Slept in my car 3 nights in Joshua Tree instead of paying $180 for a motel, and I'd do it again

Lisa Jones · 2026-09-21T17:00:03.813719+00:00

Everyone told me I was nuts for sleeping in my Corolla instead of grabbing a room in Twentynine Palms. The motels out there wanted $180 a night, so three nights would've been $540, which is basically my whole gas and food budget for the trip. I picked the car and spent that money on park entry and a real dinner in town instead. Yeah, my back hurt and I woke up at 5am freezing, but I saw the Milky Way like nothing I've ever seen back home. The trick was parking at a legit campground and paying the $15 site fee so I wasn't breaking any rules. Has anyone else skipped a hotel on a park trip, or am I the only one sleeping in my driveway on wheels?

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Slept in my car 3 nights in Joshua Tree instead of paying $180 for a motel, and I'd do it again | Budget Travel Hacks - HW Forums