Boondocking Site Review – Rockhouse Canyon Road, Clark Dry Lake, Borrego Springs, CA

Early morning hike in the hills by Rockhouse Canyon Road boondocking area

A lovely, large boondocking area just ~7 miles from Borrego Springs and right next to Anza Borrego State Park in SW California.

Location: Rockhouse Canyon Road, left-turn off S22 ~7 miles NE of Borrego Springs, CA
Coordinates: Approx. 33.2954N,-116.2893W (= SW corner of boondocking area). Link to map location HERE
Cost: FREE (no official stay limit at the moment, although this may change with State Park acquisition – see “summary” below)
How We Found It: This is a fairly well-known boondocking spot in the area. We first discovered it when we met a guy who was staying there our very first year in the area. The RV forums also talk about it, as do other bloggers. Much of this area is still private land so there is no “official” info on the place, but it’s a well-known/well-used location.
Nearest Dump/Water: Nearest dump at Borrego Palm Canyon campground  inside Anza Borrego State Park ($8 fee). If you’re headed east there is also a free dump at the ARCO station at the corner of S22 and Hwy 86 by the Salton Sea.

1. Access – 4.5/5 Very easy access for any sized-rig here although as usual a little extra effort is needed to access the best spots.
   Directions -> From Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs take Palm Canyon Drive (S22) east towards Salton Sea. Drive ~7 miles until you see Rockhouse Canyon Road on your left.
   Boondocking Spots-> Take Rockhouse Canyon road, up a short hill and past the “no trespassing” sign. Initial 100-ft of hill is paved, but road becomes reasonably firm dirt/sand after this spot. Boondocking spots are all over the desert after the sign, many off dirt spurs that depart from either side of the road. You’ll see plenty of cleared-out spaces with home-made fire-rings used by previous folks. Most people stay closer to the entrance (best Verizon signal here), but there are lots of really nice (and very private) spots further in. Some of the dirt spurs can be rather sandy/rough so check out the road before bringing in a big-rig.
2. Nature – 5/5  Fabulous nature spot. You are in the middle of the desert valley surrounded by scrub with outstanding views of the mountains all around. Good and easy-access hiking on nearby Coyote Mountain too.
3. Isolation – 4.5/5 Good to great isolation here depending on where you park. Only slight ding is this is a fairly well-known boondocking area and the Verizon signal is strongest near the entrance (closest to S22), so if you want a spot with good internet, you’ll likely get some rigs in your view.
4. Pet Friendliness – 5/5 Another great pet spot. You have days-worth of hiking and exploring in the surrounding hills, plus lots of space to hang out in camp. Also this is mostly “scrub” desert so not alot of cholla around which is a big positive for paws on the ground.

Overall Rating = 4.75

Summary: This is probably one of our absolute favorite boondocking spots.  It has easy access, lots of space, gorgeous desert nature and simply fabulous mountain views all around. Although it’s fairly well-known amongst boondockers, Borrego Springs is a lightly-visited town so there are lots of opportunities to find space to yourself. In boondocking circles you’ll sometimes hear this called “Clark Dry Lake” although the boondocking area is actually up the hill before the dry lake bed.  The spot is only ~7 miles NE from town, right off S22 on Rockhouse Canyon Road which is an easy dirt road that takes you back into the boondocking area. Front area (nearest S22) is super-easy to access and has the best Verizon signal, but is also the most popular. Further back on Rockhouse Canyon (nearer to the dry lake bed) the spots get much more isolated, but Verizon signal fades fast. We chose a spot a few miles down the dirt road which had very poor Verizon signal (just barely usable w/ our external antenna/amp), but really great privacy. The area is on private land inside Borrego Springs so there are no “official” rules about camping (this also means no restrictive dog rules), but that may change! According to our info a large part of this area was just recently acquired by the State Park, so it’s probable that boondocking will still be allowed in the future, but possibly with a stay limit and most likely some dog rules too. Lots to do & explore in the surrounding area including the cute town of Borrego Springs plus no end of historic trails and natural beauty in Anza Borrego State Park. Overall a fabulous spot and one we’d come to again and again.

Extra Info: No water or facilities (nearest dump/water inside Anza Borrego State Park). Good Verizon 3G signal near the entrance (closest to S22), but poor to zero signal further back.

