Ocotillo Wells SVRA

Photo time! If you've a few photos from this weekend's ride that you'd like to post, let's see them! Post below - under 'comments' - to show us what you have...

It's looking like a beautiful Sunday morning here at OW! Hope everyone out riding had a blast yesterday, and that those out this morning stay safe! Let's remember those whips and flags on all ATVs so that you remain visible to other riders, and don't forget those helmets when cruising in your side-by-side... Here at OW, many of us employees are avid 4wheelers and dirt-bike riders just like you guys, so if you're always hearing the same safety messaging out of us, its because we're always seeing the same kinds of PREVENTABLE accidents occurring every weekend! So, keep it safe! Wear the right gear, ride within your limits, stay with a buddy, and be visible to other riders... it doesn't take much to stay out of the hospital : ).

Planning to head out to OW this weekend? Well then, we've some good news... the Discovery Center will be open on the weekends from 8:30am to 4pm! So, if you're looking for maps and info, air conditioning, or a friendly interpreter to chat with, stop on by! It'll be in the 90's this weekend, so please remember to bring those hydration vests/backpacks and first aide supplies. Also, remember to never ride alone, and always wear your safety gear. All it takes is one accident to change your life, so keep yourself safe, ride within your limits, and follow park rules and regulations - they're for your safety!

For more information regarding OHV rules and regulations, contact our Discovery Center @ 1-760-767-5393.

OCOTILLO WELLS SVRA Update (Jan 31, 2021): With the Regional Stay at Home Order lifted, State Parks is reopening campground sites for existing reservation holders. The department will be using a phased approach to reopen other campground sites for new reservations, starting January 28. The public is advised that not all campground sites are open to the public due to the pandemic, wildfire impacts and other issues. Additionally, group campsites remain closed. Day use outdoor a...Continue reading

Update (Dec 7, 2020): California has issued a Regional Stay at Home Order to stop the surge of COVID-19 cases and prevent a strain on the health care system. This action will help protect critical care for patients. While the order includes the closure of campground sites in impacted regions, the state also recognizes that mental health is physical health. As such, day use outdoor areas of park units currently open to the public will remain open. Members of the same household...Continue reading

Happy New Year!

With ICU capacity below 15% for the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California regions, state campgrounds within these regions continue to be temporarily closed... in accordance with the Regional Stay at Home Order. Affected reservation holders will be contacted by ReserveCalifornia and provided with a refund. Thanks for your understanding as we protect you and our employees from the exposure to #COVID19. See more

Please be aware of the incoming storm. Ocotillo Wells SVRA is expecting up to a .25" of rain, and the surrounding mountains expect snowfall. This can lead to muddy conditions in the park and potentially cause issues traveling through the mountains to the park. It is not expected, but if you encounter water flowing through washes, turn around don't drown! Stay safe out there!

The last issue of the #CAStatePark Weekly Digest for 2020 is here! https://bit.ly/3h4VdL0 We highlight: We take a look back at the department’s accomplishmen...ts & highlights during a worldwide pandemic & devastating wildfires. What would 2020 be without our amazing California State Parks PORTS Distance Learning Program! A pup sea lion stranded in the middle of Pacific Coast Highway? Learn how State Parks came to the rescue. A cannabis raid at Robert Louis Stevenson SPsee how much was hauled away. Plus, we’ve got some gorgeous postcards, & see our top 12 and top three of 2020! See more

Heading to the desert this Thanksgiving holiday weekend? It is more important than ever for everyone to continue slowing the spread of #COVID19 by planning ahea...d, wearing face coverings, and practicing physical distancing. Help #SlowTheSpread and #RecreateResponsibly. ¿Vas salir al desierto este fin de semana festivo? Ahora más que nunca es importante que todos ayudemos a desacelerar la propagación del COVID-19. Antes de salir planifica con anticipación, recuerda de usar mascarillas y practicar el distanciamiento físico. See more

Our #ThankYouThursday post goes to all of you, for your unwavering support and patience this year. We thank you for recreating responsibly and for following our... #COVID19 guidelines. Continue to slow the spread of the virus by staying local, planning ahead, wearing face coverings and maintaining the required physical distance from people outside your immediate household. See more

