Culp Valley Primitive Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Reviewed Mar. 9, 2019

Get above it all....

I stayed there the night of March 2nd, 2019. It was very windy and fairly cold. I think the actual temperature would have been fine if not for the windchill and spitting rain from the clouds stuck on the mountain a few miles away. The wind blew the moisture across.

Free primitive campground with clean and stocked pit toilets (depending on who went before you anyway). The road in is rough but can be navigated with a passenger vehicle (I drove a Prius on them). I’ve hit bottom coming out of California business driveways more often.

It’s located well up the mountain from Borrego Springs on a scenic highway. Borrego Springs is a Dark Sky community, so there’s good stargazing.

You are supposed to use a metal container for fires, but the site where I camped had a fire ring that had been used. I don’t think I’d have had a fire even if I’d had a metal container. The wind was that strong (and I’m a Kansas boy, I know strong winds). I also saw discarded gas cylinders that I was going to pack out but got distracted. I’ll never be able to wrap my head around people go want to be in nature but have no problem trashing it out or burning it down. That said, it was only my campsite where I saw these issues.

All in all, a very picturesque stay, but the wind will rock you.

  • Review photo of Culp Valley Primitive Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park by Carlos B., March 9, 2019
  • Review photo of Culp Valley Primitive Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park by Carlos B., March 9, 2019
  • Review photo of Culp Valley Primitive Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park by Carlos B., March 9, 2019
  • Review photo of Culp Valley Primitive Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park by Carlos B., March 9, 2019