Camping in buttercup/Gordons

Bobalos

Bobalos

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We just came back from a trip to AZ and stopped at buttercup and Gordon's well/buggy flats.  

There were a bunch of signs at buttercup saying "dont park on the road".  I'm assuming they want folks to park off in the red areas.  Is that correct?   Or do folks park just 3 feet off of the edge of the road?

And with regards to Godons/buggy flats.  I seem to recall someone saying "stick by the canal and it's not too soft".  Does that mean to camp in the red area?  Or just the southern part of the blue area?  

All of what I thought were good places all seemed super soft when I was walking around... 

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Haven't been to Gordon's in 17 years but camping along the canal usually means Coachella canal.  You're red area is a giant berm along the All American canal.  

 
If you go all the way west at Buttercup there is a spot there that didn't look too bad as far as getting stuck is concerned. It also puts you right next to the bridge to cross over to go to Gordons. 

Camp on Gecko one time and make the run down to Gordons to check it out. I've consistently read that the closures down there have turned to to crap. 

 
I did Gordon’s for 15 years. 
It is allllllll soft. U will get stuck at some point. Unless u camp next to the bathrooms right at the entrance. 
 

Buttercup. Go down past plank road. By the freeway. That area is good. 
or along Midway. 

 
Gordon’s is soft all over. If you don’t know where to go you will get stuck. Also, with all of the closures, it sucks to camp at Gordon’s anymore. If you follow the rules of the closures, there are very little spots to enter the dunes from the sand highway. Have you tried Ogilby? I’ve been camping there for over 20 years. Tons of hard packed parking with very little BLM spottings. It is the only side of the dunes that has no closures. If you camp at Ogilby camp ground, you are at the base of the dunes and the entrance to Patton valley.

 
I've be going to Gordons for 35 years...Just like Glamis the dunes are more spread out on the west side  - if you camp at Ogilby on the east you have to ride through small shi!!y dunes to get to something with a good flow - just like if you camp in the washes, but even worse at Ogilby.  Of course if you go to the same place enough you figure out good lines...Ogilby is cool though, small crowds, etc.

I still love Gordons even with the closures.

Camping there - if you show up by yourself and you don't have a 4wd truck, take a toy out and scout a run - do it over and over until you've memorized the run.  When you enter into the flats a lot of people describe it as a baseball diamond and the entrance is home plate - we in example camp at the deep shortstop position.  The deeper you get in left field and where the bushes start to get thick, it's gets soft. The rest of the field there's patches of soft spots - the big ones are easy to spot as you'll see peoples deep tracks or where they dug themselves out...drive around them NOT through them - sometimes you have to weave in and out.  I've actually started to enjoy finding a route and leading people in.

You just need to look for sand that's more whitish looking and avoid it - it's pretty obvious what's soft.  Sometimes it's not as obvious - this is why scouting helps. When friends show up re-scout the trail as people tend to park where you drove before.  Before you leave scout the route again.  If you take your time and scout, you're good - or have a buddy you trust to lead you in.

All that said - having at least one person in your group with a 4wd truck is a must...shi1 happens.

I've never camped at buttercup - the fact it's obvious where it ends (the wall) is phycological to me...makes the whole please feel small before I even get there.

Anyway - I must be bored, this is a long post.

 
Wesinls nailed Gordons (baseball diamond reference is great!) , I think the info you got about the canal at Gordons was to stay to that side of the dunes when you first pull in. I also haven't been to Godons in 10+ years but I know once you get past the bathrooms on either direction following the canals you should be ok, I camped out there all the time before the closings in a 2wd 2500 and a 26' tag toyhauler. Obviously if your towing anything more than a small flatbed air down and your success rate will be much higher.

 
The signs at buttercup just mean that no part of your rig can be on or over the pavement. There is no "set back" rule like on gecko, they just want the pavement clear so vehicles can turn around in the turnabout. I'd give your rig a few feet, as I have seen folks get smacked when parking right along the road. That area is pretty good to drive on, as is everything south of the interstate. Like others have said, be prepared for lots of action at night. That area is very active with Border Patrol right now.

