im going to go to KQ ranch this weekend and i saw on google that Ocotillo wells is close by and i was wondering if it wa a good place to go riding? and waht are the fees for using that place? Me and my Cuzin want to go and check it out but would like to be prepared. so is it paddle country or knobbies there? and you guys recommend we bring anything???? thanks for any help.

No Fee's, Dirt tires, LOTS OF WATER, fun place to ride, go to the ranger station and get a map, check out all the spots.




Edit for LOTS OF WATER, NOT LOST WATER> haha

X2

Bit of a hoof from KQ though.

ocotillo wells is home to some of the best hardpack desert riding in socal. they film alot of different stuff there, shell reef being one location they have shot crusty demons of dirt at. its desert. some light sandy areas, but its mostly desert hardpack, whoops, ruts, rocks, etc. there are also some wide open washes that are really good for wot runs! dont bring paddles. blow sand hill by the airport is just a small area of all sand. there is no fee to use this area, yet, as it is a state run off road vehicle area. all you need is a valid green sticker or valid state license plate and registration sticker. if you will be riding a quad, then flags are mandatory. it is harsh desert terrain, and you can get maps to the area from the ranger stations, and various surrounding stores on hwy 86 and 78. it is quite warm there now, as it is desert, and it is summer time.

if you decide to go and camp, dont be surprised if a ranger shows up to make sure you are ok. since its hot and summer, they will keep an eye out for people camping in the heat. bring lots of water, and bring water with you on rides. stay together, and make sure you have a map and gps to keep tabs on your location, as its easy to get lost out there if you dont know your way around, landmarks, etc. depending on where you are at, there is cell phone service. (close to blu inn) but if you are by the airport, it can be very limited, at best. there are alot of "street signs" that mark alot of the trails and washes, and a map will help guide you through them.

good luck, and have fun. i love ocotillo, and split my time evenly between mother g and there.

yeah its about 30 odd miles from kq ranch. but to find another riding spot is worth it. no we wont be camping there just going out there for a ride while the bus is at kq ranch. yeah and ill make sure to bring lots of water. i want my dad to take his shee so he can come too but i doubt he will want to take it. i havnt ridden desert style terrain in a while. GPS ima see if mine still works....

as mentioned before, take more water than you could ever think you might need. mighty hot out there right now.

go to the ranger station or stop one if you see them driving around to get a map.

OW has got to be my favorite places to ride a bike.

Make sure not to cross over any boundaries into Anza Borrego state park. (street legal only) areas are well marked and street signs are at most road intersections if you become lost.

have fun and be safe, stay together

take a tire patch/plug kit as well.... Always manage to find a nail or sharp object while there....

I wouldn't push your luck in the Summer. A couple of Summers ago two desert trained Marines died from Exposure out there. They thought it would be ok to just make a run out there. When we ride in Glamis durring the summer we are back in camp before 10 am most of the time because it gets HOT . Ask Late Nate who stalled his bike and had to get it started last weekend and it wasn't to hot how quick you tire yourself out. Again if your not familuar with the area and aren't riding as the sun comes up you shouldn't be.
Realy think about this before you do it, October isn't that far away. You don't want to be the guy who makes the news or has a thread started about him where most of the post's are GodSpeed and prayers go out to the familys.

i know im probably going to putt around near my truck im not really into the whole adventuring out by myself. and its going to be a group of us going out. 3 more of my cuzins are going as well. and i dont plan to ride longer than up too noon. i think i will be there at 6am. is there a time when its is "closed" per say? or is it like glamis and i can ride at what ever time i want?

You can ride when ever you want but, as the rest has said....It get really hot in the day right now. Be safe!

i went last year on a full moon weekend in mid july i think. let me just tell you i will never do that again.we camped out at pole line drive and went for a last ride of the day to pumkin patch at like 10a.m. with this being that im very familer with ocotillo and i still got dis-orented because of the heat. took us all most 2 1/2 hours to get back and didnt even make to the patch. the thing that sucked the most was that the water in the camel pack was probably hot enough to make tea with so i couldnt even drink it........ so yea i wouldnt recommend it

hmm well sounds like riding anytime after ten in the morning is not a good idea. so i think im giong to go to scope it out early like 6am be there and then just ride until it starts to get warm. and then head back to kq ranch for some RR. i will probably head there in fall as well so i can ride longer and go with all my family that usually go to Mother G with us. thanks for the heads up though!

Ocotillo wells loks prtty cool! it was nice. we parked by blow sand hill and romped around there for like an hour and after that we went exploring. we got about 4 miles in and then we decided to high tail it back to where we were parked. over all it was a great but it feels more like dirtbike country to me then quads. i nthe end it was me and my other cuzin with his ltr. wasnt too fun for him since he was scraping everywhere. but we plan to go back in mid to late october and camp one night over there then head to glamis when my parents are getting there. I would definately like to go back there with my bike and a bigger tank and better gps to explorer the deep secrets of ocotillo wells.

I'm glad to hear you had fun. OW is a great place. If you can ever get there with a street legal 4x4, there is a lot more to see than you will with an OHV. You are right though...OW is geared more for the dirtbikes over quads but, you can have fun out there with anything really.

yeah we did take a 85 toyota straight axle just my cuzin didnt want to mess it up since it was his only means of getting back to kq ranch. but fur sure next time. you think a 2wd truck would do okay?

Where is this place you all speak of??? Sounds like fun.....

Depends on where you want to go really. A lot of it can be done without 4x4 but, it turns into a 4x4 situation pretty quick sometimes. You can definitely get around to see the popular sites with just 2wd but, then you might as well just ride to them.

If I told ya, I'd have to kill ya.

Cmon please! This place you all speak of sounds cool!! I wanna go!!