Extra, Extra Info – OTHER BOONDOCKING? There is actually a ton of other boondocking around Boorego Springs

1. PEG LEG - This is actually right next to Rockhouse Canyon Road and is a great “beginner” boondocking area. It’s a large, flat and super, super easy-access “dirt parking” area right off Peg Leg road next to the Peg Leg monument. Cute little area and always rigs around. There’s a free book-swap in the mailbox. This is the same area where the annual Peg Leg Liar’s Contest is held. More info HERE. Free and no official stay limit.
2. GALETTA MEADOWS - This private land inside Borrego Springs allows free camping (3-day limit). Great for sculpture viewing! Contact Galetta Meadows for more info.
3. ANZA BORREGO STATE PARK - One of the unique things about Anza Borrego State Park is that they actually allow free, no-permit back-country camping anywhere within the state park as long as you stay within 1-vehicle length of the road, don’t trample vegetation and stay 100-feet away from any water source.  There are lots of dirt roads leading to interesting spots around the park, but for those looking for a specific spot there is “official” free back-country camping at Blair Valley (could fit big-rig at the entrance), Yaqui Pass (easy, large area), Yaqui Well, Culp Valley, Sheep Canyon, Arroyo Salado, Mt. Palm Springs and Fish Creek. Download the State Park magazine for more info HERE.
   NOTE/ If you have a dog be aware that Anza Borrego State Park does *not* allow dogs on any trails or in any wilderness areas. So if you go back-country camping w/ pooch you can only walk him/her on-leash on the park road.
4. OCOTILLO WELLS SVRA - This large off-road vehicle area east of Anza Borrego SP off Hwy 78  allows free 30-day camping anywhere within the area. It is also surrounded by BLM land. More info HERE.

"Aerial" view of our very private boondocking spot from Coyote Mountain. You can see S22 snaking off into the distance in the far background.

Another "ariel" view towards some nicely-spaced rigs near the back-end of the boondocking aera.

View of our boondocking spot from dirt spur off Rockhouse Canyon Road

Typical boondocking site. You'll see clear-out spaces and fire-rings like this all around.

Another site view, with another rig parked in the background

View of short, paved section near entrance of Rockhouse Canyon Road. Boondocking are starts right after the "no tresspassing" sign

Dirt-road section of Rockhouse Canyon Road. This is near the entrance with some rigs parked right off the road.

Biking around the dirt roads w Polly in the boondocking area

Very approximate map of Clark Dry Lake boondocking area. Borrego Springs in on the left. S22 constinues to Salton Sea on the right.

A Dream, A Mountain & A Desert Prophet – The Story of Marshall South

“we were out of step….temperamental misfits and innate barbarians…not equal to the job of coping with modern high-power civilization.”
Marshall South, circa 1939

Marshall South, the "desert prophet". From http://www.californiahistorian.com

Marshall South was a poet, an artist, a dreamer, a visionary, and a writer…and most likely completely nuts. But he did something unique which made its mark in history, takes us on a beautiful hike through the desert, and gives us a story to tell …and you know me, I love these kind of stories!

The year was 1929 and the Depression had affected everyone. At the time Marshall South (a fictitious name…he was born Roy Bennett Richards) was a writer living in Oceanside, CA with his wife Tanya. Exactly what happened next is a bit of a mystery.

On remote Ghost Mountain where the Marshall's made their home

In 1930 the couple packed everything they owned into a Model T and moved into the desert. It was the beginning of an ”experiment in primitive living” in a remote and completely isolated spot in the mountains at Blair Valley.  According to Marshall he wanted peace and solitude, and the ability to experience mental and physical freedom. However it’s likely the Depression played a factor and he saw the opportunity to make an alternative income riding the coat-tails of popular ”return to nature” movements of the time. Either way, a 17-year experiment had started.

