The Best Base Camp Towns for Desert National Parks

Flagstaff, Arizona

Breakfast: Tourist Home Cafe
Gear Shop: Mountain Sports Flagstaff
RV Park: Village Camp Flagstaff

A cowboy-meets-college town split by Route 66, “Flag” mixes progressive spirit with just enough Western weird. Meanwhile, its extraordinary community of experts and adventurers take on many dimensions of life on the Colorado Plateau. Ask around on any topic–there’s someone ace. The Museum of Northern Arizona provides a deep primer on landscape, eco-systems and cultures, putting modern canyon fascination in context–the permanent exhibits function as a cross-sectional introduction to the region’s crucial themes. Today, those roots anchor a thriving, genre-hopping literary scene. A night out in the rock-ribbed Old West downtown could kickoff with a live reading at Uptown Pubhouse, owned by prominent local poet James Jay. Critique at respected Mother Road Brewing and the adjoining Pizzicletta, purveyor of a superb wood-fired margherita. Then, if you’re up for it (you are), the Hotel Monte Vista's louche cocktail lounge alternates karaoke and rambunctious college rock. Staying at this wacky ’20s throwback? Request the Bogart Room or the Siouxsie Sioux (room 220, king, haunted). Detox with new books at Bright Side Bookshop. A house-cured sandwich from Proper Meats & Provisions fuels you on the high, Park bound road, Highway 180, by far the most scenic of two main driving routes. Pause to offer due thanks at Chapel of the Holy Dove, a tiny, conical roadside sanctuary perfectly placed to express reverence for landscape.

Navajo & Hopi Lands

Breakfast: Cameron Trading Post, Highway 89
Gear Shop: Big 5 Sporting Goods (Gallup, NM)
RV Park: Navajoland RV Park & Campgrounds, Tuba City

In 1950, Arizona Highways editor Raymond Carlson proclaimed that “in this land of the Navajo are scenic treasures…one will not find elsewhere.” Check. Along the park’s eastern boundary, Navajo Nation rolls out a Painted Desert prismatic feast. But beyond the vistas, the Nation and the Hopi Reservation, which it surrounds, are arks of culture, ancient and modern—not to mention a lot of enterprising hustle. In Tuba City, Explore Navajo Interactive Museum showcases tribal history. Tuba abuts Moenkopi, a Hopi exclave. Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites, owned by a tribal nonprofit, operates Hopi Arts Trail, pathway to gallery and private studio visits on the three Hopi mesas, self-guided or expert-led; tours by Experience Hopi reach petroglyphs and remote landscapes. Tap into a lifeways-based hospitality boomlet at Navajo-owned Shash Diné Eco-Retreat, a working sheep farm south of Page. Cofounder (and Navy vet) Baya Meehan, who traces roots here back 20 generations, can explain earthen-floored hogan lodges’ profound spiritual meanings; dirt roads crossed with coyote tracks unveil mammoth views. Borders aside, Grand Canyon connections run deep here: Sacred Edge Tours' East Rim adventures, hitting private sites via 4x4 SUV, underscore those bonds. 

Terlingua, Texas 

Taco stop: Rio Bravo food truck
Coffee: Espresso y Poco Mas
RV Park: Big Bend Station Inn & RV Ranch

Terlingua’s rustic, dusty beauty isn’t for everyone. But those who appreciate the offbeat and eclectic will find that this tiny onetime mining hub, supposedly a “ghost town,” is thoroughly alive. Start your day on the patio at La Posada Milagro, an old-school guesthouse with an attached coffee shop. (Or, for hearty diner fare, try the gas station in Study Butte, a.k.a. the Motor Inn.) The Cottonwood General Store is the place to fill your cooler for desert outings. Outside the Starlight Theatre (now a bar and restaurant), “The Porch”–where visitors, locals and resident canines mingle over drinks and jam sessions–may well be Terlingua’s heart. Down the road, the historic Terlingua Cemetery lights up each November for Día de los Muertos.

