itOpened Guides · Joshua Tree National Park
How to actually get a site at Cottonwood Group — the verified facts, the release reality, and the cancellation route in.
Watch it with itOpened
Proof, from our own scanners: 673 confirmed openings across 34 campgrounds since Oct 29, 2026 — each one re-verified before logging. See the live cancellation index.
Watch Cottonwood GroupFree to start. We never book, hold, or resell — you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. Fees pay for monitoring; openings are first-come and cannot be guaranteed.
Overview 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. It is one of three group campgrounds in the park and the only campground that lies in the southern section. To get the most out of your visit Plan Like a Park Ranger Travelers who enjoy warm, dry winters flock to Joshua Tree from October through May, when temperatures reach between 70 to 90-degrees during the day and drop to 40 to 60-degrees at night. Summer is the park's off-season due to the uncomfortably high desert heat.
| Total sites | 3 |
|---|---|
| Site types | Group |
| Site mix (directory count) | Group 3 |
| Area | Joshua Tree National Park |
| Managed by | National Park Service |
| Nearest community | Twentynine Palms, CA |
| Activities | Camping, Day Use Area, Hiking, Interpretive Programs, Picnicking |
| Directory phone | 760-367-5554 |
| Official listing | Recreation.gov campground page |
| Book through | Recreation.gov |
Cottonwood Group is reserved through Recreation.gov, on the release pattern stated in its official listing. In demand, reservable sites are claimed within minutes of each release — which is why the campground reads as sold out for most of the year, and why the realistic route in is rarely the release itself.
Sites booked months ahead get cancelled as trips fall through, and each cancellation returns its nights to the official calendar instantly — first-come, no waitlist, no announcement. itOpened scans the Recreation.gov calendar for Cottonwood Group around the clock; when a site matching your dates and vehicle opens, you get a text with a direct link, and you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. We never book, hold, or resell. The mechanics are the same ones documented in how campsite cancellations actually work.
Watch more than one calendar. These nearby or same-area campgrounds take the same trip — and their cancellations are independent chances:
| Jumbo Rocks Campground | 124 sites · same area |
|---|---|
| Indian Cove Campground | 114 sites · same area |
| Black Rock Campground | 99 sites · same area |
| Cottonwood Campground (Ca) | 62 sites · same area |
| Ryan Campground | 37 sites · same area |
Full directory facts and sibling campgrounds: Cottonwood Group campground page · Joshua Tree National Park park page.
Watch it with itOpened
Proof, from our own scanners: 673 confirmed openings across 34 campgrounds since Oct 29, 2026 — each one re-verified before logging. See the live cancellation index.
Watch Cottonwood GroupFree to start. We never book, hold, or resell — you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. Fees pay for monitoring; openings are first-come and cannot be guaranteed.
Every figure in this article traces to one of the sources above. If a number isn't sourced, we don't print it.
Last updated 2026-10-30.