YES!!� There is open camping ANYWHERE in Anza Borrego!� Just find a dirt road, head off, and you're good.� Last weekend the wildflowers were just starting...been a bit chilly, but the last 5 days of 80's weather has insured that everything has "popped".� Really nice.� Very crowded at the Visitor Center (almost a quarter mile long line because the parking lot is small) so if you want to do that, be sure to go before about 10 am when the crowd arrives.� The hike up Palm Canyon (3/4 mile from Visitor Center to trailhead, then a 3 mile roundtrip to the Oasis, lots of water, awesome) is well worth doing.� You can park at the trailhead and eliminate the 3/4 mile walk....but its $8 per car...better spent on something else.

Yes, next couple weekends are just about PERFECT out there..GO!!!

No open fires without a metal container (they don't want endless scarred rocks) so I use an old Weber BBQ top for that (when I want a fire, which is never this time of year...too many stars to see).

By the way, FAIL on my Ice Cream Camping experiment (freezing it in a blob of ice); as predicted, was a sloppy mess, 32 F isn't cold enough....dry ice or ice with salt to refreeze it to sorta-hard or one of those Ball thingees is the way to go.

Rich
San Diego

--- On Wed, 3/17/10, James V <tornadored@gmail.com> wrote:

From: James V <tornadored@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Anza Borrego Desert Wildflowers
To: "Richard Koerner" <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net>
Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 5:28 PM

So, I'd love to get out there for a long weekend IF I can get away
from work within the next couple weeks.� I haven't been for perhaps 10
years.... Can anyone provide more info on camping there - either in
the park or nearby?� I did a quick check of online it doesn't look
like there's much availability on the weekends.

Perhaps someone has a site they'd be willing to share?� (All I really
need is a 15' chunk of ground to park for the night :)� Or is there
open camping anwhere?� I've got a Syncro...

Thanks!

James V
86 Syncro Westy, etc