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Ryan Campground

Full Sun

Joshua Tree National Park · California, USA · 1340 m elevation · Check-in 12:00 PM · Check-out 12:00 PM

A small, quiet campground of 31 sites below Ryan Mountain, near the Ryan Ranch and Lost Horse Mine trails in the heart of Joshua Tree.

Shade reality: Open high desert at the base of Ryan Mountain — no tree canopy at all, so shade comes only from the boulder piles some sites back onto and, late in the day, from the mountain itself.

Camping here off-season? Which Joshua Tree sites stay warm in winter — in December the site number is worth 3.5 hours of sun.

Sun direction
Shadows fall this way
Sun path today
Sites at this time (zoom in for numbers)
In direct sun
In shade
Electric hookup

Individual sites · 30 mapped

Site positions come from OpenStreetMap; this campground publishes no per-site shade ratings — use the sun rays and terrain shadows instead. Click any dot on the map for site details; zoom in to see site numbers.

Shadiest sites on 2026-08-21 (least direct sun)

10 · Loop A12.0 h sun
11 · Loop A12.0 h sun
16 · Loop A12.0 h sun
17 · Loop A12.0 h sun
18 · Loop A12.0 h sun
19 · Loop A12.0 h sun
20 · Loop A12.0 h sun
21 · Loop A12.0 h sun

Precomputed estimate for the 15th of this month — all 30 sites, terrain + tree canopy (ETH 10 m, 2020) included.

Find a site

30 sites
Check availability & book ↗Found your site? Reservations happen on Recreation.gov — ShadeDial is an independent planning tool.Check-in 12:00 PM · Check-out 12:00 PMWhen to book: Recreation.gov 6-month rolling window — each arrival date opens exactly 6 months ahead (morning release). Popular sites go in minutes.

Remind me when booking opens

Shortlist your sites now, get an email before the window opens for Ryan Campground. No account needed.

Arrival date is optional — it’s what tells us your exact opening moment at parks that release dates on a rolling window.

Official campground map31 sites

Cross-check site numbers against the park's own map before you book.

A single loop, sites 1–31: 20 standard and 10 tent-only sites (plus a horse camp). No hookups and no water; RVs to about 32 ft on the standard sites.

Open the interactive site map on Recreation.gov ↗

Source: official park map. Compare the loop layout with the satellite view above — north on the official map may not point up.

Camped at Ryan? If the sun and shade didn’t match what we said, tell me the site number and I’ll look at it — that feedback is the only way this gets more accurate.
Report the shade here →Ask for another campground →