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Joshua Tree Wilderness Backpacking Permit
Required for every overnight backpacking trip in Joshua Tree. Pick the trailhead you park at, then camp at large in a zone or in one of the 14 designated Boy Scout Trail sites.
“Sleep inside the Wonderland of Rocks with nothing but granite domes and Joshua trees between you and the horizon, on a permit most people never think to pull.”
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Be notified instantly when Joshua Tree Wilderness permits become available due to cancellations.
Get availability alerts
Be notified instantly when Joshua Tree Wilderness permits become available due to cancellations.
Joshua Tree Wilderness Quick Facts
Joshua Tree Wilderness Permit Facts
- As of August 2026, Joshua Tree Wilderness in Joshua Tree National Park, National Parks requires a permit issued via reservation.
- The permit season for Joshua Tree Wilderness runs October 1 through May 31.
- The Joshua Tree Wilderness route covers 8 miles with 1,100 feet of elevation gain with rated moderate.
- Cancelled Joshua Tree Wilderness permits are re-released on the booking system; PermitSnag monitors availability and alerts watchers when dates open.
Key Information
Key Dates
Permit Details
Pro Tips
- •Book a Boy Scout site that matches your group. Site caps run 4, 7 and 12 people and rangers ask you not to take a large site for a small party.
- •Put your planned itinerary in the comments box. Rangers use it if you are reported overdue.
- •Pine City is the only at-large zone with an advance cap, at two permits a night, so treat it like a designated site.
- •Download the NPS app maps before you drive in. Cell service inside the park is close to nothing.
What to Expect
Route Details
Highlights
- •14 at-large zones where you choose your own low-impact site, plus 14 designated sites along the Boy Scout Trail
- •Zero natural water. Plan on at least one gallon per person per day
- •13 backcountry trailheads with registration boards, and no parking permit needed
- •Cold nights. The high desert drops far below what the daytime suggests
- •Almost no company. Millions visit the park and very few sleep out
Best Time to Visit
October through May. Summer daytime heat in the Colorado Desert side of the park makes carrying two days of water genuinely dangerous.
Hazards & Considerations
- !No reliable natural water anywhere in the park
- !Sharp temperature swings between afternoon and 3am
- !Cholla and catclaw along wash routes
- !Route finding in zones with no maintained trail
- !Abandoned mine shafts scattered across the backcountry
- !Flash flooding in washes during summer monsoon storms
How to Get This Permit
Create a Recreation.gov account
Sign up at Recreation.gov if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.
Know the release schedule
Permits typically release on a rolling basis. Check the specific release time for your desired dates.
Be ready when permits drop
Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.
Monitor for cancellations
If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.
When to Go
Conditions
Warm and often windy. Wildflowers in good years.
Crowd Level
ExtremeAdvantages
- +Wildflower bloom
- +Long daylight
Challenges
- !Wind
- !Spring break crowds
- !Heat builds fast after April
Difficulty Assessment
Fitness and endurance required
Climbing, scrambling, or specialized skills
Steep dropoffs and fall potential
Route finding and trail clarity
Difficulty of bailing out mid-route
Best For
Backpackers willing to carry all their water and comfortable picking a campsite without a numbered post.
Recommended Experience
One prior overnight where you carried all your own water. Off-trail navigation helps in the at-large zones.
Not Recommended For
Anyone who wants a water source on route, or who is not prepared for near-freezing nights after an 80F afternoon.
About This Permit
Joshua Tree requires a wilderness backpacking permit for every overnight trip. Day hikers do not need one. The park splits its backcountry into 14 at-large zones plus the Boy Scout Trail, where camping is limited to 14 designated sites to keep the heaviest-used corridor from being trampled.
Recreation.gov opens permits six months ahead of your entry date, and online same day permits stay available until 11:59pm on the day you leave. One $6 permit covers 1 to 12 people. The entry and exit picker asks which backcountry trailhead you will park at, not where you intend to sleep.
The Experience
Why It Matters
Joshua Tree gets millions of day visitors and a tiny fraction of them stay out overnight. The park limits camping only along the Boy Scout Trail and in the Pine City Zone. Everywhere else you pick your own low-impact spot, which makes this one of the last big western parks where at-large desert camping is still the default rather than the exception.
The Route
The Boy Scout Trail is the classic overnight. It runs about eight miles between Indian Cove on the north boundary and the Keys West backcountry board on Park Boulevard, dropping off the high desert plateau through the western edge of the Wonderland of Rocks.
Heading north to south you climb steadily out of Indian Cove through washes and boulder gardens, passing the designated campsites that line the middle of the trail. The 14 numbered sites are the only legal camping in this zone, and each has its own group size cap, so booking a site that actually fits your party matters.
Everywhere else in the park the model flips. Pick one of the 13 backcountry trailheads to park at, pick the zone you want, and then camp wherever you like inside it as long as you are a mile from a backcountry trailhead, half a mile from a road, and 200 feet off any trail.
The Feeling
Ten minutes past the trailhead the road noise stops and the boulder piles start swallowing sound. By dusk the granite is the color of a peach and the Joshua trees throw shadows twenty feet long. Nights are quiet in a way that is hard to describe and cold in a way that surprises people who drove in from Palm Springs.
Trailhead Information
Indian Cove Backcountry Board
North end of the Boy Scout Trail. The usual start for a one night trip to the designated sites.
