Do I need a reservation for Joshua Tree?

No. Joshua Tree National Park does not require a timed-entry or vehicle reservation to enter in 2026. You still pay the entrance fee ($30 per vehicle) or show an accepted pass.

Is there an entrance fee at Joshua Tree?

Yes. A private vehicle pass is $30 per vehicle. An America the Beautiful pass is accepted for the entrance fee, and does not cover any reservation or permit.

Joshua Tree reservations & entry requirements, 2026

The 2026 season at Joshua Tree

This is what applies across the published season. Use the date checker below for a specific day.

No reservation is required to enter Joshua Tree National Park in 2026.

An entrance fee or accepted pass is required on every visit, separately from anything below.

Park entrance
Required
You must pay the park entrance fee or show an accepted pass.
- Private vehicle: $30, valid for 7 days.
- Motorcycle: $25.
- Per person on foot or bicycle: $15.
- An America the Beautiful pass covers this entrance fee. It does not cover any reservation or permit below.
- $30 private vehicle / $25 motorcycle (up to 2 motorcycles, 4 people) / $15 per person on foot or bicycle, all valid 7 days. Children 15 and under are exempt. The $55 Joshua Tree Annual Pass is valid 12 months from the month of purchase. Digital passes on Recreation.gov cost no extra but must be printed or saved to a device before arriving — cell service in the park is limited or non-existent.
Timed entry
Not required
Nothing here is required in 2026.
- No timed entry, no vehicle reservation, no entry reservation of any kind. Reservations ARE required in most campgrounds and for Keys Ranch tours — but never to enter the park. Entire park, all three entrances
Vehicle, road, or corridor
Not required
Nothing here is required in 2026.
- Park open year round; some campgrounds close in summer and a campfire ban runs June 15 - October 1. The park itself and its roads do not close seasonally; Hidden Valley Campground is open year-round. Individual road, trail, campground and backcountry closures are published on the park's live closure map, not as fixed dates.
Shuttle
Not applicable
Joshua Tree National Park has no shuttle system.
Your campground or lodging
Required all year
Campground reservations apply on every date in 2026.
- Campground reservations
  Dates
  Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
  Hours
  All day
  Fee
  $35
  Opens
  Rolling window
  Applies to Reservation required: Indian Cove, Black Rock, Jumbo Rocks, Ryan, Cottonwood, Sheep Pass Group, Cottonwood Group, Indian Cove Group. First-come, first-served: Hidden Valley, Belle, White Tank.
  - $35 per night at Black Rock, Cottonwood, Indian Cove and Jumbo Rocks; $30 at Ryan; $25 at the first-come, first-served campgrounds (Hidden Valley, Belle, White Tank). Group sites accommodate 10-60 people and are bookable up to 6 months ahead.
  - Hidden Valley, White Tank and Belle Campgrounds are first-come, first-served and require no reservation.
  - White Tank and Belle temporarily close during the summer; Hidden Valley is open year-round.
  - Ryan Campground's equestrian sites are closed in the summer months.
  - A campground reservation does not include the park entrance fee, and there is no entry reservation for it to cover.
Book on recreation.gov(opens in a new tab)
Selected activity
Not required
Nothing here is required in 2026.
- Keys Ranch guided walking tour ticket (advance reservation required, October - May only). Not required to enter the park. All other ranger programs are free and need no reservation. Tours are typically held from October - May and are not available during the hot summer months.

Fees and passes

Entrance fee rates at Joshua Tree National Park
Private vehicle	$30
Motorcycle	$25
Per person, on foot or bicycle	$15
Valid for	7 days
Park annual pass	$55

$30 private vehicle / $25 motorcycle (up to 2 motorcycles, 4 people) / $15 per person on foot or bicycle, all valid 7 days. Children 15 and under are exempt. The $55 Joshua Tree Annual Pass is valid 12 months from the month of purchase. Digital passes on Recreation.gov cost no extra but must be printed or saved to a device before arriving — cell service in the park is limited or non-existent.

An America the Beautiful pass is accepted here. It covers the entrance fee only. It does not cover a timed-entry permit, a vehicle reservation, a parking tag, a shuttle ticket, or an activity permit.

An America the Beautiful / federal interagency pass covers the entrance fee. There is no entry reservation for it to cover. It does NOT cover campground fees or Keys Ranch tour tickets — the park states 'These tour fees do not include the park entrance fee' and lists camping as a separate activity fee. Joshua Tree is NOT one of the 11 parks charging the new $100 non-U.S.-resident fee.

