Campground · Joshua Tree National Park
Camp among boulders, with a short walk to 1896 ranch ruins.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Joshua Tree Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Joshua Tree National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Joshua Tree audio tourRecorded for this place
Ryan Campground Among the Joshua Trees“Up ahead is Ryan Campground, a small camping base among Joshua trees and granite boulders. Choose it if you want nearby climbing and access to the California Riding and Hiking Trail.”
Plays as you drive up to Ryan Campground in the Parkwolf Joshua Tree Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Ryan Campground is a small, year-round campground in central Joshua Tree, with individual sites tucked among Joshua trees and granite boulders. It makes a practical base for nearby rock formations and hiking: the California Riding and Hiking Trail skirts the campground, and climbers use the surrounding boulders. Individual and equestrian campsites are reservation-only; bicycle sites 32A–32C are first-come, first-served.
Near site 14, the one-mile round-trip Ryan Ranch Trail follows an old ranch road to the remains of J.D. Ryan’s 1896 homestead at the base of Ryan Mountain. Ryan operated Lost Horse Mine. Look for the adobe structure, a fallen windmill and old building materials; leave artifacts where they are.
There is no water, camp store or shower, so arrive with drinking water and firewood. Vault toilets and trash and recycling collection are available, but there are no hookups. Use fires only in designated rings or grills, and don’t gather park vegetation for fuel. Cell service and internet are unavailable; download maps and trip details before you arrive.
Wildlife
129 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
15 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
413 sightingsDesert TortoiseMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
275 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
47 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
32 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Joshua Tree. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateBig Trees Trail6 mi · 3.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayA long out-and-back among some of the park's larger Joshua trees.
EasyRyan Ranch Trail1 mi · 1 hr · 0.4 mi awayAn easy mile to the old adobe ranch and fallen windmill.
EasyCap Rock Nature Trail0.4 mi · 36 min · 0.7 mi awayA quick loop among boulders, Joshua trees, and trail signs.
ModerateStubbe Springs Loop Trail12 mi · 6 hr · 0.7 mi awayA long, sandy desert loop to a green spring valley.
EasyMinerva Hoyt Trail3 mi · 1.5 hr · 1 mi awayJoshua trees and granite on a three-mile Hidden Valley out-and-back.
ChallengingRyan Mountain Trail3 mi · 2 hr · 1.7 mi awayA steady ridge climb to a 360-degree desert panorama
ModeratePaac Kü̱vü̱hü̱’k Trail4.5 mi · 3 hr · 2.1 mi awayA long, exposed traverse through open desert and scattered boulders.
EasyHidden Valley Nature Trail1 mi · 1 hr · 2.2 mi awayA one-mile loop into a rock-walled cattle-rustler hideout.Sight · 0.3 mi awayRyan RanchA short desert walk to the remains of an 1896 adobe homestead.
Sight · 0.7 mi awayCap RockA short boulder loop with a cap-shaped rock beside Joshua trees.
Sight · 0.7 mi awayOyster BarA roadside rock formation with desert views and climbing access.
Sight · 1.2 mi awayRyan MountainClimb through ancient banded rock for a 360-degree summit view.
Sight · 1.2 mi awayHall of HorrorsTwo tight slots tucked into a maze of climbable boulders.
Sight · 1.7 mi awayRyan Mountain Stargazing AreaA no-hike night-sky stop with parking, restroom and trail access.
Picnic area · 2.1 mi awayHidden Valley Picnic AreaA rocky picnic spot that doubles as a designated stargazing stop.
Sight · 2.3 mi awayIntersection RockWatch climbers on 40-plus routes, then roam among the boulders.Parkwolf’s Joshua Tree ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
