22 replies to this topic

[MarkBC]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slab_City

This was new to me, too.
So, it seems it's kinda like the RV-squatting area near Quartzsite, AZ.

[lqhikers]

H.D.,
they do not charge entrance fee to borrego state park anymore,a few years ago they tried it
but stopped as it was not cost effective.

for shopping it is about 75 miles to indio,la quinta area which has all the big box stores,
and most likely the best prices,also el centro is about the same distance,same big box stores.
again if you are on a budget you can always spend the night at one of the indian casino's.

both these areas do not require crossing the mountains as both are in the lower desert

another town to shop is ramona up the hill from borrego on the way to san diego,on the
way is a indian casino ,possibly a over night spot on your way,maybe pay for your trip also!

you can loop almost all these areas so you can see more of the area,lots of side trips with lots of
boondocks spots.

drive slow and enjoy "its the journey"

Les,lqhikers

[lqhikers]

Mark:
the differance between the rv snowbirds in the quartzite and slab city
is that people keep the quartzite area super clean where as the slab city
area has a lot of slobs no other way to say it.
a lot of the area is really trashed,but still worth a trip at least to
see salvation mountain as it might not last to long since the founder is no
longer there to maintain.

drive slow and enjoy "its the journey"

Les,lqhikers

[Barko1]

Big Bend NP and that area is another option, chilly nights at most elevations (sometimes lower is colder) but pleasant days. The Chiricahuas in SE AZ is also a very nice are and again chilly nights and the elevations will be chillier there. Organ Pipe National Monument can be great, get a National Parks pass for cheap rates. Quartsite would be my nightmare as well as slab city.

[MarkBC]

Mark:
the differance between the rv snowbirds in the quartzite and slab city
is that people keep the quartzite area super clean where as the slab city
area has a lot of slobs no other way to say it.

OK, got it -- it's Slob City.
Thanks.

[Desert Rancher]

Slabs do have a hot spring to mud in and a free hot water shower. That has been nice to use on occasion. It is just beyond the outskirts of the main camping area. Also, Salvation mountain is worth a see.

The Mud pots further south are interesting as it's co2 gas that comes up from the underground and bubbles, not hot water.

~DR

[henry david]

Hello Les,
Thanks again for the great information. There's certainly nothing better than someone who has first-hand experience with an area. I very much see your point about Indio as a resupply site. That option just never popped up as a possibility...but now I see that it makes a great deal of sense to head that way instead of over the mountains.

If I may, I have a few other questions. Do you have an idea of how useful Lowell and Diana Lindsay's guide to Anza Borrego may be? I like maps and I take some small comfort in knowing where I am and how to get back to where I started. In the same vein, have you, or others on the forum, used the Benchmark series of maps? As far as I know they're unavailable on the east coast so I can't get a good idea on how good they are. When I'm out in the national forests now I always have a map for each forest or forest unit. Will the Benchmark maps show the national forest roads? That's my major concern plus it would be very handy to have only one map instead of a handful.

OK...last question for now: Is it an accurate rule of thumb to think that as one moves from north to south in Anza Borrego that one moves from generally cooler to generally warmer temps? I'm sure that elevation has to be factored in, too, but I was just curious about the overall environment.

You've been a great help, Les, I truly appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions.

[MarkBC]

have you, or others on the forum, used the Benchmark series of maps? As far as I know they're unavailable on the east coast so I can't get a good idea on how good they are. When I'm out in the national forests now I always have a map for each forest or forest unit. Will the Benchmark maps show the national forest roads? That's my major concern plus it would be very handy to have only one map instead of a handful.

The Benchmark series of state atlases are THE ones to get (i.e., instead of Delorme Gazeteer) for the states for which they're available.
I have the Benchmark atlas for each state I go to or might go to...but I also carry the relevant National Forest maps for destinations of specific trips. Yes, it would be nicer to only carry the bound atlas, but I think that the NF maps show more info and/or better scale in some areas. A folded NF map is pretty small, after all.

[ski3pin]

BLM also puts out maps similar to the National Forest maps.

[MarkBC]

BLM also puts out maps similar to the National Forest maps.

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