Jumbo Rocks Campground California
Jumbo Rocks Overview
Jumbo Rocks is one of the most popular campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park. The campground has 124 campsites for RVs, trailers and tents that are situated among giant granite boulders.
Depending on the campsite, you can have from 1-2 vehicles and 4-6 people. Most campsites only allow 1 vehicle and are best suited for tent camping. Parking spurs range in size from 13 to 36 feet, but most are on the small side. Several of the campsites require a short hike to the camping area. Campsites 81-94 have parallel parking for larger rigs. There are also a few other sites with parallel parking. Each campsite also has a concrete picnic table, fire pit and grill.
The campground has pit/vault toilets and an amphitheater. There are four extra parking sites at the entrance, but these are not to be used for overflow parking. Park Blvd. (just outside the campground) does have some shoulder area where you can park an extra vehicle. Ranger programs are usually on Friday and Saturday nights. Also remember to bring your own water because there isn’t any at the campground.
Jumbo Rocks’ central location offers a great base camp to explore other areas of Joshua Tree National Park. Skull Rock trail originates in the campground. Other nearby hikes include Split Rock, Ryan Mountain and Pine City. Also be sure to bring your telescope if you have one because the star gazing is epic!
Jumbo Rocks – Joshua Tree National Park – Area Recreation
Outdoor recreation includes hiking, biking, rock-climbing, bouldering, star-gazing, wildlife viewing and exploring the many historic sites located throughout Joshua Tree National Park. “Skull Rock” is a short hike from the campground as are other trails. You may also want to tour the Keys Ranch historic site – reservations required.
Other Joshua Tree National Park campgrounds to consider include Ryan, White Tank, Indian Cove, Hidden Valley, Belle, Black Rock Canyon, and Cottonwood.
Make a Reservation for Jumbo Rocks
Amenities
- Amphitheater
- BBQ Grills
- Campfire Center
- Campsite Tables
- Fire Pit
- Fire Rings
- Grills
- Pets OK
- Picnic Tables
- Restrooms (Vault Toilets)
- Visitor Center
Activities
- Archeological Sites
- Biking
- Bird Watching
- Bouldering
- Climbing
- Hiking
- Historic Sites
- Mountain Biking
- Nature Trails
- Photography
- Picnicking
- Rock Climbing
- Stargazing
- Walking Trails
- Wildlife Viewing
Jumbo Rocks sold out? Get an alert when a campsite becomes available at Jumbo Rocks!
Create Campsite Availability AlertBest Campsites
13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 25, 26, 27, 30, 33, 36, 38, 39, 40, 44, 45, 51, 61, 64, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95, 104, 113, 115, 119, 120, 121
Regions
Campsite Types
- ADA
- RV
- Tent
- Trailer
# of Campsites:
124
Campsite Vehicle Size:
13 to 36 feet
Season:
Year Round
Elevation:
4,400
Jumbo Rocks Photos & Video
Jumbo Rocks Comments & Reviews
Visited Jumbo Rocks Campground lately? We'd love to hear about your adventure. Did you find us useful? Did we forget something? Anything our community should know before heading out to Jumbo Rocks?
campsitephotos.com
harvesthosts.com
Bonjour,
Pourriez-vous me communiquer l’adresse E-mail du camping de Jumbo Rocks ?
Merci .
Cordialement.
Domy
Bonjour Domy,
Le terrain de camping Jumbo Rocks n’a pas d’adresse électronique ni de numéro de téléphone. J’ai un numéro de téléphone pour le parc national de Joshua Tree si cela peut vous aider: 760-367-5502. Les terrains de camping de Jumbo Rocks se trouvent dans le parc national de Joshua Tree.
At some point, the campsite numbers do not correspond to actual sites. For example, the site listed here #123 is actually #124, 122–>123, etc. Just be extra careful and try using Reservations.gov photos and / or google maps as well.
Hi Andy,
Thanks for pointing that out. We will check out photos and if off, get those corrected.
Hi Andy, We double checked the Jumbo Rocks campsite photos and all are correct except photos for #122 and #123. We corrected those and now all Jumbo Rock campsite photos are correct. We will be reshooting the campground this summer though and will post all new photos later in the year. Thanks again!
