North of Joshua Tree BLM

  The campgrounds of Joshua Tree National Park fill fast so visitors often boondock on the BLM north and south of the park. The area to the north is a dry lake bed, barren and dusty, but quiet except on weekends when off-roaders arrive. The land to the west and south of the lake bed is private. Make sure that you are camped on public land.

  The second day of our stay was very windy but luckily we had parked close to the dried grass at the edge of the lake bed which kept the dust from blowing on us. If we stay here again we’ll probably park closer to the hills for protection from the wind and dust.

  Access is possible with any RV, however, the  roads have large potholes and are washboard. The lake bed itself is huge so there’s plenty of room to spread out.  Boondock  34.16776, -116.2218

 

 

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

  Like most older zoos this one has exhibits that are in need of updating to provide the animals with larger and more stimulating spaces. The giraffe and wallaby enclosures are good but the some of the other enclosures, like the one for the zebras, have barren, rocky ground without a blade of grass.

 

   

 Besides the animals there are about 20 small gardens that showcase plants from different areas of North America and Africa. A large model railroad features over a dozen trains that glide past miniature towns and landscapes of the southwest.

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  The zoo is partly accessible. The main paths are paved but the pavement ends before reaching the exhibits leaving a drop off and a sandy area to navigate through to get to the viewing areas. The main paths have slight up and down grades. The garden paths are sandy dirt. The nature trails are loose sand and not accessible. Visiting this zoo would be difficult for wheelchair users who do not have assistance through the rough patches.

  The parking lot is large. RVs can be parked across the spaces. Zoo  33.70044, -116.375

 

Cahuilla Tewanet Vista Point

  At almost 4,000’ above the Coachella Valley, the vista point offers sweeping views of the mountains with a peek into the valley.

  The path is paved with slight up and downgrades.

  The parking lot is small. Large RVs may fit along the loop road.The road down to the valley is steep and twisty. Down shift!  Vista Point  33.58606, -116.42599

Pinyon Flat Campground

  The campground loop features eighteen sites tucked among the pines. Most of the sites are very narrow and uneven but Site 3 is great - wide and easy to back into. It was in use when we visited and we found many of the other sites were very difficult to access even with our short RV. The loop road may be in rough shape so use caution with low clearance vehicles.

   All of the sites have accessible tables and high fire rings but most are not accessible because the parking pads are so narrow. Site 3 would work plus there is one site that is ADA compliant even though it isn’t designated as such. It has a paved parking pad that is wide enough to deploy a lift. A paved path provides access to the vault toilets and the picnic table. Paving extends under the table and grill. We did not use this site because it was shady and we wanted to be in the sun. Campground  33.58428, -116.45744

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park–Route S2

For the most part Route S2 follows the old Butterfield Stage Route along the western edge of the park. It’s about 35 miles long with many opportunities to hike or explore the intersecting dirt roads. We stayed on the paved road for a scenic drive through varying terrain with nice boondocking spots at the beginning and end.

  Dispersed camping is permitted along any dirt road but you must stay at least one vehicle length away from the road. Our first boondocking spot was off of a short, unmarked, dirt road that loops beside Route S2. Our campsite was close to the paved road but there are 4 or 5 sites on the edge of a cliff with great views of the Carrizo Badlands. Small RVs only!. The Badlands are composed of sandy and silty sediments deposited over millions of years by the Colorado River with fossils of extinct mammals, marine animals, and hundreds of plants buried in the many layers. Badlands  32.827, -116.16566

 Although we didn’t camp at Blair Valley we did stop to check out the free camping. Camping is restricted to an area close to the entrance and along the dirt roads on either side of the dry lake bed. No camping on the lake bed itself. We drove a short distance along the road by the base of the hills where the campsites were close to the road and busy. The road goes for a couple of miles so camping may be better farther in. The road is rough in spots. Blair Valley  33.03827, -116.40908

  Our last camping spot was in a large dirt parking lot for the Pacific Crest Trail. The north end of the lot has a nice little spur off of the main lot and is surrounded by desert plants. Pacific Crest Trailhead  33.10185, -116.47478

Bucklin Park Walking Trail

  A 3/4 mile paved trail loops through this small, community park which features picnic shelters, a playground, a pond, and restrooms. It’s well cared for and popular with local residents.

  This is one of the few places in El Centro that isn’t flat. Small hills were created with the soil that was removed to construct the pond. They’re not steep but some wheelchair users may need assistance.