EFFECTIVE (September 14, 2020) - Thank you for your patience and continued support of California State Parks as we work to limit your risk for exposure to COVID-19 in the outdoors. The park is open for vehicular recreation with restrictions. As a reminder, Californians are encouraged to avoid road trips and stay close to home, maintain physical distancing, wear a face covering when a physical distance of six feet from others who are not from the immediate household members ...cannot be maintained, and avoid congregating. Everyone has the responsibility to slow down the spread of COVID-19. Here are some additional guidelines for locals visiting Ocotillo Wells SVRA: What is open now? Trails, routes and open spaces are now open for off-highway vehicle recreation. Camping, both semi-developed disbursed, is permitted. Limited restrooms and shower facilities are available. Picnic tables and shade ramadas. The Harold Soens Youth Track and 4x4 Training Area. What is currently closed? Group camping and day use areas including the Main Street Event Facility and the Discovery Center Day-use Areas are closed. The park’s Discovery Center and Amphitheater. Some restrooms and shower buildings are not available. Special events, concessions and tours continue to be canceled until further notice. Are there any new visitor guidelines? Yes, please see below: Stay Safer at 6 Feet: Maintain a physical distance of 6 feet or more. Gatherings, picnics and parties are not allowed. Visitors will be asked to leave if there are too many people at the park to allow for the required physical distance. Stay Clean: Be prepared. Bring soap/sanitizer and pack out all trash. Restrooms will be temporarily closed in order to keep up with cleaning schedules. Stay Covered: The state now requires you to wear a face covering in most indoor settings and public outdoor spaces when you cannot maintain physical distancing of six feet or more from people outside of your immediate household. For details, please visit CDPH’s guidance here. Visitors should also abide by their local county health orders. Statewide, California State Parks continues to work with locals on a phased and regionally-driven approach to increase access to state park units where compliance with state and local public health ordinances can be achieved. Even though the department has increased access across the State Park System, the need for Californians to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the outdoors remains critical. For information on statewide current closures and available services, please visit parks.ca.gov/FlattenTheCurve.

Hope you’re ready for this! Next week’s PORTS Home Learning Program schedule is chock full of new programs, including a full day studying forest ecology and ... wildfires with our new program partners, REI next Wednesday! We’ll also have part two of our Over & Under Monterey Bay series broadcasting live from *UNDERWATER* at the Monterey Bay Aquarium as well as *NEW* programs from William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park AND Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park! Lastly, don’t forget to tune in on Thursday for an encore presentation of Great White Sharks: the Misunderstood Monsters of the Sea at San Clemente State Beach. NEXT WEEK IS GONNA RULLLLE! . Space in these FREE live programs is limited, so register today at www.ports-ca.us! . . . #REI #OptOutside #MontereyBayAquarium #PORTSfan #CAStateParks #MontereyBay #wildfires #forestecology #firescience #whitesharks #kelpforest #ChineseTemple #california #pioneerlife #goldrush #distancelearning #homelearning #homeschooling #homeschool #googleclassroom #remoteclassroom #remotelearning #virtualfieldtrip #science #scienceteacher #history #historyteacher #K12 #educationalprogramming #teachingresources California State Parks Hearst Castle CA State Parks Mendocino Point Lobos State Natural Reserve California State Parks Foundation Parks California California State Parks Partnerships Division See more

Earthquake Swarm! Since September 30, 2020 over 600 earthquakes have been recorded in the Brawley seismic zone. This swarm of quakes is expected to continue for the next 7 days, according to USGS Seismologists. The largest quake so far, was a magnitude 4.9, recorded at 5:31pm on September 30, 2020 southeast of the Salton Sea near Westmorland, CA. Similar earthquake clusters in this area have occurred in 1981 and 2012. 0 This area of California is known for its widespread g...eologic activity. The Brawley seismic zone lies between two faults, the infamous San Andreas Fault and the Imperial fault to the south. The San Andreas Fault spans 750 miles through California. This fault zone forms the boundary between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. USGS Earthquake Forecast for the Westmorland Swarm Beginning September 30, 2020 https://www.usgs.gov//earthquake-forecast-westmorland-swar See more

Hello OHV Enthusiasts! Are you coming out to ride this weekend? If so, we urge you to be prepared! While the park is open, our temperatures will be somewhere between 105 and 110 degrees during the day. Bring plenty of water, always ride with a buddy, and always let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return. Stay safe out there!

The OW Resource Team has been busy with summer wildlife surveys and they taken some great photos of your amazing desert animals! We have concluded that horned lizards are masters of the side-eye, just look at the expressions! Our two species of horned lizard are shown here, the desert horned lizard and the flat-tailed horned lizard. Can you tell them apart in these photos?

