Ocotillo Wells
Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area comprises 85,000 acres of state-operated land spanning Imperial and San Diego counties in Southern California, addressed at the community of Borrego Springs via Highway 78, approximately 40 miles northeast of Julian and 80 miles northeast of San Diego in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park adjacent territory. The 85,000-acre scale makes Ocotillo Wells one of the largest state-managed OHV areas in California, and the Sonoran Desert landscape that defines the park contains terrain variety that no single-terrain OHV facility can replicate: sand wash corridors through arroyo-cut desert, open hard-pack areas where high-speed riding is practical on the bajada surfaces, soft sand in the low-point depressions and wash bottoms, clay-pan areas that produce mud after infrequent rainfall, and volcanic rock outcroppings at the park's elevated margins. The adjacency to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park's non-motorized wilderness is deliberate: Ocotillo Wells was designated to concentrate motorized use and protect the adjacent desert environment. ATVs, UTVs, dirt bikes, dune buggies, and full-size 4x4 vehicles are all permitted throughout the open-vehicle area; the desert character means self-sufficiency is important, breakdowns in 85,000 acres of desert are significant events. The primary season runs November through April; summer temperatures routinely exceed 110°F at lower elevations. The Ocotillo Wells visitor center and the Shell station at the park entry point provide the only services within the park boundary (760-767-5391).