Black Rock Campground
9Heads up4 park alerts, one naming this campground · 5 fires, nearest 20 mi
We don’t think it should be. Every campground should hold some sites for whoever drives up.Tell your representative →
- Right now
- Partial Trail Closure of West Side LoopCaution naming this campground · taking bookings
- A night
- $35From, per site
- Sites
- 9994 on recreation.gov
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 13 notices
In the agency’s own words
Download the NPS app prior to visiting the park – trail maps and more! Black Rock Campground lies among one of the thickest Joshua tree forests in Joshua Tree National Park. Its location on the park's northern perimeter makes it a popular rest stop for hikers, birders, horseback riders and RV campers. Black Rock is one of four campgrounds in the national park that requires reservations year-round. To get the most out of your visit, Plan Like a Park Ranger Travelers who enjoy warm, dry winters flock to Joshua Tree from October through May, when temperatures hover between 70 to 90 degrees during the day and drop anywhere between 40 to 60 degrees at night. Summer is the park's off-season due to uncomfortably high desert heat. Black Rock is at an elevation of 4,000 feet and has a mix of both sun and shade. Keep reading
Recreation
There are many great hiking trails around Black Rock, including some with spectacular views of the low desert and high peaks around Palm Springs. Popular rock climbing sites are within a half-hour drive from the campground.
Facilities
The facility is convenient for RV camping, complete with flush toilets and a dump station. There are no hookups. Black Rock is one of two campgrounds in the national park that provides drinking water. There are 99 individual sites in the facility. Showers, laundry and other amenities are available in the town of Yucca Valley five miles away.
Natural Features
The unique shape of Joshua trees and the huge rocks that surround them draw tourists and scientists alike to the national park. Within the Black Rock facility, the surrounding trees form silhouettes against the landscape during sunrise and sunset and display bunches of blooming white flowers in early spring. Campers staying at Black Rock may have the chance to view the elusive desert tortoise, found only in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Visitors may also want to keep their eyes out for more typical desert inhabitants such as lizards, rattlesnakes, scorpions, coyotes, ravens and desert tarantulas during the cooler months of the year. Bobcats and mountain lions do live in the park, however they are rarely seen near humans. Birders may also be pleasantly surprised at the variety of species found around the campground. Contact Info This location is staffed. Please call (760) 367-3001 to speak with local staff.
Charges & Cancellations
Reservation Cancellations & Changes Cancelling a Reservation: Customers may cancel their reservation prior to arrival both on-line and through the call center. A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. Depending on when you cancel in relation to your arrival day, it may be considered a late cancellation (see below). Changing an Existing Reservation: When changes are made prior to the cut-off window: If a customer wants to switch dates that are entirely outside of the original reservation dates, there is a $10 change fee. There is no change fee if a customer extends or shortens a reservation, as long as the change includes dates from the original reservation. If they choose to depart early, they may forfeit the recreation fee for the day of departure. There is no change fee if the customer wants to switch sites that are the same price with the same reservation dates in the same facility. If a reservation is made that includes dates beyond the maximum booking window, that reservation cannot be changed until 18 days have passed from the original booking date. Late Cancellations or Cancellations within the Cut-off Window Individual Campsites: A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. Changes or Cancellations within the Cut-off Window: Once a reservation date has begun, customers cannot change a reservation using the online system or through the Call Center (see below for early departures). If the location is staffed, on-site personnel may or may not be able to assist with changes or cancellations (check with local staff). No-Shows Overnight Facilities: A no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out (noon) time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time (noon) on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night’s recreation fee for a campsite. *Note: the entire reservation will be cancelled for no-shows.
What the agency tells you
Download the NPS app prior to visiting the park – trail maps and more!
Please call 760-367-3001 for Black Rock Canyon Campground information or if you will be arriving the day after your reservation begins.
Reservations are required year round and can be made the same day or up to 6 months in advance.
Everything else this campground posts · 10
No-Shows Overnight Facilities: A no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out (noon) time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time (noon) on the day following the arrival date. A $20.00 service fee and the first night’s recreation fee will be deducted from any refund for unused nights. *Note: the entire reservation will be cancelled for no-shows.
There is no entrance fee at Black Rock, but a separate $30 entrance fee is required in the main part of the park. Passes can be purchased ahead of time here
The park allows six people, two vehicles and three tents per site, however, some sites are small and may not accommodate the maximum number of people and vehicles. See Site Details for specifics.There is no overflow parking. Trailers count as a vehicle.
There are no electric, water or sewer hook-ups available at individual campsites; a dump station is located nearby. Flush toilets and potable water are available in the campground.
Generator use is permitted only from 7–9 am, noon–2 pm, and 5–7 pm.
Pets are not allowed on trails but are welcome in the campground, on any dirt road or within 100 feet of any road. Pets must be on a leash no more than 6 feet long at all times. Pets may not be left unattended or tied to an object; leaving pets in unattended vehicles is strongly discouraged – especially on warm days.
Don’t Move Firewood: Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood near the park and burning it on-site, and do not use park vegetation, living or dead, for fuel.
