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Dispersed Camping

Blair Valley Primitive Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

29 Reviews

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Location

Blair Valley Primitive Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is located in California

Coordinates

33.04671200000001 N
116.4092858 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.
Hike-In
Backcountry sites.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Poor
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Available

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Dispersed

Features

For Campers

ADA Access
Phone Service
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Big Rig Friendly

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.

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Contact

General Info

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Anne M.

Scout

Reviewed May. 7, 2024

Great weeknight spot

Visited early May. Arrived right before sunset, there were people close to the bathrooms, but lots of space to spread out if you drive a little.

Month of VisitJune

Heather K.

Ranger

Reviewed May. 5, 2024

Great spot for a night or two

Tons of dispersed spots down the road.

Month of VisitJune

(5) View All

jimmy S.

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 29, 2024

Great off grid camping w/ easy access

Easy access to most designated campsites. Enjoy the changing colors at dusk. My area had 2 bars of verizion service.

Siten/a

Month of VisitMay

(4) View All

Mary B.

Guide

Reviewed Dec. 28, 2023

Serenity

We arrived passed 10pm on the dirt road with no other campers. Beautiful site in a quiet location with endless views and there’s no fee. Who could ask for more?

SiteBoondocking

Month of VisitJanuary

(14) View All

s E.

Traveler

Reviewed May. 11, 2023

Great campground

AT&T: 1-2 bar signal. First time to go out camping in the desert. I’m so glad it was at this location! So spacious, beautiful views. It’s quiet, clean, just very peaceful.

Month of VisitJune

(4) View All

Karin P.

Guide

Reviewed May. 7, 2023

Favorite free campsite so far. Free for 30 days, pack in pack out, there are pit toilets near the entrance, no liter removal or water. Horses and dogs allowed. Beautiful views and trails. There are quite a few bees though, other than that, loved it.

Month of VisitJune

Justin M.

Scout

Reviewed Mar. 26, 2023

Beautiful Views and 5G Internet

Came here to have a place for my popup camper while we checked out the flowers blooming 40 minutes away in Borrego Springs and it was perfect. There's no amenities except for a pit toilet, but the cell service here was better than anywhere in the area. I had better signal at this campsite than I did in Park Circle at the heart of Borrego Springs. Lots of people set up near the entrance, but if you drive a little back you can get some privacy. Also be slow and cautious when driving on these dirt roads after a rainstorm; we saw two different trucks get stuck in the mud. Luckily some people with a winch were able to get them both out. Also we were here in March so the nights were cold and windy so make sure you're prepared.

SiteThere are no designated sites at this campground.

Month of VisitApril

Hannah K.

Ranger

Reviewed Jan. 20, 2023

Loved this spot

Free. 30 day limit. Pit toilet. Pack it out - no trash service. No water. If you go left as you come in you can camp along a rock wall filled with agave, cholla and other plants. A large area for big rvs right at the front left. To the right there were lots of pull offs and I found it easier to navigate in my station wagon road-wise. Lots of space. Some areas say not to walk there/ keep dogs out to protect plants and wildlife. I felt safe solo camping - there were a few other van and rv campers. Recommend visiting the sweet desert botanical garden in nearby Borrego Springs.

Siteno site numbers

Month of VisitFebruary

(9) View All

Tram T.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 3, 2022

Spacious and beautiful

This is one of my favorite free campsites! I’ve camped here twice, once on a full moon and again on a new moon. The full moon night was so bright you could see everything with no lights! It was the first time I truly experienced the brightness of moonlight and it was magical. The second time was on a moonless night and the STARS were just ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS! This site is located in anza borrego, the only dark sky community in California, so you will see more stars here than anywhere else in California (unless there’s a full moon then there won’t be stars). The site is big enough that you would have plenty of privacy from other campers. Both times I went, there was hardly anyone around. There are vault toilets. No showers/tables/grills. Just a wide open space. Definitely not for glampers (unless you have an RV), but it is one of the best for stargazers!

Month of VisitDecember

Cam C.

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 3, 2022

My new favorite place of the desert

I love the desert and this little corner of the desert won't disappoint. PLEASE keep it clean!

Month of VisitApril

Tony O.

Traveler

Reviewed Mar. 22, 2022

Nice but need hard cover.