 

  The parking lots on the north, south, and east sides of the park are too small for large RVs but on-street parking is available on the side streets. Park   32.78128, -115.56354

 

Salton City Abandoned RV Park

 Update 2025 - Closed to camping

 M. Penn Phillips made a fortune as a real estate developer, however, Salton City was not one of his successes. The subdivision of 12,000 residential lots with water, sewer, and power was promoted as the “Salton Riviera" and attracted a lot of attention when it opened in 1958. Plans included schools, churches, parks, community services, a championship 18-hole golf course, a $500,000 luxury hotel, yacht club, and the largest marina in California. Most of the buyers were speculators and the isolation, lack of jobs, flooding, and rising salinity in the lake added to the lack of interest in actually living in the city.  80% of the lots are still undeveloped. 

I couldn’t find any information on the RV park so I don’t know if it was a city park or a private park but nobody cares if people boondock in the old park or on the beach. We choose the park but as long as you’re careful and avoid loose sand it’s possible to camp on the beach. People do get stuck so walk it first if you’re unsure.

 

The ground in the park is packed so rolling is fairly easy. The beach sand is too loose for easy rolling. Park  33.33235, -115.95058

Dos Palmas Preserve

  Water from springs feed a wetlands oasis where hundreds of palm trees and warm pools provide habit for birds, plants, and animals. It looks like a very cool place but unfortunately we could only view it from an overlook because there isn’t any wheelchair access.

  The main parking lot where the trail to the oasis starts is surrounded by a fence and the opening is too narrow for wheelchair access. The only other access point is chained off. We could have ducked under the chain but we couldn’t navigate around or move the large rocks.

  The dirt road and parking lot are fine for RVs. Preserve  33.4997, -115.84854

 

Salton Sea New Camp

 Salton Sea State Recreation Area (originally Salton Sea State Park) was established in 1955 and runs along the northeast side of the sea for about 15 miles and has five campgrounds. During the 1950s and 60s fishing was fantastic but as the water level dropped only the  fish that could adapt to the increasing salinity survived. The boat launches and fishing piers were left high and dry. New Camp was almost empty when we visited.

Three of the sites in the New Camp loop have water and electric hookups, one has electric, and the rest are no hookup. The sites are a little unusual because all vehicle parking is parallel to the loop road. The spaces are about 40’ long so this campground is not designed for large RVs with tow or towed vehicle. Amenities include shade shelters over the picnic tables, restrooms, showers, fresh water, and a dump station.

  The campground is only a few hundred feet from a busy highway and railroad so it’s noisy. We probably would not stay here again due to the noise.

 All of the sites have accessible tables and high fire rings but only the one designated as accessible has a curb cut. The parking spot is short however parking across the spaces would work if you have a long RV. The short, accessible nature trail is paved and makes a half mile loop. The visitor center was closed during our visit but it is accessible. Camping 33.50167, -115.9114

Bombay Beach Art

Update 2026 - new art has been created on the beach and dry camping appears to be permitted. During the 1950s and 1960s the Sultan Sea was the place to be for summer fun of sports fishing, boat racing, water skiing, and swimming.  Bombay Beach’s vacation cottages and trailer parks were filled every weekend until the floods of 1976 and 1977 destroyed half of the town. A dike was built to protect the rest of the town from future floods but declining water levels, increased salinity, and pollution from agricultural runoff contributed to town’s demise.

  Today just few hundred people live in Bombay Beach and most of the buildings are empty however a group of artists is attempting to bring some life back to the town. 2016 was the first year of the Bombay Beach Biennale, a weekend of art and entertainment. There has been a festival every year except for 2020 when coronavirus forced a postponement. Many of the art installations are permanent and visitors are welcome.

   We spent an afternoon wandering around looking at all of the creations. There are three different areas – the beach between the dike and the sea where the jagged studs of buildings are still visible half buried in sand; the Bombay Beach Estates, a cluster of abandoned cottages and trailers that serve as large canvases; and isolated artwork in vacant lots and the yards of residents.

   Avenue A provides the best access over the dike and onto the beach. It’s possible to drive on the beach if the street is not blocked off. Stay on the trafficked lanes to avoid getting stuck. We parked along the street and walked/rolled to see the art. Most wheelchair users will need assistance.

  Bombay Beach Estates is gated to prevent vehicle traffic but foot traffic is okay. Caution is required due to the amount of rubble and deteriorating structures.

    

  The streets are lightly trafficked so walking/rolling down them is fine. All of the art installations along the streets can be viewed from your vehicle.  Art  33.34878, -115.73295