Salton Sea (South), Obsidian Butte | Wild Camping

January 30th, 2024 by phanie.nature

We had a quiet night after crossing the border from Mexico. The obsidian rocks are interesting and the view on the Salton Sea is interesting. We had a nice sunset! On the bad side, you need screens or to close all the doors as soon as the sun goes down because mosquitoes come out! The smell at night (may be because temperatures cool down?) seems to come from the ground and was strong when we were there. That being said, we would come again for a one night transit.

December 28th, 2023 by Karen

last week of December and there are no mosquitoes here at night.

November 22nd, 2023 by bob

This is a crazy place full of interesting contrasts. Massive black obsidian boulders lie amid the billions of bleached white shells from a long dead lake. Billions of vicious mosquitoes at night vanish with the light of day. A sparkling blue lake belies the toxic waste within. The most unemployed county in California sits atop billions of dollars in Lithium 8,000 feet down. The smell of brimstone eminates from mud pots a mile away and alternates with the earthy smells of the marshy wetlands. The hiss of steam eminating from a nearby geothermal power plant competes with the sounds of coyotes at night, while birds cry out at nearby Sonny Bono wildlife Refuge only to be shot at in the break of dawn by hunters. Here you can park by a once coveted lake and be totally alone. It is a worthy, memorable experience if only for a night or two. We are in a 4wd truck camper so no issues with access, but any vehicle under 30' should be fine if it's dry.

November 18th, 2023 by jasman_1

Part of the last 1/2 mile was a little dodgy in my class A. As described the parking area is very soft. Got set up and went for a walk. Changed my mind. Did not stay.

May 18th, 2023 by samdstorm

We loved this spot, smells like a farm but the most beautiful sunset and interesting history. Warning however! We noticed a pretty big gouge out of one of our tires the next day and had to have it replaced. Could have happened anywhere but suspect it was some sharp obsidian on the ground here.

November 7th, 2022 by retyred.life

FREE. No facilities.

Wow! At the old boat launch site the view is northwards over the lake. The factories are out of sight but there is constant background whitenoise. Highly recommended location. Mosquitos can be a nuisance when close to vegetation.

March 5th, 2022 by grasshopperslanding.com

A little tricky to navigate to the actual “coastline” in the dark but I would argue that this place is actually quite beautiful! The obsidian formations are super neat and I definitely enjoyed the variety of shorebirds in the morning.

It was SUPER windy so I had no issues with the sulphur smells. I imagine it can be harsh when the air is still.

This place is fine for pets if you keep them out of the water.

February 20th, 2022 by madeline.sorenson

Great spot! Lots of places to camp. One other RV was here when we were but we couldn’t see them at all due to the mounds of rocks everywhere. Obsidian is literally everywhere! Black shiny boulders all the way to the beach. There is hardly any trash and the smell is quite mild, just a little sulphuric, which is natural. However, if the winds change, you can get strong whiffs of manure from the farms. That’s the downside here. The ground would also be very soft after rain.

January 14th, 2022 by zippididou

Beautiful place. Lots of bird. Overnight camping. The first night was perfect. Few people coming by for the view on the lake or for launching a boat. The morning of the second night, we wake up with the smell of sh*t. It was really bad! We couldn’t stay. I guess it is because the wind came from North. It’s so sad, such a beautiful place.

October 26th, 2021 by userkev1

Outstanding! Yes there is some industrial activity here but it's not harmful. Just geothermal power stations hence the mild smell of low level sulphur (H2S), similar to what you would get at a hot springs. Perfectly safe. Probably one of the greenest forms of electricity production around.

December 6th, 2018 by mvglive

works for a night, not really beautiful (factories everywhere)

November 29th, 2018 by nessythewesty

Very nasty smelling place, factories are all around spitting fumes.
Would not let animals out on beach the ground is filled with scum, trash, and other dead animals

January 17th, 2018 by papillon3.com

from the 78/86 Hwy in Westmorland take the turn to the 'Sonny Bono Visitor Center'. Before arriving there drive the last road at your left (gravel), called McKendry Rd. to the end. Beautyful, lakeside, quiet, sandy. If wet, dont go too far with big rigs.