All organized events require a special use permit and must be held in designated areas; contact the Special Park Use Coordinator, jotr_permit_office@nps.gov
STOP THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE SPECIES. Remove plants, seeds, animals, and mud from boots, gear, pets, and vehicles. Clean your gear before entering and leaving the recreation site. Stay on designated roads and trails, and follow local guidelines for firewood. For more information visit the National Invasive Species Information Center.
FIRE BAN fire restriction are currently in effect that prohibit charcoal fires, wood-burning fires, and charcoal grills. NO Fires! Only gas or propane stoves are permitted. Starting June 1st, ending October 1st of every year.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 99 · 54 tent-only
- Hookups
- None
- Longest rig
- 35 ft
- Accessible sites
- 1
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Every site
Facilities
- Toilets
- Flush Toilets - year round
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Dump station
- Yes
- recreation.gov lists “Dump Station”
- Stay limit
- 30 nights
- recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Around the campground
- Hiking
- Ranger programs
- Visitor center
- Wildlife viewing
- Night sky · 1078th darkest of 1,201 in CA
- Bortle 4
Full this Saturdayread 15:57 UTC
How full the weekend is nationally.
OpenBooked
Every one of the 87 sites on offer is taken this Saturday. 72 are free on Tue, Oct 20. read 15:57 UTC Why the weekend fills and the week doesn’t
Watch for a cancellation
Watch this campground
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 13
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $35 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
“A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. Changing an Existing Reservation: When changes are made prior to the cut-off window: If a customer wants to switch dates that are entirely outside of the original reservation dates, there is a $10 change fee.” · this campground’s own no-show terms
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 6
recreation.gov availability, read 15:57 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
99 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 94 mapped sitesAll 99 sites
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 94 of the 99 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| Black Rock Campground | 001 | tent only nonelectric | 40 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 002 | tent only nonelectric | 40 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 003 | tent only nonelectric | 48 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 004 | standard nonelectric | 61 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 005 | standard nonelectric | 58 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 006 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 86 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 007 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 56 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 008 | tent only nonelectric | 50 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 009 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 52 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 010 | tent only nonelectric | 50 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 011 | standard nonelectric | 18 ft | 51 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 012 | tent only nonelectric | 46 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 013 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 51 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 014 | tent only nonelectric | 45 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 015 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 60 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 016 | tent only nonelectric | 45 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 017 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 62 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 018 | type not stated | 3.3 mi | ||||
| Black Rock Campground | 019 | type not stated | 30 ft | 3.3 mi | |||
| Black Rock Campground | 020 | standard nonelectric | 32 ft | 101 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 021 | tent only nonelectric | 53 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 022 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 53 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 023 | tent only nonelectric | 53 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 024 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 53 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 025 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 53 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 026 | tent only nonelectric | 60 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 027 | tent only nonelectric | 45 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 028 | tent only nonelectric | 45 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 029 | standard nonelectric | 28 ft | 82 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 030 | tent only nonelectric | 86 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 031 | tent only nonelectric | 57 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 032 | tent only nonelectric | 65 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 033 | tent only nonelectric | 57 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 034 | tent only nonelectric | 51 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 035 | tent only nonelectric | 51 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 036 | type not stated | 3.4 mi | ||||
| Black Rock Campground | 037 | tent only nonelectric | 35 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 038 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 75 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 039 | tent only nonelectric | 35 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 040 | tent only nonelectric | 47 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 041 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 53 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 042 | tent only nonelectric | 54 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 043 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 49 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 044 | tent only nonelectric | 81 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 045 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 49 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 046 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 80 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 047 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 80 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 048 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 85 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 049 | tent only nonelectric | 49 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 050 | tent only nonelectric | 49 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 051 | tent only nonelectric | 57 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 052 | tent only nonelectric | 57 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 053 | tent only nonelectric | 53 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 054 | tent only nonelectric | 41 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 055 | tent only nonelectric | 76 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 056 | tent only nonelectric | 41 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 057 | tent only nonelectric | 56 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 058 | tent only nonelectric | 56 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 059 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 52 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 060 | tent only nonelectric | 52 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 061 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | yes | 61 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 |
| Black Rock Campground | 062 | standard nonelectric | 57 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 063 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 57 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 064 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 67 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 065 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 63 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 066 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 53 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 067 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 53 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 068 | standard nonelectric | 28 ft | 54 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 069 | tent only nonelectric | 97 ft | 3.3 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 070 | tent only nonelectric | 103 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 071 | standard nonelectric | 39 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 072 | tent only nonelectric | 65 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 073 | tent only nonelectric | 39 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 074 | tent only nonelectric | 48 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 075 | tent only nonelectric | 48 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 076 | standard nonelectric | 22 ft | 65 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 077 | type not stated | 3.4 mi | ||||
| Black Rock Campground | 078 | tent only nonelectric | 86 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 079 | tent only nonelectric | 61 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 080 | tent only nonelectric | 85 ft | 3.5 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 081 | tent only nonelectric | 81 ft | 3.5 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 082 | tent only nonelectric | 61 ft | 3.5 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 083 | tent only nonelectric | 100 ft | 3.5 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 084 | standard nonelectric | 83 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 085 | tent only nonelectric | 89 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 086 | tent only nonelectric | 87 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 087 | standard nonelectric | 38 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 088 | tent only nonelectric | 61 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 089 | type not stated | 3.3 mi | ||||
| Black Rock Campground | 090 | standard nonelectric | 28 ft | 63 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 091 | tent only nonelectric | 63 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 092 | tent only nonelectric | 38 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 093 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 63 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 094 | tent only nonelectric | 60 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 095 | standard nonelectric | 26 ft | 60 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 096 | tent only nonelectric | 15 ft | 103 ft | 3.4 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 097 | standard nonelectric | 88 ft | 3.5 mi | $35 | ||
| Black Rock Campground | 098 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 61 ft | 3.5 mi | $35 | |
| Black Rock Campground | 099 | standard nonelectric | 22 ft | 61 ft | 3.5 mi | $35 |
25 of 99 listed
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Black Rock Equestrian CampgroundJoshua Tree National Park · 0.0 mi
Indian Cove GroupJoshua Tree National Park · 13 mi
Hidden Valley CampgroundJoshua Tree National Park · 14 miMission Creek PreserveSand To Snow National Monument · 14 mi
Indian Cove CampgroundJoshua Tree National Park · 14 mi
Ryan CampgroundJoshua Tree National Park · 15 miTake Interstate 10 to Route 62 into the town of Yucca Valley. Turn south on Joshua Lane and follow signs to campground, about five miles from the turn.
