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This 4 million year old shell reef contains fragments and even entire shells of fossilized oysters, pushed out of the ancient sea at Ocotillo Wells.

Sometimes you make plans and then the weather just doesn't cooperate. That's kind of what happened to us last weekend. We need to ride though, so off we went to Ocotillo Wells, a California State Vehicular Recreation Area. Ocotillo Wells is near the Salton Sea in southern California.

Mother Nature was not very agreeable that day, but we persisted. It was hot and humid about 15 degrees hotter than normal for this time of year. As long as we were riding it was not too bad, but when we stopped it was a little uncomfortable.

That was the bad part. The rest of the trip was tons of fun! Ocotillo Wells is great for all levels of riders. There is flat and easy desert riding, some fun little hill climbs, a real technical single track, and some advanced hill climbs for the more experienced riders. The desert is good for all sorts of vehicles as well. We saw rails, motorcycles, quads, and 4x4s. More than 70,000 acres of desert are available for recreation and exploration as shown here, with rangers and staff dedicated to providing a safe and enjoyable riding environment.

Ocotillo Wells is open 365 days a year. There are no fees collected, and plenty of flat desert to set up for any size group of riders and campers. The ranger station has a dump station and some of the cleanest bathrooms and pay showers that you will ever find in the middle of the desert. They also have maps of the terrain and lists of sites to see. This OHV park has many natural wonders and is great family fun for all.

There is also a little local bar called The Iron Door with dollar bills all over the walls dotted with personal little messages on them. That's always fun to look at while you are drinking some refreshments. Oh yeah...no one under 21! A buggy and ATV parts store lies across the street and the Blu Inn store has fuel and a little market to get supplies if needed. There's an RV park in the area that has full hook-ups as well. We always like to park at our favorite spot in the middle of things.



The ranger station has a dump station and some of the cleanest bathrooms and pay showers that you will ever find in the middle of the desert.


Tours of the Borrego Badlands and Arroyo Salado can take all day! If you have limited time, save the Pumpkin Patch, Gas Domes and Artesian Well for another day.



Rangers often lead vehicles tours on weekend mornings. The Blow Sand Bulletin (available at the Ranger Station) will notify you of special events and info for these rides.


Open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Vault restrooms, shade ramadas, picnic tables and fire rings are located in designated areas throughout the park.

Some of the best motorcycle riders in the world love to come here because of the natural jumps and great terrain. At night everyone goes to Blow Sand Hill, the most popular spot in Ocotillo Wells. On any given evening in the winter months all you can see is a stream of lights sitting around the hill and buzzing up as fast as they can.

We love to ride at Ocotillo Wells, so please take care of it. Don't mess with the natural landscape. And remember, all vegetation, living or dead is protected by law in all state parks, so don't burn it! As always, be safe and use common sense. We hope to see all of you out there having fun. Don't forget...always be smiling because you never know when one of the ToyHauler Magazine! cameras will be there to take your picture! - THM
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