Arroyo Salado Primitive Campground

Salton City, CA

Arroyo Salado Primitive Campground

Arroyo Salado is badlands camping. It is in malpais (bad country) in the huge Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (ABDSP), which has everything—palm-studded canyons, cactus gardens, mountain pinyon forests, hot springs, waterfalls, bighorn sheep, Native American pictographs and petroglyphs, historic emigrant trails, stage stops, and ghost towns. A sandy road goes down the wash with various turn-outs where you can park your car and camp. Carry your tent up over the hummocks, and, suddenly, you’ll be alone in untracked malpais. Everywhere is a good place to pitch a tent. The desert floor is clean and sandy. Sit down and listen to the wind and look for lizards flitting over the rocks and dunes. Wait, and the desert comes to you.

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