Best Tent Camping near Calexico, CA

Ended up here since CA closed all state campgrounds (because camping spreads COVID?) We were the only tent campers there. Lake is super lovely, clean bathrooms with showers. Sites have charcoal grills, but no ground fires allowed.

Unfortunately there is a very loud and semi-smelly cow farm next door. I was fine with earplugs but I wouldn't stay there without them.

Not much to do if you don’t like off-roading. There are places to rent Atvs and side by sides if you don’t have your own. Bathrooms stink, but it beats squatting in the sun and sand in your bum. Bring a tent or a trailer and make sure you have 4 wheel drive.

As a tent camper this one was a bit of a stretch for me to feel comfortable, however if you are a boondocker this is an ideal spot for the adventurer who wants to be off grid with a community designed for just that.

Slab City and East Jesus are known as the last free place in America as noamads flock here during cool months and find themselves in many cases not wanting to leave. It is a community without a city limits but with basic rules of understanding that everyone dwelling there or camping there basically respects the thoughts of respecting one another and living self sustaining lifestyle.

Most staying are in travel vehicles of many kinds and have large water catchment systems as there is no sewer or water supply available. For an average tent camper you can visit however there are no amenities making for a rough stay if you opt in for more than a day or so.

There is within the community Salvation Mountain and a outdoor art gallery constructed from the leavings of those in the desert. You will find things made of old parts, used tires, pieces of old buildings repurposed and all free!!

I give it a 4 for the unique experience and urge you to check into the “library” if you make it there. They will let you know if you have arrived during any special occasions such as their community prom or karaoke night at their nomadic bar. Yep, it is a can’t miss.

We stayed here two nights and really liked it. There are a lot of travelers and some locals who come to the beach for the day, to look at the art of just to hang out, but overnight it gets pretty quiet. The first night there was only us and a bikepacker in a tent, and the second night there was a car camper that left early in the morning. Some ATV people riding around the sand also but they weren't too bad. There's also a guy in a nice small trailer down on the beach who looks like he's been there a while, but his site is nice and clean.

It's easy not to get stuck in the sand if you stay in the upper area. We had no problems in our 26ft class c. If you drive down to the beach just watch for the soft sand and stay on the hard packed parts.

The town and the beach are just so... interesting. The artists are taking over the nearly abandoned town and it's really neat to see. Curious to see what happens to the town of Bombay Beach in the long run. Very interesting history, both the sea itself and the towns around it. Lots of documentaries about it on YouTube if you're interested.

There's BLM land here but I think the part you can stay on is owned by IID (Imperial Irrigation District). Not sure about this, but anyway I don't think camping here is a problem.

Good cell reception and weather in mid November. We would have left if it was windy to avoid breathing in the particulates.

We have stayed here a few times now.  The best times are during the fall and winter months as the park welcomes back its community of Snow Birds coming from Canada and the northern US.  During those times the atmosphere in the evening is always festive, often with live music and an outdoor bar.  The staff are pleasant and accommodating.   It is also a pretty good overnight spot if you are passing through in the summer, but the temperatures in this area soar during the summer and are frequently above 110 degrees.  During summer time the pool becomes too warm to be refreshing, and the restaurant and bar are closed.  The rates are much lower in the summer.  This is also one of the few parks that accepts Passport America all days of the week.  Note that Passport America discounts cannot be used with pull-through sites.  The sites are fairly spacious and generally separated by hedges so you are not looking directly at your neighbor's rig.  Scenery around the park is beautiful any time of year, and for those who enjoy the RV Resort lifestyle the only reason to go out of the park during the snow bird season is for groceries.

It has great food and beautiful golf course.

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We only stayed one night in a pull through but enjoyed the facilities. Park is very clean and has a good restaurant. They do have a lot of mobile homes but most are newer and well kept. Some RV’s look abandoned which is a shame. Nice dog park area with grass, could use water for the pups. Laundry and bathrooms were very clean. Pool area and restaurant, bar area is nice. We had dinner, wing’s were great burger was good but not great. Service was very good. Pull through site was narrow but had all we needed for one night. Looks like the workout facility is nice.

Sand and more sand for days!!!! Super fun place, lots to do. Take your sand dune buggies and enjoy the day and night. Super fun for the whole family

Located in the Imperial Dunes, we didn’t even realize this was a “campground” as we drove the short uphill to the lookout to see the dunes. There is a 14-day limit but unless you are really into cruising around the dunes on an OHV, I’m not sure why you would stay that long. It is basically a paved parking lot and there are no markers indicating a separation between “spaces” so you park/camp wherever you find room (there were some sections with no parking signs). Although the road and lot are paved, the wind will blow sand all over and it was VERY windy when we were there! There were two vault toilets, a covered picnic table and several fire rings but no other amenities. As far as I can tell, it is free to camp here. I did notice some RVs displaying rather strident political flags which would have made us uncomfortable staying here overnight so we enjoyed the dunes for a short while and drove on. A plus is the cell coverage is great (you are higher up) and the dunes are beautiful!

This used to be a good RV park for Seniors on fixed income. But the new owners, who live in Palm Springs, have gotten greedy. First they cut out cable TV, then they cut out the seasonal discount, then they raised the rent$50 in one shot, and now they have cut off the Wi-Fi and raised the rent another$45 so Seniors now can't even get on the Internet to pay bills, or check on their Banking. Now they have been lying to us about the Wi-Fi internet, telling people it is only down temporarily, It has now been down temporarily for over 3 months. It is just a dirt lot that turns into a giant mud bog when it rains, no level pads to park on, and dogs are allowed to run free and shit all over the place. They just want to bleed people on fixed income, and stuff the money in their pocket. Some senior citizens have been forced out and have become homeless because the rise in food and gas prices already had them fighting to just put food on the table. The sprinkler system that is supposed to water the plants separating the sites at night has broken down so all the plants are dying off and they have no intention of fixing it. There is only one men's public shower and rest room and one public shower and rest room for women. The door locks don't work and men have been caught using the woman's shower if there is someone already using the men's. They have cut the Manger's hours down to noon to 5 O'clock 3 days a week and the owners are never around. They stay up in their nice rich house in Palm Springs and never even visit the park. So the poor Manager has to deal with all the problems. Their ad still says they provide free cable TV, Seasonal discounts, and free Wi Fi but they have discontinued all of these plus raising the site rent$100 a month. Avoid this place it is a dump run by slum lords.

Slab City can be a dark and depressing place, but is also an interesting view into the human spectrum. You'll see all types of rigs, from new class A setups to people living out of their cars. Some attractions to check out are East Jesus, an artist community and Salvation Mountain, one man's lifelong project devoted to his faith. Worth a trip if you keep an open mind.