Must-see hotels in The Deserts

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…

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…

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…

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.

This modern compound centers on a sprawling hotel with spacious rooms, including some with Jacuzzi. Upstairs rooms have nice mountain views, and there are…

This funky-cool, rock 'n' roll–infused, wisteria-strewn motel has 11 spacious and country-modern rooms overlooking a desert-garden courtyard with great…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 new owners have nicely spruced up this sprawling resort with updated hotel rooms and cabin featuring rustic furniture, wood-burning fireplaces and…

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…

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…