Looking for the best Imperial RV camping? Find the best information on RV camping near Imperial, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your RVing experience. Search nearby RV campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Ocotillo RV Resort is focused on family fun, desert adventures and good times for all! Here’s what you are going to love!
Contact our resort directly to book your stay with us!
$30 - $213 / night
RV Park open October 1 - June 1.
RV Camping Rates:
Per Campsite 2 adults 2 children - $49 FHU 30/50 up to 4 persons* Weekly - $235 FHU 30/50 Monthly - $375 plus electric
Tent Camping:
Nightly - $35 up to 4 persons Extra Person $10 per night Animals subject to additional fees. Passport America, Good Sam, AAA, Active Military, Senior Discounts Available
Discounts:
Discounts Available for Passport America, Good Sam, AAA, Active Military, and Seniors (over 65) for RV Camping and Tent Camping only. RV Rentals and Day Use at Regular Listed Pricing
RV Units for Rent:
Nightly - $144 night double occupancy. Extra Person $10 per night
$35 - $375 / night
Ranger
Pilot Knob RV Resort is a solid option for RV travelers, especially those affiliated with Thousand Trails or Encore campgrounds. Overall, I’d give it 4 stars, with the only downside being its remote location. Aside from the Granite Museum and the overpriced gas station at the exit, there’s not much nearby. For most necessities, you’ll need to drive into Yuma, which also involves crossing a time zone.
On the positive side, the amenities at the campground are great and seem recently renovated. The restrooms, game room, and pool area are all clean and well-maintained, and the shuffleboard courts and bocce ball are fun additions. There always seem to be organized events on the calendar, which is nice if you’re into social activities, though we didn’t attend any ourselves.
The RV sites are spacious, especially compared to other Thousand Trails locations. This makes it a great spot for those who RV part-time or full-time and enjoy a bit more room to spread out.
The staff here is incredibly friendly and helpful, and package/mail handling is seamless, which is a bonus for longer stays. The sunsets are absolutely gorgeous, and the nearby Pilot Knob hiking trails and Sand Dunes offer excellent opportunities to explore the outdoors.
Lastly, we enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the nearby casino—it was delicious and convenient, though the casino itself wasn’t our favorite for gambling.
Yuma is about a 20 minute drive.
Scout
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.
Scout
Staying here for the fall, winter, spring season. The facilities are very clean with a beautiful pool and spa. The rates are reasonable especially if staying long term. It’s mostly quiet although there are off road vehicles around they’re not too irritating. There are occasional fireworks. It feels very safe here. Lots of shade.
Guide
Full hook up. California State Park… so safe. The lake is improving but not safe yet. Fishing has Improved. There are three separate campgrounds in this park. Flies can be a problem but not this time because of wind. View is outstanding
Traveler
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.
Guide
This is a great out of the way spot for great camping and hot springs to enjoy and pools. The have a small cafe on site. You can take your ATVs, quads, motorcycles, etc. out there and there are tons of trails to explore. They also rent wagon cabins that look great. Full hook ups.
Guide
This is the perfect spot if you are planning to stay in slab city. Either for short or long term it is nice to be able to show up to an established camp. Mojo is the coolest person. Super nice and knows how to run a good camp. Lots of interesting people to talk to, it’s a very community oriented camp so plan to make some friends while you are there! We sat by the fire morning and night with the crew there and got to hear some amazing stories. Bathrooms and a kitchen are available so no need to be fully contained. Please be respectful if you go. This place is awesome and the vibe is awesome. Please don’t disturb that! There are lots of local dogs running around. All the ones we met were super friendly but keep that in mind if you have a dog or are afraid of them.
RangerGiant RV park with many entrances, it looks free but don’t quote me on that. We camped here off the dirt road and didn’t see anyone to pay. We asked a few people around and they said they had never paid either. Again, don’t quote me on that! Beautiful area, tons of shooting and off-roading nearby.
Scout
Pretty interesting RV park there are people with sail kites and they have two stroke engines strapped to their back or like go karts some of them,and they’re flying with a propeller on the engine. I don’t know what they call it but it’s pretty cool to watch. A little noisy in the daytime but other than that, it’s great
RangerWe tried stopping at pilot knob as there isn’t much else in the area. It’s pretty much that and a chevron gas station. Unfortunately, it is closed from April to October. Driving by, it looked pretty run down. All the sites are right next to each other.
This looks more like an rv park than a place where you could stop for a night or two.
It’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Not much to see here other than the beautiful sunset. We did se some other people setting up camp in a nearby parking lot. I’m assuming it is related to pilot knob as there is literally nothing else out there.
Traveler
This campground is well designed for tent and small rv camping. The particularly site I stayed at did not have a lot of level ground for tents. The sites are generally spaced far enough apart to give you a bit of privacy. The host was very attentive and regularly made rounds to sell firewood. The facilities are mainly pit toilets but during peak season there is a shower available somewhere though I didn’t use it. Loads of hiking right off the campgrounds. You can walk right out of the forest to a great view of anza borrego desert. This is one of the few campgrounds in California where you don’t really need to worry about bears, though you should be wary of mountain lions.
ScoutThis 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.