Hi, I would like to know about campsite #39. Is it big enough to fit 2 tents? I read parking for this site is 150m away. How is it compared to site #83.
Hi PB, You are correct. Jumbo Rocks campsite #39 is about 150m from the parking area. Here’s another photo of the table/fire ring area below. Parking for campsite #83 is right next to the site (parallel park).
This is a great site! Thanks for the research. What campsites would be best for a group of (3) families of 4 ea, pitching 6 tents?
Hi Kathy,
Thank you and you’re most welcome. We love doing it! If you’re up for just a short walk (100-150 feet on some of the sites), these groups would work as they are all relatively close to each other, have some privacy and are in nice areas: 28-29-30-31; 37-38-39; 47-48-49; 51-52-53-54; 55-56-57; 57-58-59; 68-69-70; 72-73-74; 111-112-113; 114-115-116. And if you want to have your cars parked relatively close to the tent/camping area: 85-86-87.
Sounds like you have a fun trip planned – have a great time!
Which campsites in Jumbo Rock are large enough for a 27-foot trailer?
Hi Marti,
You can visit Rec.gov at the link below and ‘see details’ of each campsite. The details provide sizes of campsites to see if your 27-foot trailer will fit.
Hi!
Can you tell me where the overflow parking is located at the campground? We have 2 cars and looks like our site only accommodates one at the campsite. Thank you!
Hi Esther,
Some campsites only allow for one vehicle unfortunately. There are four extra parking sites at the entrance, but they are not suppose to be used for overflow parking. Sometimes the ranger may give you a pass, but I wouldn’t could on it. Park Blvd. (just outside the campground) does have some shoulder area where you can park an extra vehicle.
Hello, thank you for putting together this post and pictures. Do you have any recommendation for 2 campsites that would have decent shades for the month of October 2021? For a family of 10-12, including children. So we are looking for campsite that would have a min. occupancy of 6 each. Thank you!
Hi Alina,
Thanks and you’re most welcome!
Most of the campsites at Jumbo Rocks campground are pretty exposed, with little shade. There are a few that are set closer to large rocks and/or may have a large Joshua Tree that will provide some shade in the early morning or afternoon. Those include 6, 10, 11, 56, 66, 112, 119 and 121. However, the camping areas of these may be smaller due to the proximity of the larger rocks.
Our favorite campsites at Jumbo Rocks campground include: 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 25, 26, 27, 30, 33, 36, 38, 39, 40, 44, 45, 51, 61, 64, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 78, 80, 71, 82, 83, 84, 85, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95, 104, 113, 115, 119, 120, 121
Great site! I’m looking for a suggestion for 2 people that want to tent camp. Looking for privacy and quiet, but other campers nearby. Wanting to make a reservation for a site….not necessarily at Jumbo Rocks but somewhere in Joshua Tree where it’s a nice place to be. Also want a suggestion for a non-reservation site. Thanks in advance!
Thanks John!
There’s some great campgrounds/campsites out at Joshua Tree National Park that you should like. We have an article on our favorite (best) campsites in the park and you can view it here:https://www.campsitephotos.com/blog/campground-recommendations/joshua-tree-national-parks-best-campsites/
Hidden Valley, Belle and White Tank are all good (first-come, first-serve) campgrounds. Belle and White Tank are smaller campgrounds and they have some nice private campsites. Hidden Valley is popular and more centrally located, but it has fewer ‘private’ campsites. Jumbo Rocks and Indian Rocks are the best reservable campgrounds (IMO). Both also have some great (private) campsites. Indian Rocks is located on the outskirts of the park though. Hope this helps and remember – spring and fall are very popular times. Campgrounds will sell out way in advance and you’ll need to arrive no later than Friday morning (perhaps Thursday early afternoon) to grab a first-come, first-serve campsite for a weekend stay.
Any insight on jumbo rocks site 77???
Jumbo Rocks campsite #77 is one of our favorites. Flat, has a little shade, great views, and the backyard is an open area where you can hike and rock scramble. It’s also fairly private and quiet. The table/fire ring area is about 30-40 feet from your parking spot.
