Death Valley National Park
In the northern reaches of the park, this first-come, first-served campground has only 30 spaces and is a handy base for Ubehebe Crater and Racetrack Rd…
Must-see hotels in The Deserts
The Deserts
This former haunt of Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe and other old-time celebs has been reborn as a chic mid-Century Modern retreat. Connect with the era over…
Death Valley National Park
The park's busiest campground is within strolling distance of the visitor center as well as the restaurants, store and other facilities of Furnace Creek…
The Deserts
Popular with hikers, this campground is cradled by whimsically eroded volcanic rock walls and has 35 sites for RVs and tents available on a first-come,…
Greater Palm Springs
This posh resort highlights whimsical decor by Jonathan Adler in public areas and rooms that include a villa once owned by Gene Autry. Stroll the lovely…
The Deserts
This privately managed cluster of campgrounds has a lovely lakefront setting and offers more amenities than most sites, including outdoor play areas and…
Vallecito County Park Campground
The Deserts
This rustic campground has 44 tent and nonhookup RV sites in a cool, green-valley refuge set around a replica of the Butterfield Stage Station. Sites come…
Greater Palm Springs
Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack once frolicked poolside at this newly spruced 1964 tiki-style motor lodge. Wrap up the day with a tropical potion in the…
Joshua Tree National Park
The name keeps its promise with 124 spaces tucked among lovely rock formations, making it the largest site in the park. Bonus: sheltered rock alcoves that…
The Deserts
You can't get any closer to the lake when staying at this central resort where every room has water-facing balconies or patios. Updated rooms have knotted…
Greater Palm Springs
The hot colors of a desert blooming with wildflowers animate this updated mid-Century Modern hotel (pronounced Sah-wa-ro). Three stories of rooms look…
Los Angeles to Barstow
A class act with character, this mountain lodge has 162 rustic-chic rooms close to the lake shore, most with private balconies. Note that a daily resort…
Death Valley National Park
Set back from the highway, Texas Springs has tenter-friendly first-come, first-served sites with fire pits and tables and also has water and flush toilets…
Death Valley National Park Campgrounds
Death Valley National Park
The national park service operates nine campgrounds on a first-come, first-served basis (exception: Furnace Creek between mid-October to mid-April)…
Death Valley National Park
This roadside motel has 17 contemporary rooms with dark furniture, laminate floors and comfy beds set around a shaded courtyard. Five come with…
The Deserts
At this 1897 antique-filled B&B, lace curtains, claw-foot tubs and other paraphernalia painstakingly evoke a bygone era. Rates include two-course…
The Deserts
Kenny and Bonni came back from retirement to pour their hearts and cash into creating this solar-powered eight-room motel in the heart of Borrego Springs…
The Deserts
Clean, tidy cabins and cottages, some with wood-burning fireplaces, air-conditioning and kitchens, are an easy walk from Idyllwild’s town center. The…
Joshua Tree National Park
Darling and central campground with 31 first-come, first-served sites sporting fire rings for cooking meals and picnic tables for eating them. Boulders…
Los Angeles to Barstow
A hospitable innkeeper makes this simple country guesthouse on scenic Lake Gregory a worry-free place to lay your head in 10 tidy, just-like-home rooms…
Los Angeles to Barstow
Get your kitsch on Route 66: stay snug in one of 19 30ft-tall concrete tipis. Built in 1949, they're equipped with nice furniture and have motel-type mod…
Death Valley National Park
At 4100ft, Wildrose is a good choice on hot days. It has 23 sites outfitted with fire pits and tables, available on a first-come, first-served basis…
The Deserts
This clean and friendly hostel on the edge of the village is run by people happy to provide advice about the best trails, runs and all things extreme…
Death Valley National Park
This RV park on the northern end of the village has 25 full hookup sites as well as shaded tent spaces. Facilities include a pool and a laundromat.
The Deserts
This modern compound centers on a sprawling hotel with spacious rooms, including some with Jacuzzi. Upstairs rooms have nice mountain views, and there are…
Joshua Tree National Park
This funky-cool, rock 'n' roll–infused, wisteria-strewn motel has 11 spacious and country-modern rooms overlooking a desert-garden courtyard with great…
Joshua Tree National Park
About 8 miles north off I-10, this campground in Joshua Tree National Park counts drinking water, flush toilets and dump stations among its amenities and…
Death Valley National Park
Elsewhere 'off-grid' is a state of mind, but it's a statement of fact at this low-key, family-run motel with rustic cabins on the park's western border. A…
Death Valley National Park
This roadside campground has 190 shadeless sites, some with fire pits and tables. It's handy for sunrise trips to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and also…
Death Valley National Park
With 270 sites, first-come, first-served Sunset is the biggest campground in Death Valley and your best bet for snagging a last-minute spot if everything…
Greater Palm Springs
A humble 1950s motel has been recast as a chic, whisper-quiet spa retreat where natural hot mineral water feeds three pools. The dozen rooms are…
Joshua Tree National Park
This basic, 12-room motel around a simple courtyard is a good option for modern nomads not keen on dropping bunches of cash for a roof over their heads…
Joshua Tree National Park
Camp among Joshua trees and yuccas at this 99-site campground in the park's northwestern corner, close to Yucca Valley. It has potable water, flush…
Death Valley National Park
Part of a private village with motel, gas station, store and restaurant-bar on the western edge of Death Valley National Park, this dusty space can…
Agua Caliente County Park Campground
The Deserts
On the southern edge of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, this campground comes with the added bonus of natural hot-spring pools and easy access to hiking…
The Deserts
At an elevation of 5600ft, this 26-site campground is a cool place to pitch your tent amid partly fire-scarred piñon pine and juniper forest. It's…
The Deserts
Bored with bland motel rooms? Your fantasies can go wild in these cabins, complete with Jacuzzi and costumes. Let your inner Tarzan roar, fancy yourselves…
The Deserts
The new owners have nicely spruced up this sprawling resort with updated hotel rooms and cabin featuring rustic furniture, wood-burning fireplaces and…
The Deserts
This good-value motel next to the train tracks offers shelter in 70 rooms set around a large swimming pool and Jacuzzi. Rates include hot waffles for…
Greater Palm Springs
This midrange gay-men's resort gets plenty of repeat customers for its 1950s shell and rooms and suites decked out with Spanish Mission furniture and gay…