This place is nice and quiet. A great getaway if you need time to think. The drawback is that as a desert campsite you need to be prepared for winds. They kick up pretty good. Tents hold but will sway something fierce. Best to be in an RV.

SiteBlair Valley

Month of VisitApril

Anna Z.

Guide

Reviewed Jan. 29, 2022

Good dispersed camping

Pretty trails. On weekdays it feels very secluded. Airplane noise does get a little out of hand. Trails, pit toilets, some rock fire pits, bring your metal one.

Month of VisitFebruary

Heather L.

Legend

Reviewed Jan. 18, 2022

Great Free Camping!

For being a dispersed camping spot I am always impressed when there’s a bathroom! Definitely loved this spot. Stars for days! Coyotes came right by the van in the night though so watch your pets if you’re camping with them! Follow the road all the way back for two great hiking trails. One has petroglyphs and the other is an old homestead. I also make it a point to visit the slot canyon on the way in our out of this area!

Month of VisitNovember

(11) View All

C. K.

Scout

Reviewed Dec. 28, 2021

Scenic but not free. Now costs $10 per night

Always check for updates.

Scenic but not free. Now costs$10 per night

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page\_id=638

Nicholas H.

Scout

Reviewed May. 26, 2021

Peaceful place

I love these campgrounds. It is so beautiful and plenty of space for camping here.

Month of VisitJune

Gopalakrishnan S.

Scout

Reviewed Apr. 4, 2021

Go Deeper for more stars

We stopped and setup tents a little before little Blair valley. Night sky was alright, but couldn’t see the Milky Way, so not dark enough for that. Probably a Bortle 5. Got up in the morning and went all the way until the end of the road on maps (Apple or Google) on our 2WD, was doable. 4 bars T Mobile LTE where we were.

Campsite itself was very nice. The place we found had a man made but multiple time used fire pit. Great sunset and sunrise, you have the chance to have as much or as little company around you. Little bit of trash at our site that we picked up.

Leave no trace!

Tim

Scout

Reviewed Mar. 24, 2021

Our Secret Spot

This place is tucked away off the S-2 with camping along a dry lake bed. Beautiful spring blooms here, the lake bed is a protected space, so admire from a distance. Lots of nooks and crannies to camp. Plenty of space to support larger camp groups.

Jeremy A.

Ranger

Reviewed Mar. 11, 2021

Night Sky, Boondocking at its best in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Here on the Great Southern Overland Stage Route well off the beaten path is a dispersed camping area that allows you to enjoy the solitude and explore a bit. Ochre petroglyphs, fantastic night sky views, a variety of flora and fauna, hiking, and some challenging 4x4 lines await you here. Access is not always assured, check the local park conditions as well as the weather report. Washboard, softer sandy sections, and flash flooding may make the area difficult or ill advised to travel to. There are some public restrooms at the entrance, and some cell service, but not much else in the way of infrastructure at first glance. Yet the land was inhabited for thousands of years by the Kumeyaay “Those who face the water from a cliff”, Ipai, Kamia, and Tipai people. In the surrounding rock formations you may find morteros and metates used to process piñon, chia, and acorns that served in making dietary staples like shawii, known elsewhere as wiiwish. In addition to hunting and gathering, complex agricultural projects to cultivate maize, teparies, and beans.

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Edy K.

Guide

Reviewed Feb. 11, 2021

Good...but

Would have loved to stay longer, but cell reception is very very bad. Even the two bars with VZ and four with ATT didn’t allow me to work from this place...disappointed because really wanted to stay here :(

Place is very open, noise from the hwy wasn’t bad at all, I parked all the way against the Mnt.

Brittany K.

Guide

Reviewed Nov. 15, 2020

Great desert spot

We stayed at Little Blair Valley which is on the other side of this, you can get to it if you keep driving down the road for a ways. The road is a bit narrow but well maintained and there were plenty of trailers out there. Probably wouldn’t take anything too too big. I got there at 1:15 on a Friday afternoon and there were some spots off the road on the way in that were open but the spots in the valley had filled up quickly. Lots of people were looking for spots until about 7 so I recommend getting there early if you want to be in the valley. The view of the stars was amazing! It wasn’t super dusty. Fires are ok as long as they’re in a metal pit. You’ll have to bring your own in as there aren’t any pits there. Would definitely go back. Very quiet and nice place to go.

