It’s important to cultivate the right headspace on a trip to Joshua Tree, the California national park with an otherworldly mystique. This is not a log cabin vacation or an historic lodge kind of visit. The vibes here are less pastoral, less grand, more quirked up for seekers drawn to commune with the desert.
At AutoCamp Joshua Tree, from the growing Hilton-aligned chain of “tin can” campgrounds, a stay in one of the iconic 31-foot trailers is cozy, luxe, and just weird enough to pair perfectly with its surroundings – a 10-minute drive from Joshua Tree's main entrance and the sea of funky yucca palms that give the park its name. For the ritziest of motorhomers, the property’s Vista Airstream Suite is the top choice.
The Vista Airstream Suite
Each of the four dozen Airstreams on the property have the same design – AutoCamp actually works directly with Airstream to custom-build a trailer meant to live in their parks – but the Vista Airstream Suite has a few notable bonuses. For one, its location within the grounds of the property is unrivaled, tucked in the back for unobstructed views of the mountains and a front row seat to the sunrise, when lilac and magenta strands burst out of the ridgeline. And then there’s the outdoor shower, tastefully built in a spiral wooden fence to ensure full privacy. There are few greater pleasures in an outdoorsman’s life than a rinse under a sky blinking with thousands of stars.Inside, the living quarters are downright roomy. A bedroom at the head of the trailer, set off by a door, has a queen-sized bed framed by a curving panoramic window. Like the savviest of road warriors, AutoCamp makes the most of every nook, with a couch that pulls out and ample cabinet space around the kitchenette – enough room for a microwave, a cast iron skillet and grill set, and a trio of waste bins, for trash, recycling, and composting. Each AutoCamp site, Vista Suite or not, also has a private patio with a picnic table and firepit, where you can cook your dinner if so inclined.
What’s the hotel like?
AutoCamps are designed to feel like a campground, so there’s an air of neighborly warmth mixed in with the smell of campfire. The main common area is the striking half moon-shaped clubhouse, made with raw wood slats and corrugated metal like a Quonset Hut. Inside, the space is furnished in a mid-century style, with areas for board games and the hotel’s general store and takeaway kitchen. Outside, a pool, bar, and patio for events – like morning yoga sessions and weekend live music – promote a kind of community living that hearkens back to the good ol' days.
Where is it located?
AutoCamp Joshua Tree is located just off the main highway coming into town from Palm Springs. It’s about six miles away (or a 10-minute drive) from the national park’s West Entrance Station, its most popular entrance.
What are the food options?
The general store is stocked with the kinds of snacks and drinks you’ll want while huddled around a campfire: gourmet potato chips, flavorful popcorn, and a commendable collection of local beer, cider, and wine. The Kitchen, AutoCamp’s takeout counter restaurant, serves up crowd-pleasers, like pretzel bites, pesto turkey sandwiches, and a double burger on a brioche bun. For a real campout experience, I went in on one of their grill kits, which come with steak or chicken, plus a host of homestyle sides, including mac and cheese and green beans. Each of the dishes comes in an aluminum package that can be reheated right on the grill of your firepit. (The general store also stocks fire starters and logs.) The smores kit, from California-based Ticket Chocolate, is exceptional, with salted milk chocolate, vanilla marshmallows, and buttery graham crackers with Speculoos spicing.
Who goes here?
On my visit, the property was full with guests of all ages: families with young children enjoying the acreage, fashionable 20-somethings posing with the sunset, older adults who took their camping seriously. Everyone is here to visit the national park, so the hotel empties out by midday.
How is the privacy?
The AutoCamp Airstreams are designed with windows on just one side so that neighbors can’t see into each other's units. Each site’s outdoor spaces are oriented just-so to feel more secluded, and the scraggy native landscaping is slowly growing into a kind of desert privacy hedging. At night, the property gets so dark – the lighting along paths is angled downward to reduce light pollution and enhance stargazing – that it’s difficult to see outside of your own space.
And sustainability?
AutoCamp Joshua Tree was designed to have a minimal impact on its awesome environment. For one, the company’s partnership with Airstream to retrofit the campers is less resource-intensive than building a traditional hotel. Solar panels provide much of the energy for the hotel and water is treated on-site. And the shrubs and succulents around the property were incorporated using xeriscaping techniques, a way of landscaping that reduces the need for irrigation.