When folks talk about Gordons/Dunebuggy Flats, they mean the Coachella or along the power line next to the old All American Canal. Like was said, think of it as a baseball field, powerline is first baseline, Coachella is third baseline, bathrooms are home. Stick to the Baselines to access the field, but even they can get soft sometimes. BLM used to waterdown the first base line to the bottom of the drags hill for dust abatement, but I haven't seen that done as much lately. 

 
Ok so with Gordon’s, first baseline is good for the most part with soft patches scattered. This is the main road that everyone takes on their toys as it is where vendor row is, leads you to the beginning of the drags at the top of the sand highway, takes you to the entrance of the old canal for quick flat access to Test hill, and where everyone goes leaving the dune area headed to the store or bar. So all of this traffic will break up the harder sand over the weekend making it softer when you leave. Third base line is good with patches of soft spots also. It has a long section of moderate whoops going down it which actually aids in not getting stuck. A ways in there is a bitchin 8 track! For many moons our camp was left/center field. Just passed that 8 track we would hang a right and camp at the base of the sand highway on a nice size flat area. Basically right below where the first dune ridge starts. Don’t try and head up the middle as there is a monster of a soup bowl that has swallowed many of rigs on every weekend!

 
Now as for Ogilby. Take Ogilby exit that is east of Buttercup. Head North towards Glamis. Now I get off at the first road you can make a left on where the power station is and head in like a half mile or so and camp in a huge hard packed area on the right. You are a couple minutes ride into the small dunes that are perfect for teaching kids to ride or tearing up on your quad with your buddies. These dunes aren’t big enough to have fun in a SXS or buggy. So I do cut a quick path through those dunes to get to the bigger dunes or you can go around and follow the freeway which as others have said kind of sucks. As I stated earlier, any direction you go to the dunes from Ogilby side is closure free. All of the closures are near Gordon’s. Now To get to Ogilby camp ground, keep heading north on Ogilby road until you hit the railroad tracks. Before you cross the tracks make a left and follow it all the way in. Park anywhere you like as its a pretty big area. I have heard that the road in and out can get soft at times but I’ve never camped there to see it.

 
Oh ya, about a mile or so down Ogilby from the freeway there is a road you can make a left on that opens up to a huge hard packed area to camp. Most pushers and stacker groups camp out that way because everything in and out is hard packed. I loved Gordon’s back in the day before the closures. I was a lot younger and that’s where the party seen was! Ogilby was like the retirement community! I was the guy with the 4x4. I got tired of yanking people in our group that would get stuck. It seemed Ike every trip. I would have to drive all the way out and drop off my fifth wheel. Then Head back in and start pulling. It just got old. In the 20 plus years I’ve been to Ogilby, I’ve had to pull someone out 3 times for being in the wrong areas and trying to turn around at night. A lot more relaxing for me.

 
We have been camping at Buttercup for 25 years, every Thanksgiving.  We camp just South of the Plank Road, right next to the border fence.  It is hard pack other than a few spots.  We are all Motorhomes and enclosed trailers as well, only the newbies get stuck.  Good dunes, but after two days you have really covered them all many times.  Great place to teach newbies to dune as well.  It is probably the safest place to be in all the dunes, Border Patrol has cameras on everything.

 
Law Enforcement doesn't put up cameras in safe areas.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Vikter said:
Cameras maybe but no agents to work the area. 
Click to expand...
There are lots of agents... it just depends on the time. There may only be one or two line agents on the fence at anyone time, but there are others on ATV's and buggies, and still more on the interstate. As with everything, its all dependent on the conditions. Right now, at night, there are more than a dozen BP agents in the dunes on OHV's, as it is very active. Its so active right now CHP and CalTran put up signs to warn motorists to look out for pedestrians on the highway.

 
At Buttercup....they have to have those signs up because dumb-asses that have gone before you thought that the pavement was a good place to camp.

 
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