Campground · Joshua Tree National Park
Camp among the boulders, with Arch Rock close at hand.
Overview
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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
White Tank: A Small Camp Beside Arch Rock“White Tank Campground is up ahead, with fifteen sites tucked among rounded granite boulders. It's a good fit if you want to walk from camp to Arch Rock, though day hikers pass through, so don't expect complete privacy.”
Plays as you drive up to White Tank Campground in the Parkwolf Joshua Tree Tour Guide.
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“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
White Tank is a 15-site campground off Pinto Basin Road, where two small dirt loops wind among rounded granite boulders. It is a simple place to camp among the rocks and a useful base for the Arch Rock Nature Trail, whose trailhead sits near the middle of camp. Day hikers also come through, so the road and parking are shared rather than private.
Sites are first-come, first-served: take an open site, mark it with a tent or belongings, then pay at an entrance station within an hour. Sites have dirt parking, a picnic table and a fire ring; some have room for only one vehicle, and vehicle-trailer combinations must be 25 feet or shorter. Bring drinking water, food and firewood: there is no potable water, store, shower or hookup. Vault toilets and trash and recycling collection are available.
The main draw is sleeping beside the rounded granite blocks and walking from camp to the Arch Rock trail. Campers often praise the boulder views and quiet nights, though the same trail access brings daytime visitors past the sites; some report dust and less privacy. Arrive early for the best chance at an open site.
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
EasyArch Rock Trail1.3 mi · 1 hr · 0.4 mi awayA short sandy walk ends at a sculpted granite arch.
EasyDiscovery Trail0.7 mi · 36 min · 2.6 mi awayA short loop through washes, rock slots, and a desert overlook.
EasySkull Rock Nature Trail1.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 2.6 mi awayA short loop to a skull-shaped granite formation
ModerateSplit Rock Loop Trail2.5 mi · 2 hr · 2.8 mi awayA short boulder loop with a Face Rock detour worth the turn.
ChallengingEagle Cliff Mine Trail3.5 mi · 3 hr · 4.4 mi awayA hidden cabin in boulders, reached by a faint desert route
EasyDesert Queen Mine Trail1.5 mi · 1.3 hr · 4.4 mi awayOld mine gear rewards a short desert walk; stay outside the gates.
EasyPine City Trail4 mi · 2.5 hr · 4.4 mi awayA desert walk to pinyons tucked among granite boulders.
EasyLucky Boy Vista Trail2.5 mi · 1.5 hr · 4.4 mi awayAn easy desert walk to mine remains and a wide valley overlook.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayArch RockA natural arch tucked into a maze of sculpted desert boulders.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayHeart RockFind the angle that turns this granite boulder into a desert heart.
Campground · 1.1 mi awayBelle CampgroundEighteen simple sites tucked among Joshua trees and granite boulders.
Picnic area · 2.2 mi awayLive Oak Picnic AreaPicnic tables, boulders to scramble, and a curious old oak.
Campground · 2.5 mi awayJumbo Rocks CampgroundA campsite in a maze of boulders, with stars overhead after dark.Sight · 2.6 mi awaySkull RockA skull-shaped granite boulder makes a memorable roadside pause.
Sight · 2.7 mi awayFace RockA face in the rocks rewards a short spur detour.Sight · 2.8 mi awaySplit RockThe namesake boulder sits at the start of a 2.5-mile desert loop.Parkwolf’s Joshua Tree ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
