Joshua Tree Entrances and Fees

Joshua Tree National Park has three main entrances, four visitor centers and a simple fee system, but the gate you choose can make a big difference on a busy weekend. Here is how they work, what entry costs in 2026, and which way to go from the house in Yucca Valley. Fees and hours change, so check nps.gov/jotr before you go.

The three entrances

West Entrance. Five miles south of the junction of Highway 62 and Park Boulevard in Joshua Tree village. It's the closest gate to Yucca Valley, the quickest way to Hidden Valley, Barker Dam and Keys View, and the busiest entrance in the park.
North Entrance. In Twentynine Palms, three miles south of the junction of Highway 62 and Utah Trail. The park recommends it, along with the south entrance, for the fastest entry and exit on busy days.
South Entrance. Near Cottonwood Spring, off Interstate 10 about 25 miles east of Indio. The Cottonwood Visitor Center is about 7 miles north of the freeway on Pinto Basin Road.

The park puts the North Entrance about 25 miles east of the West Entrance. Three smaller corners have their own dead-end roads that don't connect to the main park roads: Black Rock Canyon, reached from Yucca Valley, and Indian Cove and Fortynine Palms Oasis, both off Highway 62 east of Joshua Tree village.

Which entrance to use from the house

Most days, use the West Entrance. It's about 25 minutes from the house, through Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree village and up Park Boulevard.

The exception is a busy day. The park's busiest times are weekends and holidays from October through May, and spring break season from March to mid-April. On those days the West Entrance has the longest line. In past springs the park warned that waits there could reach two hours. A rebuilt West Entrance station was finished in February 2026 with two inbound lanes and a bypass lane in each direction, built to cut those waits, but the park's own page for the station still warns of long lines there and suggests the North Entrance instead. Three things help:

Go early. The park's advice is to arrive before 8am.
Have your pass already. The park says buying ahead reduces the wait at the entrance stations.
Use the North Entrance. From the house it's about 45 minutes east along Highway 62. The park puts it 25 miles from the West Entrance and says switching adds under 20 minutes of driving.

A good full-day loop is to go in through the West Entrance early, cross the park, and leave by the North Entrance, then come home along Highway 62 through Twentynine Palms. The South Entrance rarely makes sense from Yucca Valley, since the Cottonwood Visitor Center is roughly two hours from the house. Use it if you're already on Interstate 10, or if Cottonwood Spring and Mastodon Peak are the main goal.

Visitor centers

The park has four visitor centers. All four have flush toilets and a bookstore. Passes are sold at the Joshua Tree, Joshua Tree National Park and Cottonwood centers; ask before counting on one at Black Rock. The hours below are what the park lists now; they change with the season and with staffing.

Joshua Tree Visitor Center. 6554 Park Boulevard in Joshua Tree village, on the way to the West Entrance. Open 7:30am to 5pm, with a cafe and flush toilets.
Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center. 6533 Freedom Way in downtown Twentynine Palms, near the North Entrance. Open 8am to 5pm, with flush toilets, a water bottle filling station and EV charging. It replaced the Oasis Visitor Center, which closed in May 2022 after 60 years. Park headquarters and the paved Oasis of Mara loop are in the same town, but flood damage closed the loop in September 2025 and parts of it have stayed closed, so check the park's alerts before you go.
Cottonwood Visitor Center. On Pinto Basin Road about 7 miles north of Interstate 10. Open 8:30am to 4pm, with water, flush toilets and picnic tables.
Black Rock Nature Center. Inside Black Rock Campground at 9800 Black Rock Canyon Road, Yucca Valley. Open 8am to 4pm with a break from 11am to noon. In summer (June 1 to late August) it opens Thursday through Sunday only, 9am to 4pm. Water, flush toilets and a picnic area. It's the closest park facility to the house, roughly 20 to 25 minutes away.

Entrance fees and passes

These are the prices on the park's fee page in 2026. Park fees have gone up before and can change again, so treat them as a guide and check nps.gov/jotr before you go.

Private vehicle. $30 for 7 days, covering a single non-commercial vehicle. Seven days means the day you buy it plus the next six.
Motorcycle. $25 for 7 days.
On foot or by bicycle. $15 per person for 7 days, for ages 16 and up. Children under 16 don't need a pass.
Joshua Tree Annual Pass. $55, good for 12 months from the month you buy it. For US citizens and residents.
America the Beautiful Annual Pass. $80 for US residents and $250 for non-residents, covering national parks and other federal recreation sites for a year.
Seniors 62 and over. $20 for an annual pass or $80 for a lifetime pass.
Free passes. Military annual and lifetime passes, the Access Pass for people with a permanent disability, and the 4th Grade Pass.

Visitors from outside the US: as of 2026, Joshua Tree is not one of the 11 parks that charge non-residents an extra $100 per person, so the standard fees above apply. Fee-free days in 2026 are for US citizens and residents only; the two left this year are October 27 and November 11. The list is reset every year.

Where to buy a pass

You can buy a pass on Recreation.gov at no extra cost. The park asks you to print it or save it to your phone before you arrive, because cell service in the park is very limited. The North and West entrance stations take cards only. The Joshua Tree, Joshua Tree National Park and Cottonwood visitor centers take cash or card.

Two places in Yucca Valley also sell passes, according to the park: the California Welcome Center at 56711 Twentynine Palms Highway and the Joshua Tree National Park Association's West Park Store at 55922 Twentynine Palms Highway. Picking one up the afternoon before means one less thing to do at the gate.

Reservations and busy days

As of 2026 there is no reservation or timed-entry system to enter Joshua Tree. The park is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and you can drive in and out at any time; when an entrance station isn't staffed, the road stays open. Campgrounds are separate, and most sites need a reservation. See our guide to camping in Joshua Tree.

On busy days, parking is what fills up. The park says popular lots may close temporarily once they're full, naming Hidden Valley, Barker Dam, Keys View, Split Rock and Lost Horse Mine. Weekdays are quieter than weekends. Entrances also close now and then for construction or weather, so check the park's alerts on the morning you go. There are no gas stations, restaurants or stores inside the park, so fill the tank and pack food and water in Yucca Valley or Joshua Tree first.

Know before you go

Closest gate. The West Entrance, about 25 minutes from the house.
Busy-day gate. The North Entrance in Twentynine Palms, about 45 minutes from the house.
Cost. Around $30 per vehicle for 7 days in 2026. Confirm on nps.gov/jotr.
Pass ahead. Buy on Recreation.gov and save it offline, or pick one up in Yucca Valley.
Payment. The North and West entrance stations are card only.
No timed entry. No reservation needed to drive in, as of 2026.
Hours. The park never closes; visitor center hours vary by season.
Supplies. No gas, food or water for sale inside the park.

For help putting a first visit together, start with planning a trip to Joshua Tree. When you're ready, check dates at the house, 25 minutes from the West Entrance.