Open Year-round
Yes
Reservations possible?
Yes
RV Hookups
No
Potable water
Yes
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Headquarters Campground and New Campground are actually two separate campgrounds, however as both are relatively small and located immediately adjacent to each other, we're describing both of them in the same listing.

While both are located beside the main Visitor Center building and day use area for the Salton Sea State Recreation Area, the main difference is that Headquarters Campground is geared toward RV use and New Campground is constructed for car and tent camping.

Headquarters Campground contains 14 RV spaces running side by side to one another beneath a line of palm trees at the edge of the day use parking area for the Visitor Center. Sites are long enough to accommodate vehicles up to 40' in total length. While during daytime hours, there tends to be a stream of cars driving right past the camping area en route to the parking lot, those staying at Headquarters have access to all the amenities of the day use area, including nice bathrooms, covered picnic tables looking out on the water, the Visitor Center during open hours, and wide sidewalk paths leadings past a fish cleaning station, horseshoe pits, and other smaller beach areas.

New Campground is down a private loop nestled in the landscape. Sites are laid out along the inside and outside of this small loop road. Within this space, there are water spigots, shaded picnic tables and fire pits. From the campground, it is a short walk to the water's edge. Several of the sites have electric hook ups. With 25 sites, including one ADA accessible site, New Campground remains pretty quiet, and might be the most ideal campground within the Recreation Area for those looking for areas to explore within walking or pedaling distance.

Coin op showers serve the campgrounds. There is also an RV dump station located here. Dogs are permitted leashed in the campgrounds, but are not permitted on beaches. Firewood is avaiable for sale.

Overnight fees for New Campground start at $20 per site and can be reserved on the Reserve California website.

Overnight fees for Headquarters Campground start at $30 and can be reserved here.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Fall

Congestion

Occasionally full

Parking Pass

Camping fee

Price per night (basic site)

20.00 $ (16.79 €)

Pros

Nearby Salton Sea attractions.

Cons

Highway noise. Busy day use traffic.

Pets allowed

Allowed with Restrictions

Managed by

California State Parks

Features

ADA accessible
Shelters
Big vistas
Flushing toilets
Family friendly
Picnic tables
Near lake or river
Bird watching
Horseshoes
Lakefront
Covered picnic areas
Potable water
Dump stations

Access

Vehicle

Total number of sites

39

Lodging type

Yurt

Location

Nearby Adventures

Salton Sea State Recreation Area, California
Salton Sea State Recreation Area, California
Salton Sea State Recreation Area, California

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Salton Sea State Recreation Area, California
Salton Sea State Recreation Area, California
Salton Sea State Recreation Area, California

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