Do I look like I could live here? The old ruins of the Marshall South Homestead

The South’s named their chosen spot Ghost Mountain and started construction of their adobe house, Yaquitepec….and popped out 3 children no less. The living arrangements were totally out there. They chose a spot with no water, far from civilization in a crazy, brutal desert environment. Being out in the boonies they became nudists too (who wouldn’t?). The entire thing was like something out of a fictional novel and Marshall finally capitalized on the story in 1939 with a contract with Desert Magazine to publish a one-year series entitled “Desert Year” that would feature life at Yaquitepec, month by month. It was a huge success, so much so that it continued through 1946 (you can read them in this book).

View of the badlands from Ghost Mountain. There is a special beauty here.

But here is where the story goes a little crazy, and become a little mysterious too. Marshall heavily romanticized his experiences on the mountain. Through his writings he portrayed a utopic life in harmony with nature and completely embodied this image, becoming “the desert prophet”. Personally I think he was swept away and trapped by his own written creation, living a life quite different from his mind’s eye. In a surprise (to just about everyone) Tanya filed for divorce in 1947, took the kids and refused (ever again) to speak about her time on the mountain. Marshall died a year later (sickness? malnutrition? heart-break? who knows…)

Taking the dirt road to Ghost Mountain

Another view of the ruins

Both the mystery and the story live on. Today you can still see the old ruins of Yaquitepec in Anza Borrego State Park. A fine drive to Blair Valley (mile 22.9 on S2) and a few miles on a dirt road takes you to the base of Ghost Mountain. Then another mile of steep uphill hiking takes you to the old homestead. Paul and I took the trip on an week-day morning bursting with winter sunshine. We were the only folks on the mountain and spent a good hour at the top, peeking around the old ruins and trying to imagine what a hard and crazy life it must have been. In many ways I can understand what they were doing here -> the need to find a link with nature, to experience peace, to depart from the norm, and in other ways I can’t understand it at all.

But I do love the story…

View of Blair Valley from the top of Ghost Mountain

Remains of an alternative life in the desert

Dried yucca flowers

Sun-dial made by the Marshall's

View from the trail

One of the water cisterns

Happy Hearts Day!!

Ahhh….the sweet pitter-patter of love, the strumming of heart-strings, the gushing of open-eyed wonder. It’s Valentine’s Day, my favorite love-day of the year and it gets me everytime.  A mere 15 years ago I met the man of my soul and we agreed to join our life journeys together. Through thick and thin he’s taken me as I am and I love him more deeply everyday (yes, I am a total sap and hope ever to be thus).

So, what better way to express that love than…..you guessed it….COOOooooKIES!

Oh yeah baby…Chocolate chip, gluten-free and drippingly luscious (the recipe is HERE -> I used half the sugar and double the choc chips), whipped up in a mere 20 minutes in our handy-dandy RV oven. Do you feel the love? I certainly do, and I’d venture to say that Paul is now a very satisfied man

Happy Heart’s Day everyone!!

Meetin’ & Greetin’ & Bloggin’

What a great capture! Photo Credit: Kathie Maxwell

One of the things that always amazes me about RVing is how social the whole thing is. Before we started full-timing I always imagined that once we got on the road we might have a tough time making friends, especially if we were boondocking. Once we got out there I realized that wasn’t the case at all and I wrote about this phenomenon last year in my 5 Ways to Create Community And Friendships On The Road. What I didn’t mention in that post was that the same thing happens while boondocking.

You may be out in the boonies...but you are not alone....

So, what's your name handsome?

You may be out there by yourself, off in the wilds and happily running around like primal man, but believe it or not you meet people. This past week in Borrego Springs was a fabulous example of that. Not only were we in this wonderful, isolated spot but we made several friends through contacts on the blog (this post), met others who we found through their blogs (this post) and met even others that we just bumped into on the road. It’s actually one of the many, many reasons I love blogging -> your writing attracts people who think just like you and by a simple sharing of adventures and thoughts you create this wonderful sense of community right through the internet. How much cooler does it get than that?

Bob & Paul chattin' by the fire

But outside of blogging the physical interactions are always the best. We met Kathie & Bob on the road hiking near our rig and were invited over to a wonderful evening of fireside chatting & snacks. Not only was it a great night (and we have plans to meet again when they come and workamp in San Diego), but Kathie took the best shot of the day, maybe even the best shot of the week, which so perfectly captured the moment (first shot above) that I just HAD to share it.

Meeting The Bayfield Bunch!!

