BajaNomad

San Felipe campos

mcbockalds - 4-3-2008 at 12:09 PM

I got some good, friendly advice about beach camping at Bahia Concepcion in an earlier post, but as I watch the gas prices move steadily "north," I'm trying to develop plan B, which is to camp farther north, like around San Felipe next January.

Can I get your specific recommendations on a beach campo north or south of San Felipe? We will have a very lightweight 17' TT with solar, pickup with 2 wheel drive (but with locking rear diff.). We don't want hookups, but have small holding tanks, so would prefer a dump station nearby and perhaps the luxury of some kind of "one-or-two holer." ;D Our first choice is solitude or at least fairly quiet at night, but not isolated so we can leave TT and truck during the day while out walking (getting too old to call it hiking!)

I have a map that shows about a dozen named campos both north and south of San Felipe, so I'm curious about your favorite one.

Cheers, John

BajaWarrior - 4-3-2008 at 03:41 PM

Pete's Camp, (El Paraiso) is a good camp for January, keep in mind, the weather could be breezy and definately very cold at night.

The camp has showers/toilets above the camping area, and a restaraunt and bar.

Check/search their website and check sanfelipe.com.mx as well which has a link under campgrounds.

Pete's camp is 9 miles north of town and just to the south of the El Dorado Ranch and Beach Club.

The camp gets pretty noisy on warmer holiday weekends but for the most part very well run and the camping is on the beach with a shade structure for each site.

Have a great trip.

Gadget - 4-3-2008 at 04:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaWarrior
Pete's Camp, (El Paraiso) is a good camp for January, keep in mind, the weather could be breezy and definately very cold at night.

The camp has showers/toilets above the camping area, and a restaraunt and bar.

Check/search their website and check sanfelipe.com.mx as well which has a link under campgrounds.

Pete's camp is 9 miles north of town and just to the south of the El Dorado Ranch and Beach Club.

The camp gets pretty noisy on warmer holiday weekends but for the most part very well run and the camping is on the beach with a shade structure for each site.

Have a great trip.


Yep,
That would be my recommendation for camping with the trailer. Not much chance of getting stuck if you are heads up because there is sand to get stuck in and lots of help if you aren't.

San Felipe campos

The squarecircle - 4-3-2008 at 04:50 PM

Greetings mcbockalds,

Try Campo Pescador >>> First beach campground just north of San Felipe. Beautiful white sand beach with lots of room and you will be alone. Look for the sign "Pescador" 11 dollars per day. Pay at the entrance.

Regards,sq.

smlslikfish - 4-3-2008 at 04:55 PM

For quiet, I'd head down around Puertecitos. You can see most of the camps from the road and it's paved all the way to there. Much prettier than San Felipe.

David K - 4-3-2008 at 05:08 PM

Prettiest campo and a half mile from highway with shade trees and a SAND beach, south of San Felipe at Km. 32: Nuevo Mazatlan... only services is running water, flush toilets and cool showers... Food nearby at Chelo's and Marina's Cafes at Km. 35 (Colonia Delicias)

Part of the camping area:



The beach at Nuevo mazatlan (low tide looking south):



Go to http://vivabaja.com/nm and http://vivabaja.com/806 for more photos!

[Edited on 4-4-2008 by David K]

mcbockalds - 4-3-2008 at 06:54 PM

Thanks guys for the suggestions. A few follow-up questions come to mind.

I can't find a web site for Pete's El Paraiso? The "link" at sanfelipe.com.mx doesn't appear to be a link. Do you know what Pete's web site address is?
I take it that Pete's won't be too crowded in the coolness of Jan.? It sounds too attractive, with the restaurant and bar, to be very secluded, unless Jan. is just too cold to attract very many campers.

Do you know if Pescador has any dump facilities? Is it likely to be so secluded that the TT would be the only one there and thus a bit unsafe if we left it for the day? Or does the campo owner/operator live within eyesight of the camping area?

Can you see the beach from any of the camp sites at Nuevo Mazatlan? Any place to appropriately dispose of gray water there or close by?

Cheers...John

BajaWarrior - 4-3-2008 at 07:00 PM

petescamp.com

Just checked it out. You've got a lot of good suggestion from the guys here, belive me, your going to love the hot showers and the restaruant/bar if the wind blows...

