Field Station Heads to Joshua Tree: Van Life Hotel Opens Second Location

California’s Yucca Valley is undergoing a development revival, with new boutiques, coffee shops, restaurants, and hotels catering to travelers drawn to the high desert.

Among the businesses infusing the valley with new energy is AutoCamp Hospitality Group, which has planted its second Field Station outpost in Joshua Tree, just a few miles down the road from one of its namesake airstream glamping properties, AutoCamp Joshua Tree.

The sibling hotel opened May 9, unveiling a cool renovation of a former Travelodge. The new hotel is right off 29 Palms Highway, only 20 minutes from the Joshua Tree National Park entrance. It marks the first time for the brand that Field Station and AutoCamp are in the same area.

You can book rooms and make reservations on the Field Station website for the new Joshua Tree location.

Field Station Joshua Tree: Open for Business

Similar to its first location in Moab, Field Station Joshua Tree is designed for the everyday adventurer. It’s a basecamp for immersive outdoor activities. Every level of adventurer is welcome.

Meanwhile, AutoCamp Joshua Tree, which opened in December 2021, provides a boutique experience and attracts travelers looking for a little more luxury in an outdoor setting.

“Field Station is more about what you did out there,” one of the staff told GearJunkie. “Whereas AutoCamp is more about who you are and where you came from.” 

“Our enduring mission is to enhance outdoor accessibility, and while AutoCamp and Field Station cater to two distinct demographics, they unite in their commitment to inspiring travelers to embrace the great outdoors and local region,” said Neil Dipaola, CEO and founder of AutoCamp Hospitality Group.

The 3.4-acre property includes a gear store and coffee shop in the welcome lobby. There are spots for van lifers to stay overnight. Visitors can also book one of 69 rooms ranging in size from premium king to double queen with bunk rooms.

The heated pool and elevated pool deck are perhaps the coolest places to be this summer. They offer panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.

Old Hotel, New Life

Originally built in the 1960s, the main buildings feature midcentury architecture with low and flat roofs and cement block breezeways. A fresh coat of teal paint spruces up the suites’ doors. Inside, each room has a Scandinavian-industrial-meets-modern-utility vibe with ample room for gear storage.

An addition to the hotel in the 2000s added even more square footage to the property. Now, it’s more of a multi-building campus with many indoor and outdoor nooks for congregation. A traveler checking out of their room might collide with a local coming to remote work, sparking an organic connection.

Yucca Valley’s busy season peaks in May. But visitation drops during June and July as desert temperatures spike, and picks back up again in August. Reservations are open now. Non-peak season rates start at $127 per night for rooms and $29 per night for Van Life posts.

AutoCamp is celebrating a decade in business this year. It also recently opened its seventh Airstream glamping property in Asheville and its eighth in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. A destination in Texas’s Hill Country is coming soon. Existing properties include Sonoma, Yosemite National Park, Cape Cod, Joshua Tree, Catskills, and Zion National Park.

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