If coming south on Highway 247, go straight across Highway 62 and continue onto Joshua Lane. There will be no sign for the park as you cross Route 62.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Yucca Valley, CA
Typical weather
Typical October night 50°F, day 80°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical December night 34°F. Bring the bag rated for it.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it · a letter you can send
What threatens this place
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
Black Rock Campground is in California’s 23rd congressional district. Its representative, Jay Obernolte (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →
Who can change it · 4
Two offices, two different asks. The draft to the agency asks it to set aside a published share of the sites here for whoever drives up. The draft to Congress asks why that share is zero and presses for a published minimum at the campgrounds it funds.
- The office that runs itJoshua Tree National ParkNational Park Service unit
- The member who votes the moneyJay ObernolteU.S. Representative · California’s 23rd district
- Your senator, on the same appropriationAdam B. SchiffU.S. Senator · California
- Your senator, on the same appropriationAlex PadillaU.S. Senator · California
Read the draft, or change the wording
For the camper who turned up, or tried to book, and couldn’t get in. Every draft is written from this campground’s own record (its agency, its unit, its site count and its own weekend) and the buttons above copy whichever wording is selected here.
Asks the National Park Service to set aside a published share of the sites here for whoever drives up, and to post what that share is.
Subject Hold back a share of sites at Black Rock Campground for campers who drive up
To the National Park Service, Joshua Tree National Park: I tried to camp at Black Rock Campground in California and couldn’t. recreation.gov lists 94 of the 99 campsites the agency files at Black Rock Campground, and every one of them is booked ahead, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 87 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked. 1,623 of the 7,647 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. Black Rock Campground keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule. I’m asking for one specific thing: set aside a published share of the sites at Black Rock Campground as first-come, first-served, and post what that share is so it can be checked. Somebody who drives up has no way in, and no way to find out whether they might have had one. Sent about Black Rock Campground (Joshua Tree National Park, California) via campanac.com
Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.
Subject Walk-up camping at Black Rock Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, California
Dear Jay Obernolte, I’m a constituent in California’s 23rd district. I tried to camp at Black Rock Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, California, and couldn’t. recreation.gov lists 94 of the 99 campsites the agency files at Black Rock Campground, and every one of them is booked ahead, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 87 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked. 1,623 of the 7,647 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. Black Rock Campground keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule. I’m not asking you to run Black Rock Campground. I’m asking you to put it to the National Park Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund. The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them. Sent about Black Rock Campground (Joshua Tree National Park, California) via campanac.com
Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.
Subject Walk-up camping at Black Rock Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, California
Dear Adam B. Schiff, I’m a constituent in California. I tried to camp at Black Rock Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, California, and couldn’t. recreation.gov lists 94 of the 99 campsites the agency files at Black Rock Campground, and every one of them is booked ahead, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 87 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked. 1,623 of the 7,647 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. Black Rock Campground keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule. I’m not asking you to run Black Rock Campground. I’m asking you to put it to the National Park Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund. The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them. Sent about Black Rock Campground (Joshua Tree National Park, California) via campanac.com
Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.
Subject Walk-up camping at Black Rock Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, California
Dear Alex Padilla, I’m a constituent in California. I tried to camp at Black Rock Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, California, and couldn’t. recreation.gov lists 94 of the 99 campsites the agency files at Black Rock Campground, and every one of them is booked ahead, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 87 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked. 1,623 of the 7,647 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. Black Rock Campground keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule. I’m not asking you to run Black Rock Campground. I’m asking you to put it to the National Park Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund. The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them. Sent about Black Rock Campground (Joshua Tree National Park, California) via campanac.com