Valle de los Cirios Dispersed Camping

This vast protected area showcases some of the most alien-looking desert on the planet, dominated by massive cirio trees (boojums) that look like upside-down carrots reaching 60 feet tall. Dispersed camping is allowed throughout most of the reserve, with countless pull-offs along Highway 1 offering level spots among the strange forest. The area is dead quiet except for wind through the cacti and occasional coyote calls.

Access is straightforward via the paved highway, but water and fuel are hundreds of miles apart out here — come prepared. The best camping spots are 10-20 miles north of Cataviña, where the boojum forest is thickest. No facilities, no cell service, no water sources. This is true desert solitude at its finest.

Desert camping among alien boojum forests