EFFECTIVE (September 4, 2020) - Thank you for your patience and continued support of California State Parks as we work to limit your risk for exposure to COVID-19 in the outdoors. The park is open for vehicular recreation with restrictions. As a reminder, Californians are encouraged to avoid road trips and stay close to home, maintain physical distancing, wear a face covering when a physical distance of six feet from others who are not from the immediate household members c...annot be maintained, and avoid congregating. Everyone has the responsibility to slow down the spread of COVID-19. Here are some additional guidelines for locals visiting Ocotillo Wells SVRA: What is open now? Trails, routes and open spaces are now open for off-highway vehicle recreation. Limited restrooms and shower facilities are available. Picnic tables and shade ramadas. The Harold Soens Youth Track and 4x4 Training Area. What is currently closed? Camping is not allowed at this time. Group camping and day use areas including the Main Street Event Facility and the Discovery Center Day-use Areas are closed. The park’s Discovery Center and Amphitheater. Some restrooms and shower buildings are not available. Special events, concessions and tours continue to be canceled until further notice. Are there any new visitor guidelines? Yes, please see below: Stay Safer at 6 Feet: Maintain a physical distance of 6 feet or more. Gatherings, picnics and parties are not allowed. Visitors will be asked to leave if there are too many people at the park to allow for the required physical distance. Stay Clean: Be prepared. Bring soap/sanitizer and pack out all trash. Restrooms will be temporarily closed in order to keep up with cleaning schedules. Stay Covered: The state now requires you to wear a face covering in most indoor settings and public outdoor spaces when you cannot maintain physical distancing of six feet or more from people outside of your immediate household. For details, please visit CDPH’s guidance here. Visitors should also abide by their local county health orders. Statewide, California State Parks continues to work with locals on a phased and regionally-driven approach to increase access to state park units where compliance with state and local public health ordinances can be achieved. Even though the department has increased access across the State Park System, the need for Californians to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the outdoors remains critical. For information on statewide current closures and available services, please visit parks.ca.gov/FlattenTheCurve.

#CAStateParks advises the public not to travel to areas impacted by the ongoing #wildfires across much of the state due to safety concerns and poor air quality,... particularly in Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Sonoma Coast, Monterey, and the Bay Area. State Parks has fully or partially closed some park units. For more details on park closures, visit www.parks.ca.gov/Incidents. Additional Safety Tips: Be prepared for evacuation efforts Make sure to have important papers, phones, and all prescribed medications, including inhalers Monitor wildfire activity in your area with county alerts at http://calalerts.org/signup.html #CAStateParks aconseja al público que no viaje a las áreas afectadas por los #incendiosforestales en el estado debido a preocupaciones de seguridad y mala calidad del aire, particularmente en Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Sonoma Coast, Monterey y el Área de la Bahía. State Parks ha cerrado por completo o parcialmente algunos parques estatales. Para más detalles sobre los cierres, visite www.parks.ca.gov/Incidents. Consejos de Seguridad Adicionales: Prepárate para la necesidad de evacuar Asegúrate de tener papeles importantes, teléfonos, y medicamentos necesarios Monitorea la actividad de incendios forestales en tu área con alertas en http://calalerts.org/signup.html

Over the next week, California and the rest of the West Coast will face a historic heatwave that will put pressure on our energy grid. Three things you can do to help prevent power outages during this heatwave: Pre-cool your home at 72 overnight & in the morning... Turn your A/C to 78 or higher from 3-10pm Avoid major appliance use from 3-10pm Learn more flexalert.org

According to NOAA the low temperature for our region is not expected to drop below 90 degrees in the next 3 days with highs consistently over 110 degrees. Please be prepared, stay hydrated, and check on your neighbors and loved ones.

The heat is on! For residents and visitors to the surrounding area, NOAA has issued an excessive heat warning for the lower deserts and surrounding areas. Please take precautions to keep yourself and others safe. Below is an excerpt from NOAA’s warning. To view the forecast yourself, please visit: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON FRIDAY TO 9 PM PDT MONDAY... Lower Deserts..............114 to 118 PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Join #CAStateParks for The Great California Virtual Campout this Saturday, Aug. 8. #TheGreatCaliforniaVirtualCampout #CityLife #Fun

Our #ThankYouThursday for this week goes to all of the departments and conservancies under the California Natural Resources Agency. Collectively, we are slowing... down the spread of COVID-19. The faster we flatten the curve, the sooner California can go back to normal so we can enjoy the cultural, natural and historical resources we help protect. #SlowTheSpread #COVID19 See more

Our resources team recently found the den of a family of Desert Kit Foxes! The kits are almost full grown, but we can see that they are still playful! It almost seems like they have the zoomies much like your pets at home. Kit Foxes are an important part of your desert ecosystem, keeping the rodent and small animal populations at a healthy size so everything can thrive. They can be curious and approach campsites at times, so make sure you have all food put away since human food is not good for them. Have you seen a Kit Fox at Ocotillo Wells SVRA? Music Attribution: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/eddy

What are you looking at? This Greater Roadrunner stopped by our office and was caught looking in the windows, probably jealous of the AC! When it is not going around saying hi to the employees, it is busy running around catching insects, reptiles, and sometimes small mammals! Since this individual is seen almost daily we think it needs a nickname, what should it be? Tell us in the comments!