Ocotillo Wells is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

San Diego County San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, United States. It is west of the

Imperial County Imperial Count (german: Reichsgraf) was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. In the medieval era, it was used exclusively to designate the holder of an imperial county, that is, a fief held directly ( immediately) from the emperor, rather than from ...

line on

California State Route 78 State Route 78 (SR 78) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs from Oceanside east to Blythe, traversing nearly the entire width of the state. Its western terminus is at Interstate 5 (I-5) in San Diego County and its e ...

at an elevation of . The name became official in 1962 when it was adopted for

federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

use by the

US Board on Geographic Names The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal govern ...

. A federally recognized variant name, ''Ocotillo'', can cause confusion with the community of

Ocotillo, California Ocotillo (; Spanish for " Vine cactus") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Imperial County, California. Ocotillo is located west of El Centro, The population was 215 at the 2020 census, down from 266 at the 2010 census and 296 at the 2000 cen ...

in Imperial County, to the south on Interstate 8. The ZIP Code is 92004 and the community is in

area code 760 Area code 760 is a California telephone area code that was split from area code 619 on March 22, 1997. Area code 442 is an overlay of 760 that became effective on November 21, 2009. It encompasses much of the southeastern and southernmost porti ...

. The number prefix for wired telephones is 767, which is shared with

Borrego Springs Borrego Springs (''Borrego'', Spanish for "Sheep") is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California. The population was 3,429 at the 2010 census, up from 2,535 at the 2000 census, made up of both seasonal and year-round resid ...

Local landmarks

Ocotillo Wells County Airport has two dirt runways. Runway extents are marked by white paving blocks. The

Los Puertecitos Historic Site LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significanc ...

is on

about west of the community. Gasoline is available in

( west), in

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...

( east) and at the Blu-In Cafe ( east). Gas may not always be available the Blu-In Cafe which, besides the gas station, operates a restaurant, store, and

RV park A recreational vehicle park (RV park) or caravan park is a place where people with recreational vehicles can stay overnight, or longer, in allotted spaces known as "sites" or "campsites". They are also referred to as campgrounds, though a tru ...

. Gas has not been available at the Blu-In since 2011. Several other small businesses sell off-road accessories and rent

all-terrain vehicle An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is stra ...

s. Most businesses in the area are closed during the summer months. My Desert Rose, which was a traditional restaurant located at the intersection of State Route 78 and Split Mountain Road, burned down in 2008. The Split Mountain Store and the Iron Door are located about south of State Route 78 on Split Mountain Road. Both of these businesses are open part-time during the summer and full-time during the cooler months. The Split Mountain Store stocks groceries, beer, and parts for sand buggies and trucks. The Iron Door, a small bar, has a private club, two pool tables and serves beer, wine and some food. Local artifacts are on display in the bar, where several layers of decorated dollar bills are stapled to the walls.

Climate

Ocotillo Wells has a

hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

: ''BWh'') with short, mild winters and long, extremely hot summers.

Education

There are no schools in Ocotillo Wells. The community is served by the

Borrego Springs Unified School District Borrego (Spanish: "lamb") may refer to: People Surname *Carla Borrego (b. 1983), Jamaican-Australian international basketball and netball player * Diego Borrego (b. 1972), Spanish golfer * Elías Borrego (b. 1990), Argentine footballer * Francisco ...

Off-road recreation

The California Department of Parks and Recreation operates the

Ocotillo Wells State Vehicle Recreation Area ''Fouquieria splendens'' (commonly known as ocotillo (), but also referred to as buggywhip, coachwhip, candlewood, slimwood, desert coral, Jacob's staff, Jacob cactus, and vine cactus) is a plant indigenous to the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan ...

which borders the community. This

off-road vehicle An off-road vehicle, sometimes referred to as an overland or adventure vehicle, is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with de ...

area is part of the department's Southern Division, Ocotillo Wells District which is headquartered in Borrego Springs. Free camping is available at numerous locations along State Route 78. The most popular of these are Main Street, Holmes Camp, County Line Road, and Pole Line Road. Each of these areas have ample access to numerous trails that provide a challenge to riders of all skill levels. Any vehicle with a

license plate A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British English), license plate (American English), or licence plate (Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identificatio ...

or off-road

registration Register or registration may refer to: Arts entertainment, and media Music * Register (music), the relative "height" or range of a note, melody, part, instrument, etc. * ''Register'', a 2017 album by Travis Miller * Registration (organ), th ...

is able to operate in the park. Natural features in the park include: * Blowsand Hill, visible from State Route 78 and located between Ranger Station Road and Main Street * Devil's Slide, a small sand dune adjacent to a steep rocky hill * Shell Reef * Gas Dome * Pumpkin Patch A map of these locations as well as numerous other trails is available at the ranger station.

Military plane crashes in 2020

On 29 September 2020, around 4:00 PM, a

US Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...

(USMC)

F-35B The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide elect ...

fighter aircraft was involved in a

mid-air collision In aviation, a mid-air collision is an accident in which two or more aircraft come into unplanned contact during flight. Owing to the relatively high velocities involved and the likelihood of subsequent impact with the ground or sea, very sever ...

with a USMC

KC-130J The Lockheed Martin (previously Lockheed) KC-130 is a family of the extended-range tanker version of the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The KC-130J is the latest variant operated by the United States Marine Corps (USMC), with 48 delivered ...

tanker during an aerial refueling exercise. The F-35B crashed near Ocotillo Wells in front of civilian onlookers who recorded the impact, with its pilot able to eject safely. The KC-130J made an emergency wheels-up landing in an agricultural field near

Thermal, California Thermal is an unincorporated community within the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, California, United States, located approximately southeast of Palm Springs and about north of the Salton Sea. The community's elevation is below mean sea ...

, with all eight crew members surviving.Unfall über US-Wüste : Kampfjet stürzt nach Kollision mit Tankflugzeug ab
krone.at, 2020-10-03, German

In popular culture

Part of the 1971 film, ''

The Andromeda Strain ''The Andromeda Strain'' is a 1969 techno-thriller novel by Michael Crichton, his first novel under his own name and his sixth novel overall. It is written as a report documenting the efforts of a team of scientists investigating the outbreak o ...

'', was filmed on location in Ocotillo Wells, which featured an agricultural station and planted fields that were specifically constructed for the film.

References

External links

California State Parks: Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA)

California State Parks: Map of Ocotillo Wells SVRA

Ocotillo Wells SVRA: Trail Maps
{{authority control Populated places in the Colorado Desert Unincorporated communities in San Diego County, California Unincorporated communities in California