Any insights on camp site 78? We have a large tent 9 x 14 and might want to bust out a canopy too. Is the parking spot and restrooms relatively close to this site?
Hi Lucy,
Jumbo Rocks Campsite #78 is a sweet site – one of our favorites. You have parking for one vehicle and will need to walk about 50 feet to the table/fire/pint/camping area. The table/fire pit/camping area is fairly large and private. You can pitch a larger tent and a few smaller ones. The best thing about the campsite (IMO) is that you have great views of the surrounding rocks/area (your backyard), and you have easy access to hiking/rock scrambling. You’re also close, but not too close to a restroom.
Hi! Any insights on campsites 33 or 44? We have potentially 1-3 tents and not sure how many are allowed at each site. Also just curious for any thoughts you have about those two sites as we have reservations secured for our dates at those two. Thanks!
Hi Mike,
Both campsites have a fairly large area to pitch multiple tents. You should be fine with 3 (small to medium sized) tents on either site. Campsite 33 has a limit of 4 people and campsite 44 has a limit of 6 people. With that said, you can probably get a couple of more in campsite #33. Campsite #33 can fit one vehicle up to 20 feet, and campsite #44 has a parking spur of 36 feet (up to 2 vehicles). Both campsites made our ‘favorite campsite list’. They are relatively large, flat and with distance between neighbors. You picked some winners! Have a great time out there.
Hey there! Loved my stay at Jumbo last time I visited, but am curious to see which sites might be best for someone who would prefer to car camp rather than pitch a tent. It looks like some sites’ parking areas are more private, and some sites have conjoined parking areas.
Thanks in advance!
Hi there, Limited availability has forced me to select Jumbo Rocks site 10. Site 10 is listed as small tent for up to 6 persons but no dimensions on the site are provided. I have a group of 4 and we intend on pitching two small tents to accommodate our group. Will I have enough room?
Hi Michael,
Campsite #10 is on the smaller side, but you’ll have room for a tent (maybe two small ones) behind the BBQ pedestal, and there’s also room for another tent in the foreground. You’ll be good. Have a great time!
Hi there,
My husband and I have book campsite #11 at Jumbo Rocks campsite. Our trailer is 17.4 feet (but with hitch measures more like 21ft). Our Toyota pick up truck is 14ft. It looks like we could fit both vehicles in this spot. Will we fit, and can we park our truck in the adjacent marked parking space? Thank you for your time.
Hi Liz,
Campsite #11 does have a parking area to fit your trailer and towing vehicle. The maximum length is 18 feet, but there’s a few fee overhang off the back so you should be okay. All wheels must be on paved surface. FYI – the ranger will make the final call if he/she thinks your trailer is too long, but you should be good! Have fun!
How private is campsite 067?
Hi Riley,
Campsite #67 is nice – with good privacy. There’s nice space between other sites and no other campsites behind it. Also has a good amount of room in the camping area.
Can I park two cars at campsite #118?
Hi JB,
Jumbo rocks campsite #118 is designated for up to 1 vehicle (16 feet maximum length) and 6 people.
Hi insights on site 104? Fairly private?
Hi Linda,
Jumbo Rocks campsite #104 is one of our favorite because it has very nice privacy (away from the other campsites). And you have nobody behind you. It also has a large and relatively flat camping area. You’ll really like it . . . it does require a short hike (about 200-250) from the parking area though.
Hello I was looking for a little guidance. How would you compare campsite 99 to 51? I see you list site 51 at your favorites and 99 not on your list. I’m looking for flat area and close to rocks to take a nice view.
Hi Jesus,
Jumbo Rocks campsite #51 has more privacy (away from other camps) and has a much larger camping area than #91. Both are flat. There are rocks near both sites, but #51 has more and they are a little closer. Site #51 probably has a slightly better view. Also, there is a neighbor/campsite very close to #91. Hope this helps!
