Visiting Joshua Tree National Park

Jennifer Melroy
Last Modified January 27, 2024
First Published on October 31, 2020

Planning a trip to Joshua Tree National Park and need some help planning your trip?

Here is the National Park Obsessed guide for visiting Joshua Tree National Park, California.

Table of Contents

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The Quick Guide to Visiting Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park Basics

Region: Pacific-West / West Coast / Pacific / Southwest

Park Size: 790,636 acres (1,235.37 sq miles) (3,199.59 sq km)

Location: Riverside and San Bernardino counties

Closest Cities: Twentynine Palms, California

Busy Season: October to May

Visitation: 2,988,547 (in 2019)

How much does Joshua Tree National Park Cost?

Joshua Tree National Park costs the following:

7-day Passenger Vehicle Pass – $30
7-day Motorcycle Pass – $25
7-day Individual Pass – $7

An annual Joshua Tree National Park Pass cost $55 but it is not recommended you buy this pass. For an extra $25 you can get an American the Beautiful Pass. This $80 pass offers free admission to all 116 fee-charging National Park Units.

When is Joshua Tree National Park Open?

Joshua Tree National Park is open year-round.

Are dogs allowed in Joshua Tree National Park?

Yes, pets are welcome in Joshua Tree National Park but are limited to developed areas such as roads, parking areas, picnic areas, and campgrounds. Pets are not allowed on the trails in the park. Please review the Joshua Tree Pet Policy before bringing your dog to Joshua Tree.

Where are Joshua Tree National Park’s visitor centers?

Oasis Visitor Center – Open Year Round

Joshua Tree Visitor Center – Open Year Round

Cottonwood Visitor Center – Open Year Round

Black Rock Nature Center – October to May

Land Acknowledgments for Joshua Tree National Park

The National Park known as Joshua Tree National Park sits on Yuhaviatam/Maarenga’yam (Serrano), Southern Paiute, Cocopah (Xawiƚƚ kwñchawaay), Cahuilla, Newe (Western Shoshone), and Chemehuevi land.

Thank you to the Native Land Digital for making the Indigenous territories accessible to all. They have mapped the known territories to the best of the current knowledge and is a work in progress. If you have additional information on the Indigenous nations boundaries, please let them know.

Native Land Digital is a registered Canadian not-for-profit organization with the goal to creates spaces where non-Indigenous people can be invited and challenged to learn more about the lands they inhabit, the history of those lands, and how to actively be part of a better future going forward together.

Where to stamp your National Parks Passport Book in Joshua Tree National Park?

The National Park Passport Book is the BEST and cheapest National Park souvenir. Every National Park Obsessed person should have one of these books.

If you are new to the National Parks, you can learn more about the National Parks Passport program here or jump right in by ordering:

The ever-popular Classic National Parks Passport
- Get 15% Off Your Next Order at the America’s National Parks Online Store with Code: NATIONALPARKOBSESSED at Checkout
Or get the National Park Obsessed’s National Park Passport & Journal

IMPORTANT: Do NOT stamp your government-issued passport.

There are nine official stamps for Joshua Tree National Park. Here is the list of National Park Passport Stamps you can get in Joshua Tree National Park:

Black Rock Nature Center
Cottonwood
Cottonwood, CA
Indian Cove
Joshua Tree, CA
Keys Ranch
NPS Centennial
Oasis of Mara
Twentynine Palms, CA

Bonus Stamps

Image of Flower
Image of Four Joshua Trees in the Desert.
Image of Joshua Tree
Image of Palm Tree 2
Image of Tortoise
Junior Ranger

Joshua Tree National Park Passport Stamp Locations

Here are all the locations to find the Joshua Tree National Park Passport Stamps. Not every stamp is available at every location.

Black Rock Nature Center
Cottonwood Visitor Center
Indian Cove Ranger Station
Joshua Tree Cultural Center
Joshua Tree Visitor Center
Keys Ranch
Oasis Bookstore

National Park Obsessed’s Detailed Guides to Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park Lodging

Itineraries for Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park Activity Guides

Cities Near Joshua Tree National Park

Other Articles featuring Joshua Tree National Park

Jennifer Melroy

Jennifer is a long time national park blogger and the founder of National Park Obsessed. She is a dedicated National Park lover who is working on visiting all 63 US National Parks. She has currently been to 58 of the National Parks. She is dedicated to sharing her knowledge of the Parks with others and helping them learn to love the parks as much as she does.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF LAND

On this site, we promote travel to the United States and beyond that are the traditional lands of Indigenous and First Nations peoples.

With respect, I make a formal land acknowledgment, extending my appreciation and respect to these lands’ past and present people.

To learn more about the people who call these lands home, I invite you to explore Native Land.

DISCLAIMER

National Park Obsessed assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site (NationalParkObsessed.com). The information contained in this site is provided with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. You are encouraged to conduct your own due diligence before acting on the information provided on this site and should not rely on the opinions expressed here.

There is an inherent risk in all outdoor recreation activities, the reader assumes all responsibility for their own personal safety.

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Visiting Joshua Tree National Park