Truckhaven Hills Camping Area

Backed right up to the edge of the canyon so when I look out my back window in the RV it looks like I'm floating 100' in the air. So cool. Great sunrise and sunset views. Easy access from the highway but far enough away that I didn't notice any noise. Only thing I didn't like is the amount of broken glass and nails on the ground from pallet burning, but neither caused a problem for me.

The Truckhaven Hills camping area extends along the north side of the Borrego Salton Seaway (Hwy S22) east of the microwave tower. This is a stunning location, with campsites on fingers of land right at the edge of a canyon rim. From the elevations of the campsite and the valley where the canyon opens out, I would say the canyon is 300 feet deep. If you have a fear of heights, this is probably not the place for you - see my photos. I did sometimes wonder what I was doing parked 30 feet from a canyon rim just 20 miles from the San Andreas fault. There are stunning views to the north across canyons to the mountains, and to the east across the Salton Sea to the mountains beyond.

I camped at 33.2772,-116.0529. The campsite sloped slightly and was covered in small rocks, but it was flat. If you have an OHV, there is a steep (30 degree) trail down into the canyon right there. During the time I was there, many people with OHVs and motorcycles came to look, but only one group with Jeeps had the courage to go down it. Unfortunately, some people who came when I was away decided my campsite was a good place to throw their trash.

I had 2 bars of Verizon, but 4G service was spotty, sometimes dropping to 3G or disappearing altogether. When it was working, I had 20 mbps download speed, but negligible upload speed. There was not much OHV noise. They mostly stayed down in the valley and the other canyons. Hwy S22 was not very busy, and was deserted at night. It was windy much of the time, often over 20 mph. One night, I had 30-45 mph wind for 13 hours straight. I left when the forecast called for 50 mph with gusts to 70 mph.

There is a Glacier water machine (expensive at $1.50 for 5 gallons), laundry, propane fill and $10 dump station at the truck stop down the hill to the east. Don't try to dump at the weekend - long lines. Their gas price was good for the area, but it was cheaper at the casino to the north at Desert Shores. The casino also has a dump station.

Anza Borrego Desert State Park is to the west, beginning at the microwave tower. Holly Road Camping Area for OHV people is to the east, at the bottom of the hill.