No services at Nuevo Mazatlan, rv dump at Pete's

[Edited on 4-4-2008 by BajaWarrior]

bbbait - 4-3-2008 at 08:53 PM

"Destiny" is about two miles north of Puetecitos... and handles the basics, like toilets and showers.... They put a 50 gal barrell out there with a bucket in it and you use it where necessary... They have palapas and are right on a sandy beach next to a fish camp which has opportunities if you pursue them... They charge $18 a night but I saw that negotiable, when some one came in for an extended stay, it dropped dramatically! Paved road to them, of course and a good store in town with all the necessities like beer, Ice, and other regular store items like vegetables and a variety of canned goods......

wilderone - 4-4-2008 at 08:33 AM

Next January? It might be cold - the gulf is fer shur - prepare accordingly. And I'd mention too, that the tidal surge is not as great in the southerly campos vs. north of SF.

Hook - 4-4-2008 at 11:20 AM

What is Campo La Costilla like these days? I stayed there once many years ago and it was a nice location. About five miles south of Puertecitos and I'm sure the road is not sweet (it wasnt then, either) but the road kept the crowds down.

ArvadaGeorge - 4-4-2008 at 12:22 PM

I lead a camping group that has camped in San Felipe off and on for the last 10/15 years between Christmas and the 1st week of January. We RV & trailer camp and ride Motorcycles & ATV’S on day trips.
My wife and I have checked out most of the Campos and tried quite a few.
Most of the prices have gotten out of hand for what you get. In Colorado the Forest Service camp grounds are $10.00 to $15.00 with comparable service. I wouldn’t mind paying the asking price of $25.00 to $50.00 per night if they offer more-I explain this and offer less. That time of the year you should plan on having strong wind 20—30MPH at least 1/3 of the time .Any tent camping on the open beach can be changelings.
It is my opinion that most of the thefts are related to the vendors. More vendors = more theft

Pete’s
is nice it can be crowded and noisy. A lot of beach vendors and no security at the gate, there have been a lot of petty and not so petty thefts. Keep you stuff locked.
No place to camp out of wind Showers, restaurant, Dump, clean toilets
Big beach long tide flat for shelling. Long drive for m/c atv riding other than on beach
Hard to deal on camping price

Playa Del Sol
like Pete’s but not as crowded showers, dump, clean toilets .erratic restaurant Erratic security at gate not very many vendors
Large north wall and canyon may be possible to get out of wind.
Big beach long tide flat for shelling. Long drive for m/c atv riding other than on beach
Will deal on camping price

Campo Nuevo Mazatlan
erratically clean toilets and showers (cold) if you b-tch right off the bat before you pay they will be clean
More like a regular camp ground water, trees, tables at most sites. It’s in a long arroyo so you can get out of the wind there are 2 sites up front with views of the beach. My wife calls them windy point. Good clamming shelling just north
Restaurant 2/3 miles away, good riding close,no dump, few vendors
Will deal on price

Puetecitos
I was pleasantly surprised by this place. Kind of like camping in town; but a beautiful bay Tables, water, and electricity (5 to 10:00pm) at the site. clean toilets good restaurant
24hr access to hot springs, no vendors
Will deal on the price

DonBaja - 4-4-2008 at 12:47 PM

I really liked this campground about 5 miles + or - south of San Felipe

San Felipe March 2007 014reduced.JPG - 49kB

DonBaja - 4-4-2008 at 12:52 PM

Another pic of the camp area. Sorry I don't have a shot of the beach, but this is right on a clean sandy beach.

[Edited on 4-4-2008 by DonBaja]

San Felipe March 2007 012r.JPG - 50kB

mcbockalds - 4-4-2008 at 02:54 PM

I do appreciate all the replies. They are helping me get a better picture of what is available.

Pete's web site has a very troubling note about RVs longer than 15' It says you have to rent two sites without exception. Our TT is 17.5' and there is no way I can pay $30 for two sites for our rather tiny TT. Does anyone know anything about Pete's 15' rule?

