas station, or food markets on Twentynine Palms Highway for bottled water.
Does Indian Cove Campground have showers?
Indian Cove Campground does not have showers. The campground has no running water, and no water spigots. Further, if you bring a portable shower, like those requiring to be hung up, you’re not allowed to hang it on any of the plants in the area. You can only hang it from rock anchors, like those used for climbing.
Does Indian Cove have bathrooms?
Indian Cove Campground at Joshua Tree does have bathrooms. They are the vault style bathrooms with no running water, and are located throughout the campground. Most are within a minute’s walk from the campsites in the area.
Is there cell service at Indian Cove Campground?
There is not very good cell service at Indian Cove Campground. When I was there, using an AT&T cellphone, it took a while for texts to go through, and to be received. There is no 5G network access at the campground either.
Does Indian Cove Campground have fire pits?
Indian Cove Campground does have fire pits. Each campsite has its own fire ring, though from my experience they are quite shallow compared to, say the fire rings in Los Padres at El Capitan. They’re so shallow you might even be able to cook with charcoal in them.
Is parking available at Indian Cove Campground?
Campsite parking is available to those with reservations at Indian Cove Campground. The maximum number of vehicles is 2 per campsite, and there is no overflow parking available.
Which popular attractions are close to Indian Cove Campground?
Indian Cove Campground’s most popular attraction is its rock climbing, all around the campsite and peripheral mountains. There are even gentle sloping rocks for non-rock climbers to walk upon.
There’s also hiking, back country backpacking, stargazing, night photography, and the campground has an amphitheater for special events.
Is Indian Cove Campground good for stargazing?
Indian Cove Campground is fairly good for stargazing. The mountain range east of the campground can sometimes delay the moon from coming out on the horizon. Your best bet is to pick days that are new moons. Recreation.gov, the campground’s official reservation site does mention that this campground often has clear skies perfect for stargazing and night photography. However the light pollution from Twentynine Palms means this campground isn’t as dark as those in the inner section of the park.
Are dogs allowed at Indian Cove Campground?
Dogs are allowed at Indian Cove Campground at Joshua Tree. They are allowed within a 100 foot perimeter of roads, campgrounds, and day use areas at Joshua Tree. Dogs must be on a leash that is a maximum length of 6 feet. They cannot be left unattended, or tied to an object and then left unattended.
Dog poop must be picked up by their owners and placed in a trashcan. Dog feces and urine can disrupt the natural behaviors of the native wildlife inhabitants in the area. For example, preventing these creatures from returning to their necessary habitats due to fear of predation.
Predators like coyotes and mountain lions, sharp rocks in the area, hot desert ground, rattlesnakes and cactus spines can all harm your dog.
Are there mosquitos at Joshua Tree?
There are lots of mosquitos at Joshua Tree. They are persistent and aggressive, and their bites can itch for days. If you don’t like putting mosquito repellent on your skin, spray some into a bandana and tie it around your upper arm. Otherwise you can get dozens of mosquito bites with just one overnight camping trip. The mosquitos at Joshua Tree seem to be most active at dusk, like most other species of mosquito.
Are there bears at Joshua Tree?
There are no bears at Joshua Tree National Park. The park classifies them as ‘uncommon’ and ‘occasional migrant’, but the main obstacle for large mammals like bears is the temperature extremes, lack of water, and lack of food. Most desert mammals here are also much lighter in color than a California Black Bear, to reflect more of the sunlight away from their bodies.
What is the Altitude at Indian Cove Campground?
The altitude at Indian Cove Campground is 3,200 feet. Water from your backpacking stove tends to boil around 90-95C° there.
Outdoor Outfitters and Sporting Stores Near Indian Cove Campground
Nomad Ventures on Twentynine Palms Highway has a good selection of outdoor gear. It has a large supply and variety of rock climbing gear. But it also has backpacks, commercial dehydrated food bags, Jetboil fuel canisters, cliff bars, sleeping bags, camping chairs, Joshua Tree themed t-shirts, back country poop kit equipment, water bottles, water filtration systems, etc.
What are the best sites in Indian Cove Campground?
I definitely recommend site 10. It’s roomy, has rock features, but also has open desert and a hiking trail right off of it. Sites 6, 7, 10, 21, 52, 61 and 88 are the ones that most consistently get reserved online. I’m guessing that’s for a reason.
Futher Reading
Check out my CAMP page or my home page for more articles on camping in Southern California. Thanks for reading!