This loop takes in both sides of California: the deserts of Joshua Tree and Death Valley, then Tioga Road over the Sierra into Yosemite. It works only in a narrow window, because Tioga Road has to be open and your rental contract has to allow Death Valley, which El Monte and Road Bear forbid from June 1 to September 30.
What does a 10-day fly-in RV loop from Los Angeles through Joshua Tree, Death Valley and Yosemite really cost for two people, once mileage, fuel, campgrounds, fees and the airport transfer are in? Below: every line, for a campervan and a Class C, with a check date and a source. The plan behind the numbers: two nights in Joshua Tree, two at Furnace Creek, one in the Eastern Sierra, one at Tuolumne Meadows or Crane Flat, two in Yosemite Valley and the last near the depot.
Quick answer
- Campervan, 10 days, 2 people: about $2,100–$6,000 all-in for US residents, $2,300–$6,100 if you live outside the US [A].
- Class C, 10 days, 2 people: about $3,000–$7,500 (US residents) or $3,100–$7,700 (visitors from outside the US) [A]. Ranges are the table totals rounded outward to the nearest $100.
- Biggest swing factor: the dates and the miles. The loop needs Tioga Road open and a contract that allows Death Valley, and it runs to about 1,100–1,300 miles at California fuel prices. Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows sites sell out within minutes of release (NPS).
- Not in these totals: flights, food and activities. Groceries for two, cooking mostly in the RV, add roughly $350–$700 [A — our estimate, not checked against a source].
- Prices checked: 2026-10-29.
Cost table (10 days, 2 people)
Low = off-peak, cheapest reasonable choices. High = peak season with every fee — most trips land in between. Ranges are for the whole trip, not per night.
| Item | Campervan | Class C | What drives it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle rental (base rate) | $1,000–$2,500 | $1,500–$3,500 | ≈ $100–250 a night for a campervan, $150–350 for a Class C [A]. National benchmarks; we found no published California price index. Outdoorsy $100–175 / $150–250 a night; Go RV US average March 2026 $252 / $225; RVshare: peak season 30–50% higher; roadsurfer lists its Los Angeles station “starting at $115 / night” before fees. Fleet example: 7-night minimum |
| Mileage (~1,100–1,300 mi) | $0–$510 | $0–$510 | $0 with unlimited miles (roadsurfer and many marketplace listings); fleets charge by the mile: El Monte $0.38 a mile or $37 per 100 miles, the Cruise America fee sheet $0.39 [A — agent page], so ~1,300 mi ≈ $510. Our routing for the plan below: about 1,130 miles. Price a fleet unlimited-miles package if you are offered one [A] |
| Fuel | $330–$800 | $550–$1,060 | Campervan 15–20 mpg, Class C 8–12 mpg [A] × route miles × AAA California averages checked 2026-10-29: $5.95 regular, $8.40 diesel; we add 10% at the high end for stations near the parks [A]. That is about a third more than on our Arizona route ($4.50 regular on 2026-10-27) |
| Campgrounds (9 nights) | $340–$550 | $340–$550 | Low: 2 nights in Joshua Tree (Black Rock $35 and Jumbo Rocks $30), 2 at Furnace Creek ($30), a public campground in the Eastern Sierra (~$30 [A]), Tuolumne Meadows or Crane Flat and 2 Yosemite Valley nights ($36, NPS), and an RV park near the depot (~$75 [A]). High: Furnace Creek hookups ($44), private parks with hookups in the Eastern Sierra and Los Angeles at ~$140–150 [A] |
| Park entry (US residents) | $80 | $80 | $80 America the Beautiful pass: cheaper than $30 + $30 + $35 = $95 at the three gates. One pass covers the vehicle |
| Kits, prep, cleaning, generator | $50–$400 | $50–$400 | Low: a marketplace listing with kits included plus a cleaning fee [A]. High: fleet example — $50 prep, $125 vehicle kit, 2 × $75 personal kits, generator $8/night × 9 [A — agent page] |
| Insurance / protection | $250–$400 | $300–$500 | RVshare's own budgeting guide: about $25–40 a day for a campervan, $30–50 for a Class C. Fleet rates usually include basic cover; upgrades cost extra [A] |
| Taxes and service fees | $100–$540 | $140–$750 | Low: Los Angeles rental tax 9.50% on the base rate (fleet fee sheet via an agent page [A]). High: tax plus a 10–12% marketplace service fee (Outdoorsy: 10%) [A]. Not in this line: El Monte's California Vehicle License Fee, $2 a night |