At Nuevo Mazatlan and other places without a dump station are you permitted to dump gray water if you do it a long way away from the camping area. For example say about 1/4 to 1/2 mile back out the entrance road and well off to the side of the road (being careful to avoid trampling vegetation)? I'm talking about 20 gals of gray water for a five day stay, not 100 gals. We use a 20 gal tote that I can pull behind the truck for the 1/4 to 1/2 mile and then if the ground next to the road is not too soft I can pull the tote by hand to get away from the road and avoid vegetation. Any thoughts on this procedure being acceptable to campo operators? Another reason for asking this questio here is that if I have to try to ask it in Spanish...well forget it. I barely know how to ask for a bano or is it banyo?? or something else :?:

Cheers...John

ArvadaGeorge - 4-4-2008 at 03:52 PM

Gray water dumping at N/M should not be a problem
Lots of acess to the desert real close

David K - 4-4-2008 at 05:19 PM

George, I never saw a trip report from you after last New Years (2008)... Did you write one, if so where please?

I have enjoyed your extensive helmet cam video of the arroyos and beach trips out from Nuevo Mazatlan and would happily show it to any Nomad who came by!

ArvadaGeorge - 4-5-2008 at 07:22 AM

David
This years S/F trip wasn’t our best. My wife Louise fell in the R/V the 1st night and broke a rib. It took me few days to get her to go to St James Infirmary in S/F. They were great, and she got a muscle relax cent shot and prescription. Which worked better that the percocet I was feeding her.
After that we drove to Puetecitos stayed a few days and then tried a few other camp grounds heading north.
Since I’ve been back I’ve been working 2 jobs running Arvada Cycle and working for the Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition, Teaching off road clubs how to GPS and submit their trails to the Forest Service, So I have been busy.
I will try to write a report. I know I owe the board one

[Edited on 4-5-2008 by ArvadaGeorge]

David K - 4-5-2008 at 08:41 AM

Thank you very much George... I hope Louise has healed up okay!

I will look forward to your trip report.

I have been emailing with a new m/c friend who just joined Nomad 'xr250' (Phil)... Please offer him any advice you may have as he and his brother like exploring as well.

David K - 10-26-2010 at 05:41 PM

Bump

DK

desertcpl - 11-4-2010 at 09:31 AM

Nuevo Mazatlan

would you recommend this camp for a large motor home with slides;; getting into the camp and out

mcfez - 11-4-2010 at 11:04 AM

Pete's Camp:
Known for quad runners and bikes. It's noisy till 10ish.
I seen 34+ RV in there.
Great hot showers...cost extra!
Dont stay at this joint.
You can do far better. Petes camp reminds me of sitting at the drive in theater!

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=48841#pid5632...

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=48727

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=48703


Remember...the road south is now a supremo paved highway...it takes a 1/4 tank of gas to get to Puertecitos.
Many great spots on this route...so close to town.

Playa Pescado.....is a jewel of a beach BTW.

desertcpl - 11-4-2010 at 12:06 PM

I have camped before at Petes camp,, with a 24' 5th wheel

I liked it,, just wanting more options, but dont want to get stuck in the sand

[Edited on 11-4-2010 by desertcpl]

David K - 11-4-2010 at 10:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by desertcpl
Nuevo Mazatlan

would you recommend this camp for a large motor home with slides;; getting into the camp and out


Nope.. too sandy for bigger m/h or 2WDs I fear... Unless you have a toad and can drive down to the trees and check it for yourself.

Laguna (Rancho) Percebu has lots of camp sites... and the new one closer to Punta Estrella may be just right... photos of it posted above.

desertcpl - 12-8-2010 at 06:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bbbait
"Destiny" is about two miles north of Puetecitos... and handles the basics, like toilets and showers.... They put a 50 gal barrell out there with a bucket in it and you use it where necessary... They have palapas and are right on a sandy beach next to a fish camp which has opportunities if you pursue them... They charge $18 a night but I saw that negotiable, when some one came in for an extended stay, it dropped dramatically! Paved road to them, of course and a good store in town with all the necessities like beer, Ice, and other regular store items like vegetables and a variety of canned goods......


I have got to chime in here, $18.00 dollars a night?
okay I give up,, is the 50 gal barrel for dumping your holding tank or ?? I dont think you would want to drink it