Yaqui Well Primitive Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Stayed here on way to Joshua Tree. Was better than the Wash area nearby. Nice trail and views from hills nearby. Also great view of night sky. Tour hike group stopped here in morning though so may not always be quiet.

I don't think this map pin is correct for Yaqui Wells Primitive Camp, the location according to Google Maps is a little further south just off Yaqui Pass Road off Highway 78. There are two different camps similarly named, Yaqui Wells and Yaqui Pass, fairly close to each other. Anyway, we stayed here at Yaqui Wells for one night after attempting to camp at Blair Valley but getting swarmed by bees. Only saw 2 other vehicles, and while the sites are pretty small and close to the dirt road, they are nice enough. BE AWARE THOUGH: pull your vehicle well into the sites, we had 6 lifted off road trucks come flying through around midnight at a ridiculously high speed without slowing down at all and it could have been catastrophic if we were closer to the road or if we had been walking our dog at that time.

Using the marker on the map in the app, I was brought to a small dirt parking lot off the main road. Further exploration showed that a dirt road continued into the vegetation. I followed it, but it turned and went parallel with a road. I am nowhere near see the marker on the map. However, I am a 100 feet off the trail overlooking the town of Borrego Springs and the mountains behind it. I am here in this section by myself.

I did explore the Yaqui Pass and the Yaqui Wash spots, which are both further west over the mountain. The Pass was great and within a valley. The pass was a carpark as someone else noted. I wanted my back to the sunset (and the wind) so chose this location. Next time I hope to get to the spot the other reviews seem to be at.

Easy access and near the main highway. Disperse camping, pack in and pack out! Very windy. Close to the town of Borrego Springs. One night is plenty, because of the windy conditions.

Yaqui wash (valley) is nothing more than a big flat parking lot off the road in the desert. Not much there really. Yaqui Well on the other hand is very nice-real desert camping with a variety of vegetation and terrain. Night and day difference! Two really nice well documented hikes near Yaqui Well, right across the road from Tamarisk grove. PS. don’t forget water, TP and a shovel! 💩

Spontaneously went here to camp for the weekend. We arrived late Friday night and still found a spot for three cars. There were four other groups, but by morning they were gone. As expected it was very hot during the day and windy at night, but the small, one-mile hike was very much worth it. Plenty of spots to use the restroom, and the dirt was packed so no need for AWD or 4WD.

Photographer friend was also able to capture amazing astrophotography here.

Huge bonus: we had signal all throughout the trip and we had Tmobile.

We rolled in after dark and found a spot super easy that was secluded and perfect for tent camping. We had a nice hike in the morning before heading back to Julian for pie :)

Perfect for group sites. There’s an endless plethora of campsites. It will never be full.

Perfect for large groups who need a quick spot to camp. It’s nothing special and can sometimes hear traffic but other than that, the stars were beautiful!

Campground next to hwy which makes it easy to get to but can hear traffic. Along a wash so just pick a spot. Great for groups. Can get windy so bring your tent stakes.

My girlfriend and I camped here on a Friday night, at the recommendation of a ranger in the Visitor's Center. Overall, I was happy with our stay as we could only see one other party (far away enough to where we couldn't hear them) and it was quieter than I thought it would be, considering it runs parallel to a highway. I wasn't expecting so many planes; I'm not sure what flight path runs over it, but there was an ongoing stream of planes (but not enough to be disruptive; just not as quiet as I'd like). There were vault toilets, but we just opted to do our business in nature. The campground is a mile or two from a developed campground and we navigated our 2WD minivan on the dirt road without any issues. Yaqui Well hiking trail runs through part of the grounds, which is a nice hike leading to a natural spring. It's far enough away from Borrego Springs to feel like you're "out there" but close enough to be convenient if needed without having to drive too far. I'd stay here again!

This campground is a primitive one. It’s basically an open lot. There’s a wonderful path call Bill Kenyon Overlook trail that’s trailhead is on the side of the campground. No toilets but campground down the road at the beginning of Yaqui Pass rd does with running water (technically not allowed to use if you didn’t campthere). Stakes are a little hard to get in the ground. Day is really hot and night is cold but Anza-borrego is a beautiful place