Hello, I am looking for feedback on site #89. My family will be coming in mid June with energetic kids and a couple of teenagers. We are looking for a site that might provide some protection from the sun, but views and rock scramble opportunities as well. We will have a short RV (19 ft) and one 10×12 tent. Site #89 looks great, but I’m wondering about views and privacy. Any insight you can provide would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
Hi Dana,
Jumbo Rocks campsite #89 is one of the best in the campground (in our opinion). It has a fairly large and flat camping area, the rocks/bushes provide for some real nice privacy (compared to others in the campground), and you also have a wall of boulders behind you to play on. No other campsites are behind the boulders and there’s some great hiking and rock scrambling back there. Shade in the desert is hard to come by though. Site #89 will get afternoon sun exposure so what little shade you have each morning (from the rocks) will be gone by about 9am (if you’re planning to camp soon). I recommend bringing a shade canopy. Hope you get the site. Have fun!
Thank you so much for the feedback!!
You’re welcome. I think you’ll really like campsite #89. It’s also a quiet area in regards to camp/vehicle traffic.
Hi – what is the latest check in time at the campground Jumbo Rocks?
Hi Thomas,
You can arrive up to about 6am the following day of your arrival date. Sometime after that, the host may release.
Looking for a quiet getaway for 1 so I booked site #64. Is this a nice location?
Hi Jeff,
You should love campsite #64. It is one of our favorites because has a large (flat) camping area and is a bit removed from neighboring camps with good privacy You also have nothing but rocks and beautify scenery behind your campsite. If I recall, its about 100-150 feet from your parking spot. Have a great time!
Hi, we are a group of three friends (one is camping for the first time ever) and booked campsite #88 in Jumbo Rocks. Is this a good location? Also can we arrive at night? Thank you 🙂
Hi Kath,
Campsite #88 is a good one and one of our favorites. It’s relative big/flat, up against some big boulders and in a good location at the campground. You can also arrive at night. Have fun!
How’s site 115? How much space is there between the neighboring sites?
Hi Al,
Jumbo Rocks campsite #115 is one of our favorites and has some very nice privacy. The camping area (table, fire ring, BBQ) are set back away from the camp road and other neighboring sites. It also has a nice ‘rock wall’ providing more privacy. I’d say it is about 50-60 feet from the campsites next to it.
Hello! I booked campsite #97 for 6 people. I can’t tell from the photo if this is a bad call. Any suggestions for sites that can fit two tents and offers some shade/privacy?
Hi Anna,
Jumbo Rocks campsite #97 is a nice one and you can fit 6 people (couple of tents) comfortably. Have fun! It also has decent privacy – set back away from other sites. As for shade, there really isn’t any site that has shade. A few have some larger rocks that may provide a little shade (either early AM or PM). I recommend bringing a shade canopy.
Headed here tomorrow! I missed the “small tent” classification on the site we have booked (site# 15). We have one additional person joining us for the last night of our trip. Will the site accommodate a 6 person tent and a 1 person tent? It’s OK if the tents need to be somewhat close to each other. Also, they will be coming in a separate car and I see this site only allows 1 car (did not do my best reading when I booked this reservation, apparently!), is there an area for overflow parking nearby? Thanks for your help, we use your site constantly when booking reservations and find it so helpful!
Hi Stephanie,
Sorry for the delayed response and hope you a fun camping trip out at Joshua Tree NP. Also thanks for using our site and your support! Firstly, there isn’t any overflow parking available at Jumbo Rocks campground. And (depending on size of your 6 person tent), you may be able to squeeze a 1-person tent in the campging area for site #15. It is rather small – but you may be able to make it work.
No worries, and thanks! It all worked out great, we had to pitch the tents fairly close together but that was only for the last night and we’re family so we didn’t mind. It was a beautiful site, we had a blast!
Looking for any help on choosing the best site for a roof top tent and awning extending from side of 4runner. I looked at site 83 but wishing there wouldn’t be rocks where my awning would be. Any sites that vehicle can be very close and awning can fit? Thanks 🙏
Hi, just wondering how far is the parking to site 64 and 66?
Hi Jamie,
Jumbo Rock campsites #64 and #66 are about 55-70 feet from the parking area.
Thanks for the details on the site. If we are in need of extra parking, and since there is no overflow, can we reserve extra sites to use for parking? Do you know if that would be an issue for this campsite? Appreciate any insight.
Hi Eli,
Yes – you can reserve extra campsites to park your (extra) vehicles.