Before you rely on this water
No water at the backcountry board. Natural sources in the park are rare and are protected biological resources. Carry a gallon per person per day.
Parking
No parking permit needed for overnight vehicles at any of the 13 backcountry trailheads. Two vehicles per permit.
Getting There
Off Highway 62 between Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms, then south on Indian Cove Road.
Nearest Services
Twentynine Palms has fuel, groceries and the park permit office at 74485 National Park Blvd.
Boy Scout (Keys West) Backcountry Board
South end of the Boy Scout Trail on Park Boulevard.
Before you rely on this water
No water. Fill in town before you drive in.
Parking
Backcountry board parking on Park Boulevard. Vehicles must be parked at a board, not on the shoulder.
Getting There
Park Boulevard between the West Entrance and Jumbo Rocks. Paved the whole way.
Nearest Services
Joshua Tree village, about 20 minutes from the West Entrance.
Pine City Backcountry Trailhead
Access for the Pine City Zone, the only at-large zone with an advance quota.
Before you rely on this water
No water. This is the driest side of the park.
Parking
Small lot at the end of the Pine City road off Park Boulevard.
Getting There
Graded dirt spur off Park Boulevard near Jumbo Rocks. Passable in a normal car in dry weather.
Nearest Services
Twentynine Palms, about 30 minutes north.
Rules & Regulations
- •A wilderness backpacking permit is required for all overnight backpacking. Day use visitors do not register
- •Along the Boy Scout Trail you must camp in one of the 14 designated campsites, one campsite per group
- •At-large camping must be 1 mile from any backcountry trailhead, half a mile from a legally open road, and 200 feet off a trail
- •Camping in or near rock shelters or in designated day-use only areas is prohibited
- •Backpacking is limited to 3 consecutive nights in one campsite or zone, no more than 14 days in a season, and 30 days per year
- •Two vehicles per permit, and one permit is valid for 1 to 12 people
Gear Checklist
Required
- At least a gallon of water per person per day, carried in
- A real winter sleeping bag. High desert nights run far colder than the days
- Headlamp with spare batteries
- Navigation you can use off trail, because many zones have no maintained trails
- Park entrance pass, physical or digital, to access any backcountry trailhead
Recommended
- Trekking poles for sandy wash walking
- A ground cloth that survives granite and cholla
- Downloaded NPS app maps, since there is little cell service inside the park
- Long tweezers for cholla spines
Plan Your Trip
Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for Joshua Tree Wilderness
Shuttle Services
Trailhead transportation options
Browse all shuttlesGuide Services
Experienced wilderness guides
Browse all guidesSome links may be affiliate links. Purchases support PermitSnag at no extra cost to you.
Key Landmarks
Landmarks (6)
Safety & Planning
Joshua Tree Wilderness FAQ
How do I get a Joshua Tree wilderness permit?
Book it on Recreation.gov permit 4675329 up to six months ahead. Online same day permits are available until 11:59pm on the day you leave, and in-person same day permits until 4pm at the permit office at 74485 National Park Blvd in Twentynine Palms.
Do I need a Joshua Tree wilderness permit for a day hike?
No. Only overnight backpacking trips need a permit. Day use visitors do not register.
Where can I camp on a Joshua Tree wilderness permit?
Along the Boy Scout Trail you must use one of the 14 designated campsites. In every other zone camping is at large as long as you are a mile from a backcountry trailhead, half a mile from a legally open road, and 200 feet off a trail.
How much does a Joshua Tree wilderness permit cost?
A $6 non-refundable reservation fee. One permit is valid for 1 to 12 people. A park entrance pass is required separately.
Is the Joshua Tree wilderness permit hard to get?
Recreation.gov states there is no quota for advance reservations in any zone except the Boy Scout Trail designated sites and the Pine City Zone, which is capped at two advance permits. Boy Scout sites on winter weekends are the ones that go.
👥Community
Trail Conditions
Questions
Trip Reports
Write ReportPhotography Guide
Golden Hour
The last thirty minutes of light on the granite in the Wonderland is the shot. Face east and let the low sun rake the domes.
Best Light
Winter light stays usable most of the day. In spring shoot early, because midday flattens the rock completely.
Beat the Crowds
Start from Indian Cove instead of Keys West. Day hikers overwhelmingly walk south to north and turn around before the campsites.
Classic Shots
- 📍Joshua trees silhouetted against sunset from the Boy Scout Trail
- 📍Granite domes of the Wonderland of Rocks catching first light
- 📍A tent tucked between boulder piles at a numbered site
- 📍Night sky over the high desert, with almost no light dome to the north
Can't Get a Joshua Tree Wilderness Permit?
Consider these alternatives if your preferred dates aren't available.
Death Valley Cottonwood-Marble loop
Similar ExperienceThe other California desert wilderness permit, with actual seasonal springs on route.
Tradeoffs
Longer and needs a 4x4 to reach the trailhead, but you are not carrying every drop.
Great Sand Dunes backcountry
Similar ExperienceAt-large camping beyond a dune ridgeline, on a permit with a published 20 per day cap.
Tradeoffs
Colorado altitude and cold, but the same choose-your-own-site freedom.
Guadalupe Mountains wilderness
Similar ExperienceDesignated desert mountain campgrounds where you also carry all your water.
Tradeoffs
Real trails and 2,000 feet of climbing to every campground.
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