Agua Caliente County Park

What to expect

Agua Caliente County Park is a desert campground with hot spring pools at its center. It covers about 910 acres at the base of the mountains, sitting at roughly 1,350 feet on the western side of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The setting is open desert scrub and bare rock. It feels remote because it is: downtown San Diego is about 110 miles away, and there is little else nearby.

This is not a wild spring and not a spa resort. It is a county park, run by San Diego County Parks and Recreation, with fenced pools, posted pool rules and a campground full of RVs and tents. Most of the people in the water are campers who have come for a few days or a week.

The water comes up naturally warm and is piped into three pools:

• Indoor pool. A jetted spa in its own building, kept at about 102°F39°C. This is where you go for a proper soak. It is open to ages 14 and up during the day and to adults only in the first hour each morning.
• Outdoor pool. A larger, shallow swimming pool, warm rather than hot, at about 90°F32°C. Good for floating around in the sun.
• Children’s pool. A small wading pool for little kids, cooler than the other two.

Do not expect to have the water to yourself on a winter weekend. The pools are small next to the size of the campground, and they fill up on holiday weekends.

Getting there

The park sits on County Road S2, which the county address calls the Great Southern Overland Stage Route of 1849 because the road follows the old Butterfield stage line through the desert.

• From San Diego: Take Interstate 8 east into the desert and exit at Ocotillo. Drive north on S2 for about 22 miles to the park entrance. Plan on a bit over two hours.
• From Julian or Borrego Springs: Take State Route 78 east to Scissors Crossing, then turn south on S2. The road runs through Blair Valley and past Vallecito County Park before it reaches Agua Caliente.

S2 is paved the whole way and fine for any car or RV. The park road and parking are paved too, and the pools are a short walk from the day-use lot, so you can step out of the car and be at the gate in a few minutes.

Fill your tank before you leave Ocotillo, Julian or Borrego Springs. Services along this stretch of S2 are very limited.

When to go

The park is only open from Labor Day weekend to Memorial Day. In summer, daytime temperatures here regularly pass 100°F38°C, and the county closes the park every year rather than risk heat illness. That means the hot spring season runs through fall, winter and spring.

• October and November: Days are warm, nights cool off, and the campground is calmer than it will be later. The first few weeks after reopening can still be hot in the afternoon.
• December to February: Cold nights and mild days. This is when the indoor spa earns its keep. Weekends and holidays are busy, and the campground often books out.
• March and April: Wildflower season in Anza-Borrego pulls in big crowds. Book camping early and expect a full day-use lot on weekends.
• May: Heat returns fast. Soak early in the day.

For the best chance at a quiet pool, come on a weekday morning. The adults-only hour from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. is the calmest time in the indoor spa.

Storms can close the park. The campground has taken serious flash flood damage in the past, and the county posts closures and storm recovery notices on its park page and news center. Check before a long drive, especially after summer monsoon storms or a wet winter.

Prices and rules

San Diego County Parks lists these fees and hours on the park page:

• Day-use parking: $5 per vehicle.
• Pool entry for non-campers: $7 per person.
• Day-use hours: 9:30 a.m. to sunset.
• Indoor pool: 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for ages 14 and up. Adults only from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. daily, and adult campers only from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
• Outdoor pool: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for all ages, and 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday for campers only.
• Children’s pool: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for all ages.

Some third-party sites still list older, lower prices. Go by the county page, and call the park at (760) 765-1188 if you want to be sure.

The pool rules are the normal public pool kind. Wear a swimsuit. No alcohol in the pool areas. No dogs on the pool decks. Rinse off before you get in, follow the posted age rules, and give the indoor spa a break if people are waiting, since it is small.

Where to stay nearby

The park campground is the obvious base. It has about 140 sites, from tent sites to partial and full hookup RV sites, plus a caravan area for large groups. There are also seven camping cabins. Each cabin has heating and cooling controls, two queen bed frames, a table for four, a sink and a private bathroom. Reserve sites and cabins through the San Diego County Parks reservation center online or at (877) 565-3600. Bookings open up to a year ahead, and winter weekends go early.

Vallecito County Park, a short drive north on S2, is a smaller, quieter county campground with no pools. It runs on a similar seasonal schedule.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park surrounds the area and has developed campgrounds near Borrego Springs, plus primitive camping across much of the desert. Rules differ from the county park, so check with the state park before you set up.

Borrego Springs and Julian have motels, inns and restaurants. Both are about an hour’s drive away. Ocotillo, on Interstate 8, has very limited services.

Safety notes

• Heat: Even in the open season, afternoons can get hot. Drink more water than you think you need, and do not stack a long soak on top of a long hike in the sun.
• Hot water: The indoor spa is warm enough to make some people lightheaded. Keep soaks short and sit out for a while between rounds.
• Flash floods: Desert washes flood quickly after storms, sometimes from rain you cannot see. Do not drive through flowing water on S2 or camp in a wash.
• Wildlife: Rattlesnakes are out on warm days, and scorpions hide under rocks. Watch your feet and hands on trails and around the campground at night.
• Remoteness: Services are far away. Bring food, water and a full tank of gas, and download offline maps before you leave the main highways.

Nearby stops worth adding

The park has miles of hiking trails into the canyons and hills behind the campground. The Moonlight Canyon Trail starts from the park and climbs into a rocky side canyon, which makes a good morning walk before a soak. Beyond the park, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park has slot canyons, palm groves and spring wildflowers, and the drive along S2 passes historic stage stops from the Butterfield route. If you are coming from the mountains, Julian is known for its apple pie and makes a good lunch stop on the way in.