Arroyo Salado

Arroyo Salado Campground sits at mile marker 34.9 on Highway S-22, roughly 16 miles east of Borrego Springs near the foot of the Santa Rosa Mountains. It's a free, dispersed camping area with no designated sites—campers choose their own spot in the sandy wash and adjacent flats, observing leave-no-trace principles. Vault toilets and fire rings are provided; everything else, including water, must be packed in.

The surrounding terrain is extraordinary. The campground sits near the transition between the Borrego Badlands to the south and the Santa Rosa Mountains escarpment to the north. The Calcite Mine Canyon area, a short drive or walk away, preserves the remains of World War II-era calcite mining operations in a landscape of jagged mudstone ridges, tilted rock formations, and sweeping desert views. Truckhaven Trail connects the highway to the badlands for hikers and mountain bikers willing to navigate loose rock and unmarked terrain.

Arroyo Salado is also a launching point for exploration of Coachwhip Canyon across the highway—a narrow, winding slot canyon best explored in early morning light. The area attracts geology enthusiasts, photographers, and desert solitude seekers. Wildlife is prolific in the wash: roadrunners, Costa's hummingbirds, Gambel's quail, and occasional kit foxes are all possible encounters.

There is no fee and no reservation system. The campground is technically open year-round, though summer camping (June–September) is only for very experienced desert travelers with serious heat mitigation plans. The optimal window is October through April.