Taylor

Ranger

Reviewed Nov. 11, 2020

Stunning

Hands down my favorite spot out here. The flowers are unreal and the scenery is astonishing! It’s a photographers paradise.

Heather L.

Legend

Reviewed May. 23, 2020

Fantastic Campground!

I will definitely be here again! We camped as a group in the more remote part, towards Little Blair Valley. We came in March during the super bloom and it was still very cold at night. We did have a huge gust of wind pick up around 3am and took one of our tents out, but a little adjustment and new placement the next day and it didn’t happen again. It was pet friendly, we had 2 little dogs that loved their stay as much as we did. No running water, or bathrooms (except for a 10 min drive back to the entrance), we were allowed a ground fire at the time. Campsite itself was really great, boy, could you see some stars! Found a trail at some point that led to a rock with petroglyphs and i hope I can find that trail again! Forever in love with Anza!

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Leo W.

Scout

Reviewed Mar. 25, 2020

Wicked spot to camp

The most remote sites are located near Little Blair Valley. Lots of cool short hiking trails nearby. Best part is that it’s free! No ground fires allowed, pack it in pack it out

Emily P.

Traveler

Reviewed Nov. 12, 2019

A True Gem

If you blink you’ll miss it, which is a welcome characteristic for this campground. Blair Valley provided a 10/10 experience for my person and me to take advantage of a three day weekend. Highly recommend for anyone wanting the sense of seclusion with unmatched views as well as convinces a short drive away.

Morgan F.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 15, 2019

Desert Bliss

This campground is awesome, it is perfect for roaming the desert in peace. The dirt road is well maintained and my dogs were able to explore our whole loop.

Month of VisitMay

Chris O.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 14, 2019

Beauty in the desert

Blair Valley is at the base of Julian... no not Ramona the other direction. I needed to take a break from reality over Fourth of July weekend and was afraid of the busy paid camping spots up the mountain in Laguna.

I decided to roll the dice and head somewhere different since it was only myself. Coastal north county to Blair valley it was not a bad drive. Once I arrived in Blair valley it was around 9am. It was hot and from the look of the dried up creek bed it was going to be difficult to find some shade. I took some time driving around the grounds trying to find the right spot. Finally I came up to a 8-9 ft tree with plenty of branches and leaves to cover me most of the day. Will go again!

All and all, hope for clouds during summer or take the time and drive around to find a perfect spot. Not many people out there.

The pictographs were awesome to see and the hikes up the mountain to watch sunrise/sunset were perfect for those desert views.

Drink plenty of water!

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Leigh R.

Scout

Reviewed Apr. 15, 2019

Open space and FREE

We pulled over on our way from Joshua Tree to San Diego just looking for a cheap place to stay but we were pleasantly surprised by the peace and quiet of Blair Valley. Great views, plenty of space and some nice hiking and biking trails. Parts of the trails do get sandy the farther down you go so use caution if you don’t have 4 wheel drive or have a very large rig. If you stay toward the front you’ll be fine. Easy in and out as well. Would definitely come here again.

Jennifer D.

Ranger

Reviewed Aug. 1, 2018

It’s free!!

my home base for Anza Borrego fun. Little Blair valley has beautiful rocky hills that provide a great backdrop to your desert camping. Lots of climbing to be had, as well as several trails. Including pictographs! Simply choose your spot and set up camp!

Ive witnessed some of the most gorgeous sunrises and sunsets here. desert camping, so no trees, but plenty of ocotillo and creosote. I tend to getaway here in fall and winter months it’s just too hot otherwise

Restrooms when you pull in off the highway. Dirt road. But very passable in a car.

Month of VisitMarch

(6) View All

Katie O.

Ranger

Reviewed Jul. 14, 2018

primitave

one of my favorite primitave sites. there is one bathroom at the beginning but we typically go much further to find isolation. it's never busy and you can and will find the perfect spot. the further you go towards the pictograph trails, the more cholla so if you have kids, stay towards the first mile. any vehicle can make it on the dirt roads with no issue.

(8) View All