Another great meeting was bumping into Al & Kelly from The Bayfield Bunch at the farmer’s market. It was actually Al’s wonderful pictures and easy, personable style of writing about The Slabs that got me hooked on his blog several years ago, and I’ve been an avid follower ever since (do go check it out!). Since I’d read the blog for so long meeting them in person almost felt like meeting an old friend. And indeed they were just as lovely, inviting & relaxed as their posts (plus they got superstar bonus points for giving me the title of  ”youthful charm” in their blog  ). Lovely to meet you guys!

Just goes to show that RVers are a great bunch. But then, you knew that already didn’t you?

The Amazing Hidden Slot Canyons – Anza Borrego State Park, CA

Paul leans on a squeeze-point between 2 boulders in "The Slot"

In “real-time” it’s a day since we left our fabulous boondocking spot in Borrego Springs, but in “blog-time” I’m still sitting in the sun and enraptured by the place, and will be for at least another 3-4 blogs or so (there’s simply TOO many great impressions to write about). So, get ready for a little delayed writing, but with all the impressions as real as today.

One of the images still etched on my mind are the slot canyons. It’s one of a mere multitude of deep impressions from Anza Borrego State Park, and for those unfamiliar with the place I have to start there….because the park really is something else.

On the dirt road to nowhere...Anza Borrego beauty

Anza Borrego is the largest State Park in California. At over 600,000 acres (2,400 km²) it’s got  500 miles (800 km) of dirt roads, twelve designated wilderness area, and 110 miles (180 km) of hiking trails. It’s a desert wonderland encompassing millions of years of history, deep canyons, high mountains and endless reams of solitude. And completely unique to this park (and just about ANY state park I know)….you can boondock anywhere in the back-country for free!

"The Slot" badlands as seen from the parking spot

But today we’re taking a trip to the badlands and deep into the slots. These areas take you back in time to when the California desert was a tropical sea. Badlands are super-cool, deeply creviced tracks of land that look like giant-blown-up stretches of 100-year old alligator skin. Geologically they’re areas where softer sedimentary rock has been eroded by years of wind and rain. In Anza Borrego that soft rock is mostly sandstone, and in areas the rock has been eroded down to form slot canyons up to 100-foot deep.

Hanging out in the deeps

I love going into these slots, mostly because the light-and-c0lor plays can be amazing (depending on the time of day), plus you feel like you’re squeezing into some deep and unexplored geological past. Our very first slot experience was Antelope Canyon in 2010 in AZ. It was very pretty but it was guide-only and heavily over-run with tourists (there must have been at least 5 groups going through with us at the same time). Here in Anza Borrego the grey/blue/brown rocks may not be quite as pretty, but the experience is totally rocking.

A wide-open section at the very back of "The Slot"

We decided to hit “The Slot” which is a few miles off Hwy 78 ~1.5 miles east of Borrego on a road supposedly called Buttes Pass. I say supposedly because (honestly) the dirt spur looks like any other dirt road in the entire park, has NO markings on it whatsoever, and we would have totally missed it if our GPS hadn’t indicated the name (one time I’ve actually liked the darn machine). There’s nothing that tells you you’re getting close either, but if you’re lucky enough to find the road, simply take it 1 mile to the “Y” intersection, stay to the left and then drive another 0.8 miles to a relatively flat spot which is where you park.

Warm colors and gorgeous curves

We arrived at ~9AM with first light filtering the tops of the badlands and striking diffuse silhouettes in the canyon. A short scramble down from our parking spot and we were in the slot and ready to explore. Best of all we were the ONLY people there. Paul and I spent a couple of hours scrambling through the slot and around some of the “arms”, exploring the beautiful curves, admiring the light and feeling the cool, sandy walls on our fingers.

The whole experience is pretty surreal. It’s like being inside a living sculpture reliving eons of time with your footsteps, and while you’re in the slots everything above and around you seems almost like a dream. Coming out of the canyon and into daylight wakes you up to the heat and expanse of the desert, almost a surprise. There are several other slot canyons around Anza Borrego, all of which are worth a visit. Be prepared for back-country driving, the cool depths of the canyon and impressions that will etch their way into your mind forever.

Paul leans in the shadows

Beautiful blue-grey lines