2025-02: Boondocking in Imperial County, CA

What exactly is BOONDOCKING?

When you “boondock” (also known as dispersed camping, dry camping, or wild camping), there are no connections to water, electricity, and sewer like you’d find in a developed campground. There aren’t any bathrooms, water spigots, or picnic tables. It’s just you and a piece of land.

Milestones

•  26th time camping in 26 months (SHOW ON MAP)
• 19th county in California camped.
• 3rd time encroaching on a nearby “restricted access” military location (SHOW THE SECOND).
• 2nd time exploring the Salton Sea (SHOW THE FIRST)
• 2nd time camping below sea level (SHOW THE FIRST)
•  1st time boondocking

You Probably have lots of Questions…

• Why did I do this? My first reason was because there are extremely few campgrounds in Imperial County. I searched for hours on Google Maps and couldn’t find much. The second reason was because I need to know that I can camp in very primitive locations when there are no other options available. Another county in California that has almost no campgrounds is Kings County. I figured I better start learning how to really “rough it” because its a skill I will need in the future.
• Is boondocking legal in California? Yes, it’s legal in California if you follow the rules (e.g., leave no trace, not on the shoulder of a road, etc.), which can vary by location. You are permitted to camp on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the United States Forest Service (USFS).
• How did I pick this location? I found a website from the Bureau of Land Management that has a searchable map. I zoomed into the general area I wanted, and in 10 minutes… “Bob’s your Uncle“. I’ve already used this online map to check for a place in King’s County I might camp at.

The Camping

I won’t sugar coat this, the location where I camped was dreadful. Crazy thing is… I was camping at 54 feet below sea level!!!!

Yes, it IS what it LOOKS LIKE… millions of sharp rocks virtually cemented into a water-less, near-lifeless hard-scape. I drove off of the paved road, onto a dirt road, and pulled over. When I got out of the car, I realized how sharp the rocks actually were. A flat-tire would NOT have been a good outcome. When I drove out, I was VERY careful. Needless to say, I felt all those sharp rocks as I went in and out of my tent.

Before it got dark, I made dinner. There were a few gnats that were excited to see me, but I managed to keep them out of my food (I’m actually not sure of that; I’m just assuming it). The sunset was gorgeous, with Venus shining as the evening star.

It was somewhat windy most of the night (10mph with gusts to 15mph). It was fairly warm until midnight. I slept pretty well, considering. I was planning on making coffee in the morning, but since I was only 2 hrs from home, I decided to pack up and indulge myself in a little creature comfort.

I took this picture looking north towards my previous night’s campsite. The view is of the “Chocolate Mountains“. Trust me… I didn’t see anything sweet on the ground where I was.

What???? … I Camped Next to a Marine Gunnery Range???

Yes. I absolutely camped 2,382.8 ft from Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range (CMAGR), a bombing range operated by the United States Marine Corps. The United States Department of Defense aviation combat crews have trained at the CMAGR and within its airspace since World War II. The CMAGR’s live-fire aviation training ranges provide training for air combat maneuvering and tactics, air-to-air gunnery, airborne laser system operations, close air support, air-to-ground bombing, strafing, and rocketry.

I cannot confirm or deny whether I participated in military operations during the hours from midnight to 5am on the evening of February 18th, 2025.

This is what I get for relying on the Internet to safeguard my health and well-being.. LOL!!!!!!

Leaving

I was 3.5 miles from the Salton Sea, so I had to drive a bit to catch a glimpse of open water.

The Stargazing

Because of where I was (next door to nowhere), the light pollution was minimal (Bortle Class 3). I got some great pictures. See???? … there was an upside!!!

The “Cigar Galaxy” in the constellation Ursa Major

The “Pinwheel Galaxy” in the constellation Ursa Major

A spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici