Best Tent Camping near El Centro, CA

Great Area to take your OHVs. Season starts around Halloween and ends in May for Red stickers. They have public restrooms spread through the grounds. It's great for tent camping and RVs/campers, tents. Town is about 25 minutes away, however they have a few stores/restaurants nearby.

Lots going on here but felt peaceful midweek in Jan. 3 spring-fed pools, hot showers quarter operated, clean flush toilet bathrooms, water, hiking trails and ample roads to walk the dog on. Mountain lion country - be alert. Friendly rangers. Clean facilities and well-kept grounds. Horseshoe pits and large group picnic areas. Cute cabins for rent - no pets allowed in those. Will definitely visit again. Many of the tent sites are close together - if the campground was full you’d have little privacy but it’s a large place and there were hardly any tent campers when I was there, though more RVs and vans in the hookup section. Tent site 106 is very private. I liked 109 it was in a kind of bird thicket with privacy from the road etc.

This is a great little spot with a lot of level area if you are self-contained and don't need to hook up to anything. Not a great place for tent camping though, think of it more as a great desert parking lot with a view. There are plenty of picnic tables and fire rings available though (be prepared and bring your own wood). There are several porta-potties and trash cans available as well and even some recycling bins available. The views here are solid, space was quiet aside from the occasional train. Would definitely recommend for a night. Cost was $10.

2 outdoor pools and an indoor adult spa (102 degrees), RV sites with Power, Water and Sewer as well as tent sites. Flush toilets and hot/cold showers. This place is well maintained and the cleanest campground I have ever stayed at. Shuffleboard and Horseshoes courts, lots of hiking trails and things to see. The campground / pools are all fed from natural mineral springs. Pets are allowed within the campground and all sites have picnic table and fire-ring. Small store at the park entrance is great for the simply things you may have forgotten. They even have cabins available but they book up pretty fast. Rangers are all very friendly and helpful. Enjoyed my stay, I will be back.

My wife and our two dogs (small chi mixes) stayed at this campground over Veterans Day weekend. There are two halves, one for RV’s, horses, and a few tent sites and the other half is all tents. In the center are the restrooms/showers, a few parking spots, and camp host’s RV. The sites are pretty small and very close together but even on a busy holiday weekend where nearby Agua Caliente was full, here were plenty of sites available. Camp host was very active driving around welcoming everybody and was helpful with any questions you might have. Tons of coyotes! They’re tricky and smart, so stay sharp at night on walks with furry ones.

There are fire rings and tables at every site with water sources every few sites. The stage coach station is a historical landmark and sits in the center near the facilities. Pretty cool small cemetery and children’s playground available as well. It was definitely a safe, accessible, and incredibly clean campground. Lots of flies between late morning/afternoon but I’m sure citronella and a cooler period would have solved that problem. We would stay again!

Camped here for three nights in March of 2019, in one of the partial hookup sites close to the pool. According to the map of the CG, there are 104 sites and 7 cabins. Partial hookups are closest to the pool/shower area, with full hookups and cabins farther back and tent sites in the middle.  

it seemed to be a well run facility. It was cool, cloudy and wet from recent rains when we were there and our site had a tiny stream running through it. Some sites, including ours, were not too level. The pool was not what I'd call "hot", probably in the mid to high 90s. 

There's a couple short trails in the park, we hiked Moonlight Canyon. We really enjoyed it!! A bit like a lunar landscape with wild desert plants and flowers. The highlight was seeing some desert bighorn sheep!

A small store sits just outside the park entrance and though it was small, it seemed to have at least one of everything you could possibly need, including my favorite Colorado  beer, Fat Tire!!

This park has a lot of rules, some quite unusual. Probably a good idea to familiarize yourself with them before you head out.

The S.Family went camping for my Nieces birthday. Small campground, restroom is a plus, off-roading & trails were very nice. That weekend was very very windy our 2 person tent didn’t fly away. Campsite fit a tent & 1 motorhome & 2 truck and trailers.

Hot spring campground in the Anza desert. Such a great place to come and reset from busy day to day hustle. Peaceful and clean, with cabins for those who dont tent or trailer camp.

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.

It is divided with RVs on one side, tent only on the other. Lots of families, quiet hours, dark skies... and a slide. Campsite #3 is line of sire to the playground, which is good information for helicopter parents.

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.

We ended up here for one night in January and were so pleased with the experience. We stayed in the tent loop- grateful we brought along our chemical toilet, because the facilities were very very far! But- the nursing was amazing- we had a few roadrunners and thrashers that hung out in our campsite and dozens of small Birds with the bushes around.

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.

I stayed at Arroyo Salado one year during a super bloom at Anza Borrego Desert State Park.  The campground is very, very basic.  You pull up and find a spot and camp.  There are no designated campsites.  And it's free.  There are pit toilets, which are clean and don't really smell.

We had the pleasure, as I said, of coming during the super bloom, when all of the sites closer to town were booked.  This is in the "badlands" part of the park, leaving Borrego Springs and heading toward Salton City, which happens to be the cheapest place to get gas in these parts.

There's room to pitch a tent.  You basically set up camp wherever there is room. We were among blooming desert lilies and had to be careful not to damage any, but plenty of fairly flat sandy soil to pitch a tent.  You can bring your own barbecue if you want a fire, but fires must be self contained and you have to pack out what you bring in, so don't leave behind your ashes or coals.  Want to be lazy?  Grab dinner from one of the restaurants in town.

This part of the park (the badlands) tends to be slightly warmer than other areas of the park.  (Because of elevation and topography? I'm not sure why.)  This is a dry camp.  There is no water, so you have to bring your own. But Borrego Springs is maybe 15-20 minutes away if you need a supply run.

During the blooms and when it's not super hot, it's lovely, but it's ungodly hot in the summer here (110-115 degrees), not cooling much at night.  There are off-road roads in this area.  We watched a lovely moonrise amid some night-blooming flowers.  So time it right and it's lovely.

We tried a couple of other dispersed camp sites before this one but they were all full. A AWD would be best for this area because of the deep sand. I did make it back aways with my Prius, to my surprise. I did get stuck once but got out pretty easily. But if had rained while I was here that might be a different story. We tucked ourselves into a cove. It felt pretty private until I was using my bathroom bucket while there were people hiking the ridge above me. Haha. I brought my pop-up bathroom tent but the wind was so strong it would not stand upright. If I had a AWD or an ATV this could be a run area to explore. But I'm not sure I'll come back. One and done.

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 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.

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.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/718214693509760

http://riobendmap.infinityfreeapp.com/

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.