Fee-free days

Feb 16, 2026
May 25, 2026
Jun 14, 2026
Jul 3, 2026
Jul 4, 2026
Jul 5, 2026
Aug 25, 2026
Sep 17, 2026
Oct 27, 2026
Nov 11, 2026

From 2026 a fee-free day waives the entrance fee for U.S. residents. Other visitors still pay it. A fee-free day never waives a reservation, a permit, or a booking fee unless the park says so.

Rules that apply to one area only

These do not apply to the whole park. Where you go changes the answer.

Reservation required: Indian Cove, Black Rock, Jumbo Rocks, Ryan, Cottonwood, Sheep Pass Group, Cottonwood Group, Indian Cove Group. First-come, first-served: Hidden Valley, Belle, White Tank.Campground reservations (required at most campgrounds; three are first-come, first-served) · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026

What a campground or lodging booking does and does not cover

Joshua Tree entrance fee (7-day pass)Not covered by an in-park booking. A campground reservation does not include the park entrance fee; camping fees are listed separately as activity fees.
Campground reservations (required at most campgrounds; three are first-come, first-served)Not covered by an in-park booking. A campground reservation does not include the park entrance fee, and there is no entry reservation for it to cover.

Quick answers

Do I need a reservation for Joshua Tree?: No. Joshua Tree National Park does not require a timed-entry or vehicle reservation to enter in 2026. You still pay the entrance fee ($30 per vehicle) or show an accepted pass.
Is there an entrance fee at Joshua Tree?: Yes. A private vehicle pass is $30 per vehicle. An America the Beautiful pass is accepted for the entrance fee, and does not cover any reservation or permit.

Official links, coverage, and sources

When reservations are released

Joshua Tree entrance feePasses are sold on demand at entrance stations, visitor centers, several local vendors, and digitally on Recreation.gov. Nothing sells out and nothing is released on a schedule. Digital passes must be printed or saved offline before arriving — cell service is limited or non-existent inside the park.
Campground reservationsReleased on a rolling window. Reservations can be made the same day or up to 6 months in advance on Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. The park does not publish a daily clock time for the rolling release. First-come sites must be paid within one hour of set-up at an entrance station; card only.

Official booking and park information

Book Campground reservationsrecreation.gov(opens in a new tab)$35 booking fee
Official park alerts and conditionsnps.gov(opens in a new tab)Alerts override anything on this page.
Official fees and passesnps.gov(opens in a new tab)

What this does not cover

Road, weather, and fire closures that change day to day. Check the park’s alerts page.
Backcountry and wilderness permits beyond the headline permits listed above.
Commercial use authorizations, filming permits, and group-size rules.
Availability. We tell you what is required, not whether anything is left.
Individual campsite and lodge availability, which is handled by the booking system.

Effective dates and sources

Fees and passesNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Park entrancePrivate Vehicle $30.00 — 7-day vehicle permit, admitting the passengers of a single, non-commercial vehicle on the day of purchase and for the next six days. ... Motorcycle $25.00 Valid for 7 days. ... Per Person $15.00 7-day entrance fee, per person on foot or bike.
Fees & Passes - Joshua Tree National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Joshua Tree entrance feeVisitors have multiple entrance fee and pass options depending on how they arrive and if they are part of a commercial tour group or not. The most common entrance fee is the Private Vehicle Pass, valid for 7 days. This covers the cost for anyone who is riding in the vehicle.
Permits & Reservations - Joshua Tree National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to No timed entry, no vehicle reservationNo advance reservations are needed to enter Joshua Tree National Park. To enter the park, visitors will need to buy or show an entrance pass.
Campgrounds - Joshua Tree National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Campground reservationsThe majority of the 500 campsites in the park are available by reservation. Reservations can be made the same day or up to 6 months in advance and can be booked on recreation.gov. Book your site before entering the park. Cell service is very limited in Joshua Tree National Park.
Keys Ranch Guided Walking Tour - Joshua Tree National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Keys Ranch guided walking tour ticketTickets are required and can be reserved ahead of time on Recreation.gov. Keys Ranch tours cost $20 per person for visitors aged 12 and over, while children between the ages of 4 and 11 cost $10. ... These tour fees do not include the park entrance fee.
Campgrounds - Joshua Tree National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Park open year roundSummer Status: While reservation campgrounds are typically open year-round, partial or full closures may occur during the summer months. An annual campfire ban will be in effect from June 15 until October 1. ... White Tank Campground and Belle Campground temporarily close during the summer.

Something wrong here?

Park rules change, sometimes at short notice. If a line on this page does not match what the park publishes, tell us and we will fix it and re-check the source.

corrections@nationalparkentry.com· Last factual change 2026-08-05 · Sources last reviewed 2026-07-26

Nearest other national parks

Chosen by distance from Joshua Tree, not by editorial preference.

Joshua Tree National Park entry requirements