| Airport ↔ depot transfer (both ways) | $40–$150 | $40–$150 | Taxi or rideshare between LAX and the El Monte depot in Santa Fe Springs (22.3 miles by El Monte's figure), both ways [A — fares not checked]. roadsurfer's Hawthorne station is 10–15 minutes from LAX |
| Total, US residents | $2,190–$5,930 | $3,000–$7,500 | Sum of the lines above [A] |
| Park entry, visitors from outside the US | +$170 | +$170 | For visitors from outside the US, Yosemite adds $100 per person (16+): $95 + $200 = $295 at the three gates for two, against $250 for the Non-Resident Annual Pass. The pass is cheaper, so the totals use it: +$170 on the $80 above. The $80 pass is for US residents only. On the 7-day Yosemite-only trip the gate price is cheaper |
| Total, visitors from outside the US | $2,360–$6,100 | $3,170–$7,670 | Sum including the non-resident park cost [A] |
| Line | Campervan | Class C |
|---|---|---|
| Rental | $1,000–$2,500 | $1,500–$3,500 |
| Miles | $0–$510 | $0–$510 |
| Fuel | $330–$800 | $550–$1,060 |
| Campgrounds | $340–$550 | $340–$550 |
| Park entry | $80 | $80 |
| Kits & fees | $50–$400 | $50–$400 |
| Insurance | $250–$400 | $300–$500 |
| Taxes | $100–$540 | $140–$750 |
| Transfers | $40–$150 | $40–$150 |
Rental, insurance and fee lines are national benchmarks from published price guides and a fleet fee sheet, not a live quote for your dates. Get two or three real quotes before you book [A].
Different trip length, group size, season or one-way? Plug your own numbers into the trip cost calculator. It uses the lines above.
The plan behind the numbers
- Day 1: land at LAX, pick up in Santa Fe Springs (El Monte: after 1 pm on weekdays), then about 120 miles to Black Rock Campground, Joshua Tree [A: our routing].
- Day 2: Joshua Tree; night at Jumbo Rocks.
- Day 3: about 250 miles, 6 hours, to Furnace Creek, Death Valley. Two nights.
- Day 4: Badwater Basin and Zabriskie Point.
- Day 5: west to Lone Pine and north on US-395, about 225 miles in all, to a campground in the Eastern Sierra near Lee Vining [A].
- Day 6: Tioga Road over Tioga Pass to Tuolumne Meadows (about 20 miles); night at Tuolumne Meadows or Crane Flat.
- Days 7–8: down to Yosemite Valley (about 55 miles), two nights at Upper, Lower or North Pines; Glacier Point on day 8.
- Day 9: the long drive back via CA-41 and CA-99 (not Tioga Road), about 330 miles and 7 hours, to an RV park near the depot [A].
- Day 10: return the RV before 10 am (El Monte), fly home.
The window: Tioga Road and Death Valley
- Tioga Road closes in winter and is usually open from late May or June to November (NPS); in 2026 it opened on May 15.
- Death Valley: El Monte and Road Bear don't allow it from June 1 to September 30. Cruise America allows July and August “with EXTREME CARE”, at your own risk for recovery costs.
- Furnace Creek can be booked only for nights from October 15 to April 15; outside that, Death Valley campgrounds are first-come.
- Tuolumne Meadows Campground is open about July to late September (2026: July 1 – September 27). Outside that, use Crane Flat (open about July to early October, booked 14 days ahead) or a night outside the park.
Put together, with an El Monte or Road Bear RV the loop works roughly from late May, once Tioga Road is open, and again in October and early November [A: our reading of the rules above]. If Tioga Road is closed for your dates, split the trip: Joshua Tree & Death Valley from Los Angeles or Yosemite from San Francisco.
One-way to San Francisco?
Skip the 330-mile drive back on day 9: drop the RV in the Bay Area and fly home from SFO. El Monte lists one-way fees of $200–750; fleet one-way fees elsewhere run $350–750 by route [A — agent chart]. The calculator's “other one-way” option uses $350–750.
What's included — and what isn't
Included in the totals above
- Vehicle base rate, mileage, fuel, 9 campground nights, park entry, kits/prep/generator, insurance or protection, taxes and service fees, and the transfer between the airport and the depot.
Not included
- Flights, food and groceries (see the quick answer), activities and tours, hotel nights before pickup or after drop-off, refundable security deposits (El Monte: $1,500), one-way fees, California vehicle licence fees some fleets add, and late-return or damage charges.
Sources and how we checked
All figures checked 2026-10-29 unless the line says otherwise. Prices change; confirm with the provider before you book.
