Openings · last 7 days
4
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 4 site openings here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-232471
When Cottonwood Group reopens
Cottonwood Group's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
5
Openings · last 90 days
5
Only 5 openings in the last 90 days: not enough recent activity for a reliable pattern. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027 · of 3 monitored sites
Of the 549 tracked site-nights (Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027): 317 open for online reservation · 232 reserved.
Where the open windows are
42.3% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 317 of 549 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027Not open online42.3%
Open site-nights317 / 549
Reserved (of online inventory)232 / 549
Weekday openings243
Weekend openings74
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 243 fall on weekdays and 74 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Mar 2027December holds the most room. 71 of 93 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 3 sites| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open | |
| Thanksgiving | THU Nov 26 | 0 | None open |
| FRI Nov 27 | 0 | None open | |
| SAT Nov 28 | 1 | Open | |
| Christmas | THU Dec 24 | 3 | Open |
| FRI Dec 25 | 3 | Open | |
| New Year | THU Dec 31 | 2 | Open |
| FRI Jan 1 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night. Thanksgiving: no site is currently available for the complete three-night stay. Thursday and Friday have no online availability; individual Saturday night remains open. Christmas: 3 sites are available for the complete two-night stay. New Year: no site is currently available for the complete two-night stay. Friday has no online availability; individual Thursday night remains open.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| G01 | 119 |
| G02 | 99 |
| G03 | 99 |
The 3 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateFri · Sep 18
Next open weekendFri · Sep 18
The next bookable night is Sep 18; the first open weekend starts Sep 18. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
317 open site-nights across 3 sites at Cottonwood Group, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 64 2-night, 56 3-night, 5 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 18 at site G03.
All 3 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G01 | Not recorded | None | 119 | 12 nights | Sep 18, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 4 +107 more |
| G02 | Not recorded | None | 99 | 10 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 5 +87 more |
| G03 | Not recorded | None | 99 | 12 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4 +87 more |
About Cottonwood Group
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. Cottonwood Group Campground is at an elevation of 3,000 ft. and has little shade from vegetation; however, there are picnic shelters that provide shade at each site.
Recreation
Stargazing and wildflower viewing are among the most popular activities at this facility. Several hiking trails leave from the campground and several more trailheads are within a 1-2 hour drive.
Facilities
There are three group sites, each with a picnic shelter. There are no electrical hookups, and RVs and habitable trailers are prohibited. Drinking water and flush toilets are provided.
Natural Features
The landscape around Cottonwood is that of the Colorado Desert, which encompasses the southern edge of the park and a large portion of Southern California. Rather than being surrounded by large rock formations and uniquely-shaped Joshua trees, like campgrounds in the northern section, this facility overlooks flat, open-desert shrubland. It is also further from towns or cities that would contribute light pollution. As a result, it offers wide, dark and uninterrupted views of the night sky that draw astronomers and amateur sky watchers alike.
Cottonwood is at a lower elevation than other campgrounds within the park, so desert wildflowers begin to bloom earlier in the spring than in other locations. Flowering occurs anytime between the beginning of February to the end of March; timing varies depending on the amount of winter precipitation and the arrival of warm temperatures.
Nearby Attractions
The General Patton Memorial Museum, a U.S. military history museum, is just over 12 miles away in the town of Chiriaco.
3 monitored sitesNo hookups3 shadedPets OKFire pitsMax party 25
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.
74485 National Park Dr, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277760-367-5554
CampingDay Use AreaHikingInterpretive ProgramsPicnicking
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-232471 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-232471 · Cottonwood Group · Twentynine Palms CA7 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Cottonwood Group?
Reservations for Cottonwood Group are made through Recreation.gov. 317 of 549 tracked site-nights are currently open (57.7%). Campsite Sniper has also detected 5 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 16:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at Cottonwood Group?
Campsite Sniper detected 4 site-date openings at Cottonwood Group in the last 7 days, 5 over 30 days and 5 over the last 90.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Cottonwood Group?
56 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 18 at site G03. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which month has the most availability at Cottonwood Group?
December 2026, with 71 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 93.
When is the next open date at Cottonwood Group?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Fri, Sep 18 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 18. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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