RangerCamped 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.
RangerSalton Sea is such an interesting place. A bird haven for migrating birds - be sure to visit the Sonny Bono Refuge closeby. This camp had $20 basic tent sites, some full hookup sites available- paved, some sites along beach. One of the 2 loops were closed. Showers - tho no hot water left when I got to them and most bathrooms boarded up and in disrepair. Ample trash and recycling bins and water. Friendly host and camp wood available at $10 a pop. Check to see if sites are reserved at kiosk if you are coming without reservations.
Guide
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.
Traveler
This is a dispersed camping are. NO hook-ups. No water, sewer or electricity. Perfect. What does it have? Pit toilets and showers. Day Use is $7 Overnight camping is $10. I stayed 4 nights and enjoyed the near solitude with only four other campers in sight. Very interesting walks on the shore. Excellent stargazing, and some fabulous sunsets. Park Maintenance keeps the facilities sparkling clean. There is a fresh water spigot behind the toilets too!
RangerLots 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.
Traveler
We come camping here every year and I love it! We're always able to get a spot, even in the busy season. It's busier than it used to be (used to be a ghost town), last time we were here, a lot of the spots were filled, but people are never obnoxious and I would never call this place crowded. The primitive sites are a 3 min walk to the beach. The hook-up sites are basically right on the Salton Sea Beach. There is a cute little Visitor's Center, as well as a cactus garden, and beach access for fishing and GORGEOUS SUNSET viewing. This is the favorite part of visiting. I believe it's $30/night for a primitive spot. Bathrooms are SUPER CLEAN and they have showers.
Legend
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!
TravelerThis park has something for everyone. The mineral pools, Horse shoe pits, paved roads for bikes, hiking. There are hook up and no Hook up sites as well as cabins. Careful if you bring dogs, it’s the desert and lots of cactus.
TravelerThe ground are very clean as well are the toilets and showers. Some spaces are small but there at spaces that are big enough for an RV or travel trailer.
Guide
This review is for the New Camp campground. For some reason Dyrt has listings for all of the developed State Park campgrounds within the Salton Sea SRA except for this one. It is near Headquarters campground but is not the same campground. First off, know that New Camp has no views of the Salton Sea. For that, you need to select one of the other campgrounds. What is nice about New Camp is that the sites are large and well spaced apart and there is a degree of privacy allowed due to vegetation. Some but not all sites have electrical hookups. There is a well maintained restroom with flush toilets and showers. The campground is small and the restrooms don't get savaged like many other Cal State Parks I've been to. We met the campground host, who was super friendly, and helpful, and very knowledgeable of the local area. My dog, camping buddy and I had a great time exploring some local hikes and attractions using New Camp as a base camp for three nights. There is a busy train track that runs parallel to much of the Eastern shore of the Salton Sea and is very close to New Camp. We didn't find this particularly bothersome.
Legend
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.
GuideIf you haven’t been, Salton Sea is a really interesting destination. I want to describe it as a little bit spooky. If you’re looking for a campsite off the beaten path with gorgeous views and some unique exploring nearby, this is it.
I stayed here in a 22 foot RV at one of the hookup sites. It was essentially the back of the massive parking lot to the visitors center, which is currently closed due to COVID. You can tell this place was wonderful hopping but has now slowed down in traffic quite a bit.
The lake is so still, it’s beautiful. Lots of waterfowl right on the beach. Gorgeous sunsets over the mountains across the lake as well. Occasionally the lake gave off a bit of a sulfur-y smell, but that wasn’t a deal breaker by any means.
If you’ve got time for it, stay here. It’s cool and weird. Take some time to walk around the visitor area to read the info panels or do a little research to learn some more about this cool and weird place.
Traveler
This place is very remote. No water, electricity, or sewer. We stayed a week there. People living out of there cars and some run down trailers. They are pretty self sufficient. They have free internet at the Internet cafe. We didn’t have any time that we did not feel safe. We were able to leave and nothing was stolen or damaged. We had our inverter generator for power. Had great cell phone coverage 5g signal. Was able to stream on our TV with roku. Great sunsets and sun rises. Great view of the stars at night. Very close to salton sea. Walmart was about a half an hour away for supplies. There was also a lot of trash scatterd around. We did our part and cleaned up our campsite. This was our 2nd time there, so we knew where a safe place was to set up camp.
TravelerThis is not the place I was expecting from all the bad I've heard. It was beautiful. The park was clean, all facilities were clean. The staff were friendly and awesome. They do have E/W hook ups and can take rigs up to 35'. The showers take tokens!
Guide
This new koa is under new management and they are really trying to make it a memorable experience for you and your kids. It’s a bit off the beaten path, but it’s a beautiful part of San Diego county.
Amenities include a mini petting Zoo and things like a hayride in warmer weather. The facility is gated which felt like a great thing I didn’t know I needed. Facility is at 4000 feet.
Explore the vibrant RV camping scene near Imperial, California, where you can enjoy a mix of relaxation and outdoor activities in beautiful surroundings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular RV campsite near Imperial, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Imperial, CA is Ocotillo RV Resort with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find RV camping near Imperial, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 55 RV camping locations near Imperial, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