Marathon, Texas

BBQ Stop: Brick Vault
Coffee: V6 Coffee Bar
RV Park: Lost Alaskan RV Park, Alpine

In the 1880s, a sea captain turned railroad surveyor saw a resemblance to the landscape of Marathon, Greece, and gave this tiny outpost–initially a shipping hub for local ranchers–its name. Today, Marathon is a small but mighty last stop before turning south to the national park. Renowned photographers and longtime Big Bend explorers James H. Evans and E. Dan Klepper both have great galleries in town. French Co. Grocer offers everything you need for your desert journeys, including fresh-made breakfast burritos. If you’re in town on a Friday, you can catch French Co’s burger night (reserve in advance). After cocktails at the White Buffalo Bar, it’s an easy amble to your bed at the historic Gage Hotel or the eco-friendly Eve's Garden and Breakfast.

Joshua Tree

Trail recs and art destinations, climbing guides and conservationists, base-camp towns and park traditions.

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Twentynine Palms

Cinematic Spot: Smith’s RanchDrive-In Theater
Coffee: Jelly Donut 
RV Park: TwentyNine Palms Resort RV Park and Cottages

Named for the California fan palms planted by the Serrano people,Twentynine Palms is now home to Joshua Tree National Park’s headquarters and the country’s largest Marine Corps base. Head to the park visitor center, where you can see the namesake palms on a short stroll through the Oasis of Mara. At the other end of the oasis, adobes and cabins dot the grounds of the 29 Palms Inn, family-run since 1928. Downtown, White Label Vinyl and Hi-Desert Daydream are worth side-by-side stops. At Kitchen In The Desert's backyard patio, where string lights sparkle against the desert sky, Caribbean-inspired dinner pairs well with a strong cocktail. Afterward, take advantage of the area’s designation as an International Dark Sky zone to stargaze at Sky's The Limit Observatory and Nature Center.

Palm Springs

Vegan Spot: Chef Tanya’s Kitchen
Coffee: Ernest Coffee
RV Park: Emerald Desert RV Resort, Palm Desert

The clean lines of midcentury modernism look good in the desert, and Palm Springs knows it. The longtime Hollywood escape is full of architectural treasures–starting with the visitor center, a converted gas station designed by Albert Frey. The Palm Springs Art Museum is worth seeing both outside (angular concrete design) and in (a vast collection exploring art, architecture and design). There are plenty of shops to browse downtown, including Thick as Thieves for homegoods and the sprawling makers market Mojave Flea trading Post. Dine out on neon-pink-lit Tropicale's patio, and for a nightcap, go classic with martinis at one-time Rat Pack haunt Melvyn's. In nearby Desert Hot Springs, admire more sleek modernist design from a spring-fed soak at revamped Hope Springs Resort.

Kanab

Gear Spot: Willow Canyon Outdoor
Coffee: Sunny Creek
RV Park: Grand Plateau RV Resort at Kanab

When it comes to natural beauty, Kanab is uncommonly well-situated: at the crossroads of Zion, Bryce, Grand Staircase-Escalante, even the Grand Canyon. And though the town still doesn’t have a bar, the food scene is worth a stop. The pizzas at Peekaboo Canyon Wood Fired Kitchen pair perfectly with a local brew, or for those seeking fancier fare, Sego serves elegant small plates and cocktails. And there’s more to do than eat: Take in Raven's Heart Gallery rich array of photography, sculpture and more, and walk among old Western sets at Little Hollywood Museum. For lodging, keep the stars-of-yore vibe going at the Parry Lodge, or try the sleek new Best Friends Roadhouse, where pets are more than welcome.

Cedar City

Art Spot: Southern Utah Museum of Art
Coffee: The Grind Coffeehouse 
RV Park: Cedar City RV Resort by Rjourney

Thanks to a higher elevation (5,846 feet) than other towns near Zion, Cedar City is pleasantly montane–think less desert scrub, more pine. Settled by Mormons aiming to mine nearby iron deposits (hence the name Iron County), the town is now anchored by Southern Utah University, which hosts the Utah Shakespeare Festival, June through October. We like to think the Bard would find himself at home in this low-key college town, fully outfitted with a bookstore (Main Street Books), wood-fired pizzeria (Centro–and don’t skip the arugula salad), coffee shops. A short drive outside town, Iron Springs Adventure Resort provides peaceful lodging with a glimpse of history: its buildings are renovated mine offices and facilities.