- NPS — Entrance passes (America the Beautiful: $80 US residents, $250 non-residents) — www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS — Nonresident fees (updated July 15, 2026: $100 per person 16+ at 11 parks, Yosemite among them; Joshua Tree and Death Valley not on the list) — www.nps.gov/aboutus/nonresident-fees.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Joshua Tree — Fees ($30 private vehicle, 7 days) — www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/fees.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Joshua Tree — Campgrounds (Black Rock, Cottonwood and Indian Cove $35, Jumbo Rocks and Ryan $30, reservable up to 6 months ahead; Hidden Valley, White Tank and Belle $25 first-come; busy season October to May; water and dump station at Black Rock and Cottonwood only) — www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Death Valley — Fees ($30 private vehicle, 7 days; cashless) — www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/fees.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Death Valley — Camping (Furnace Creek reservable for October 15 – April 15 up to 6 months ahead, $30, full hookups $44; Texas Spring and Mesquite Spring $20, Sunset and Stovepipe Wells $18, first-come) — www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/camping-in-death-valley.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Yosemite — Fees ($35 private vehicle, 7 days) — www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/fees.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Yosemite — Campgrounds (no hookups; dump station at Upper Pines all year; generator hours 7–9 am, noon–2 pm, 5–7 pm; RVs up to 40 ft at only 8 Valley sites, up to 35 ft at many more) — www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Yosemite — Camping reservations (released at 7 am Pacific on the 15th, five months ahead, “sell out within minutes”; Tuolumne Meadows half two months ahead, half 14 days; Crane Flat 14 days; release table, page updated September 11, 2026) — www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/camping.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Yosemite — Tioga Road (closed in winter; usually open from late May or June to November; 2026 opening May 15) — www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- AAA — California gas prices (state average October 29, 2026: regular $5.948, diesel $8.403; Los Angeles $6.020 / $8.431; San Francisco $6.003 / $8.806) — gasprices.aaa.com/?state=CA (checked 2026-10-29)
- El Monte RV — FAQs (Death Valley not permitted June 1 – September 30; California Vehicle License Fee $2 a night; deposit $1,500; one-way fees $200–750; mileage $0.38 a mile or $37 per 100 miles) — www.elmonterv.com/faqs (checked 2026-10-29)
- El Monte RV — Los Angeles (12818 Firestone Blvd, Santa Fe Springs; 22.3 miles from LAX; pickup after 1 pm on weekdays, drop-off before 10 am; hours by season) — www.elmonterv.com/rv-rental-locations/los-angeles-california (checked 2026-10-29)
- Road Bear RV — Los Angeles (Agoura Hills; Death Valley not permitted June 1 – September 30; hours by season) — www.roadbearrv.com/rv-rental-locations/los-angeles-california (checked 2026-10-29)
- Cruise America — RV rental FAQs (Death Valley and other desert areas in July and August “with EXTREME CARE”, at the renter’s own risk for recovery costs) — www.cruiseamerica.com/rv-rentals/renters-resources/rv-rental-faqs (checked 2026-10-29)
- roadsurfer — Los Angeles station (11992 Hawthorne Blvd, 10–15 minutes from LAX by rideshare; unlimited miles; “starting at $115 / night”) — roadsurfer.com/rv-rental/usa/california/los-angeles (checked 2026-10-29)
- Go RV Rentals 2026 RV Rental Price Index via RV PRO (US average March 2026: Class C $225/night, Class B campervan $252/night) — rv-pro.com/news/go-rv-rentals-releases-2026-rv-rental-price-index (checked 2026-10-27)
- Outdoorsy — RV rental costs broken down (Class B $100–175/night, Class C $150–250/night) — www.outdoorsy.com/blog/rv-rental-costs-broken-down-nightly-rates-fees-and-what-to-budget (checked 2026-10-27)
- RVshare — RV rental prices by type (updated Aug 19, 2026; peak season 30–50% more; insurance $25–40/day Class B, $30–50/day Class C) — rvshare.com/blog/rv-rental-prices (checked 2026-10-27)
- Outdoorsy Help Center — fees (guest service fee 10% of booking total) — support.outdoorsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/37981867822747-What-fees-should-I-be-aware-of (checked 2026-10-27)
- [A] Cruise America 2026 summer terms via agent page usandcanadatravel.com (miles $0.39 each; prep fee $50; vehicle kit $125; personal kit $75/person; generator $8/night; 7-night minimum; local taxes by depot: Los Angeles 9.50%, San Francisco 9.25%) — www.usandcanadatravel.com/motorhome_hire/cruise_america/rv_rentals_rates_4.shtml (checked 2026-10-29)
- [A] Distances: our own routing with OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (route file in our build notes), rounded; drive times without stops.
- Private RV park rates, airport transfer fares and the season windows marked [A]: our estimates, not checked against a specific source.
Next step
Arrival check: can you pick up the day you land?Santa Fe Springs depot hours by season, and what a late landing means
← All cost pages, route by route
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