Any insight on #71 on if it fits 3 tents and Does it fit 2 cars? Thanks in advance!
HI Lyndsay,
Campsite #71 can have up to 2 vehicles and 6 people. It can also accommodate a larger RV/trailer (up to 36 feet), as one of the vehicles. The tent camping area is fairly large – you can fit a large tent (9×12) and a couple of small tents. The number of tents that fit all depends on the sizes of the tents, but you can fit 2-3 at the site. Have a great time out there at Jumbo Rocks!
Hi! How is site 27? How far is it from the other sites around it?
Hi Max,
Jumbo Rocks campsite #27 is one of our favorites because it’s large, flat and away from your camping neighbors. I’d say the closest campsite (#28) is about 100 feet away and you have some boulders between sites.
Hi, I just picked up site #053 that opened up last min. It says 1 vehicle, tent only, and “hike in” but we’ve got a small truck camper (that sits in the bed of the pickup truck). Will we be able to park in the site?
Hi Kay,
The “hike in” is not that far – maybe 60 feet, and yes you can park and sleep in your truck camper in the parking spot for #53. With that said, the length of the parking spot is 13 feet so you’ll need to make sure your small truck camper fits in the spot.
Hi
Any insight on site 16
I booked It and then saw some reviews about how smelly it is due to proximity to the restroom and also there’s an abundance of bees in the bushes next to restroom.
It will be me and my husband and our 1 year old and 10 year old. So just a tad worried now
Hi Sam,
Campsite #16 is one of our favorites at Jumbo Rocks campground. It’s large, flat and has some decent privacy (away from other sites and a nice ‘rock wall’ behind it). It’s about 40-50 feet from the toilets and about 60-70 feet from the trash area. It could be smelly, depending on how the wind blows. As for the bees – they come and go, so not sure what they’ll be like when you get there.
Good morning! We have site 86 reserved we have a 26′ travel trailer and I’m not sure that our tow vehicle will fit in the space. Is there another spot where we can park it? Thanks!
Hi Don,
Site #86 is pretty nice with a parallel parking area of 32 feet in length. Might be a bit more room depending on what vehicles are parking in neighboring spots. Slight chance you can detach towing vehicle and angle it a bit (although they do want all wheels on paved parking surface). Unfortunately there is not any overflow parking at or near Jumbo Rocks. An alternative would be to get another site (for towing vehicle) if a site is available.
Hi there! Thank you for all the wonderful photos and advice. We are coming for the first time this summer and I’m already nervous (but excited!) and researching like crazy. Trying to decide between campsites 64 or 113 for tent camping with a family. We have kids who love to climb and explore and a grumpy husband who isn’t a fan of camping who would like to be away from noise and people. Which site would you go with?? Thank you!
Hi Whitney,
Super excited about your upcoming camping trip to Joshua Tree NP / Jumbo Rocks. You’ve picked out two of our favorite campsites. We chose them because they have some good privacy (room between neighbors), are relatively flat with larger camping areas, and because they have those JUMBO rocks to climb on. I’d choose #113 over #64 because it is more private, a bit larger and its backyard includes a large boulder field to climb on and explore. #113 may be the best for tent camping. There is a bit of a walk from the parking area (75 feet – see pic) and the stroll does go by another campsite, but once at your site it’ll just be you, your family, the rocks and the stars to enjoy. For either site I recommend bringing a shade canopy as it’ll be warm in the summer and both sites don’t have any shade. Have a great time!
Hello! Ill be coming from the east coast for 2 nights & needed recommendations for a campsite! I currently have site 106 reserved in October. I will be Car camping in a minivan that has a side awning. I was looking for the best campsite with a private area, close to rocks and a place that won’t have smaller rocks in the way of the awning. If that’s not achievable, I’ll rent a tent and/or a small popup
Hi Marg,
You should really like Joshua Tree National Park in October! Your campsite description sounds like most of the campsites at Jumbo Rocks. We’re not intimately familiar with every site and don’t have anyone on location to check, but I would recommend browsing the campsite photos to get an idea. I think several of our ‘favorite Jumbo Rock campsites’ may work for you including 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 87, 88, 89, among others.