Touring Southern California's National Parks

In the United States, there are sixty-two national parks, each unique in landscape, features, waterways, and plants and wildlife. Of these sixty-two parks, nine reside in the beautiful state of California. Some are found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, while others are found in the desert and still others along the scenic coastline. Three of these magnificent national parks are in Southern California, and the winter and early spring seasons can be the best times to visit these lovely places. Traveling here in your RV only adds to the enjoyment, so buckle up and let’s take a tour of the national parks of SoCal.

1. Joshua Tree

Less than three hours from Los Angeles or under an hour from Palm Springs, you can find Joshua Tree National Park. This park marks the rare intersection of both the Mojave and Colorado Deserts in a land that was once sculpted by heavy rains and strong winds. Driving through the park, visitors will encounter lots of mountains, rock structures, desert cactuses and plants, abundant wildlife, and, of course, the park’s namesake Joshua trees. These wacky trees are rather rare, being found only in parts of southern Nevada, southern California, small sections of Arizona and Utah. Their odd shape and structure makes them look like something from a Dr. Seuss book, but they have actually been around for thousands of years.

Driving through the park, visitors can see entire fields of Joshua trees, and these are what many folks picture when they think of Joshua Tree National Park. However, there is much more to do here than meets the eye. Between the hiking, rock climbing, biking, backpacking, stargazing, birding, photography opportunities, camping and more, there is no shortage of things to see and do on any trip to Joshua Tree. Since the park has nine excellent campgrounds to choose from, visiting in your RV is easier than ever.

Camping

Of Joshua Tree’s nine campgrounds, four are reservable, and five operate on a first come, first-served (FCFS) basis. All campgrounds besides Hidden Valley and White Tank permit RVs up to thirty-five feet in length. Hidden Valley and White Tank permit RVs up to twenty-five feet in length. Camping is reasonably-priced, and most campgrounds are closed from May through September, so winter and spring are the best times to visit. Be sure to book ahead of time if you want to stay in a reservable campground, or arrive early in the day to choose a campsite at an FCFS campground.