★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
San Diego County
Drive-up · public land · San Diego County, CA · 32.72162, -116.13682
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
Public land near the trailhead for the Goat Canyon hike in the Anza-Borrego desert. This is a large, spacious clearing in the desert, only a short distance from the the Mexican border. It is only ideal if you plan to do the hike. Four-wheel drive strongly recommended. It is at the end of roughly five miles of primitive two-tracks. It is fairly private, but was very hot. The desert is vast and worthy of exploration. Bring water. There are rattlesnakes. Some cell service.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 1,840 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- FFuel6 mi
- GGrocery6 mi
- @Mail8 mi
- WWater10 mi
- DDump18 mi
- ShShower18 mi
- +Urgent care21 mi
- LLaundry29 mi
- RxPharmacy33 mi
- MMechanic33 mi
- HHardware33 mi
- PPropane34 mi
- OOutfitter37 mi
- AAir-up48 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 6 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
public land · dispersed
Elevation
1,840 ft
County
San Diego County, CA
Coordinates
32.72162, -116.13682
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureStream · nearby
- Nearest townBoulder Park · ~4.8 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~9.8 mi
- FuelOcotillo Chevron Desert Fuel Stop · ~8.3 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~18.5 mi
- GroceriesWisteria Candy Cottage · ~9.5 mi
- PharmacyFarmacias Roma · ~29.5 mi
- Hospital / clinicHospital · ~30.1 mi
- HardwareMateriales Moisés · ~13.0 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
Had a signal
Getting there
High clearance / 4×4
Fire ring
No
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Highly recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletMccain Lark Cg -Day Use Vault Toilet · ~7.7 mi W · BLM
- RestroomMccain Lark Canyon Cg -Toilet 10 · ~7.9 mi W · BLM
- RestroomMccain Lark Canyon Cg -Toilet 20 · ~8.0 mi W · BLM
- RestroomMccain Lark Canyon Cg -Toilet 30 · ~8.0 mi W · BLM
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Elliot Mine Area Dispersed Camping~7.0 mi
- Carrizo Gorge Wilderness~7.2 mi
- Lark Canyon Campground~8.0 mi
- Lark Canyon Campground~8.1 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (San Diego County, CA). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Finding water out here →Hot-weather camping →Bugs & critters →How to read this page →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →