BajaNomad

Where NOT to Camp?

geoffff - 6-18-2025 at 02:16 PM

As many of you know, my hobby is exploring seldom-used backroads and camping alone in the middle of nowhere. With all the recent talk about cartel activity in Baja, I've been looking at my favorite activity in a new light.

As an exercise, I've tried to make a first pass at a map highlighting where not to camp. Red is where I've never considered camping -- too urban. Amber are the new places I've sadly been adding to my "avoid" list.

How does this look? Please feel free to contribute ideas! More general places to avoid? I'll continue to update my map.

Lee - 6-18-2025 at 03:28 PM

Asuncion (tell shari you're coming down), or, San Juanico (talk with locals where it's safe).

Otherwise, skip the roads less traveled for now.

David K - 6-18-2025 at 05:07 PM

Geoff, I like how you made this map from the original!

I still believe if you need 4WD top get somewhere, then that somewhere is as safe as you can be. Criminals don't travel tough roads to commit crimes... do they?

geoffff - 6-18-2025 at 05:21 PM

Hah! You recognized my map :)

Well, I'd love to think so. Maybe for the really gnarly 4x4, lesser traveled roads. But I did run into a grow op just off the Nueva York / San Isidoro / Petroglyph Park loop, and that's far from graded.




geoffff - 6-18-2025 at 05:23 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Lee  
Asuncion (tell shari you're coming down), or, San Juanico (talk with locals where it's safe).

Otherwise, skip the roads less traveled for now.


I'll add those towns to my avoid list for now :(

I do generally avoid camping near towns.

It's the access roads I am uncertain of. The stuff that happened on the north access road to Laguna Hanson was worrying. And the San Borja area stuff. And the area north and northwest of BoLA.

[Edited on 6-19-2025 by geoffff]

David K - 6-18-2025 at 06:48 PM

Quote: Originally posted by geoffff  
Hah! You recognized my map :)

Well, I'd love to think so. Maybe for the really gnarly 4x4, lesser traveled roads. But I did run into a grow op just off the Nueva York / San Isidoro / Petroglyph Park loop, and that's far from graded.



Agricultural projects (like stumbling upon a "cilantro" farm) are not where tourists are attacked, are they? I came upon one in Agua Caliente Canyon, with people there working on the irrigation and weed clearing (not 'weed' but weeds). They were very friendly... that was 25 years ago, however.

geoffff - 6-18-2025 at 07:13 PM

Good point. I am somewhat less worried about agricultural situations.

AKgringo - 6-18-2025 at 08:03 PM

I could be wrong, but I don't think Lee meant to add those places to your "avoid" list. I spent a night at each of them in January and plan on more visits in the future.

Like you, I prefer exploring the back roads and almost always set up camp alone plus a dog. Even on back roads I look for spots that are out of sight of anyone passing through there, and I don't send up smoke signals from a campfire.

SFandH - 6-19-2025 at 07:45 AM

Pangas are often used by smugglers to bring drugs ashore. The best place to do this is where there are fishing pangas to blend in with the locals. Therefore, I would avoid staying alone near remote "fish camps" and other beaches/bays with panga fleets.


bajaric - 6-19-2025 at 09:16 AM

Have seen a smattering of reports of people getting shot at, carjacked, etc. in remote areas roughly centered on Valle Trinindad / San Matais / Santa Catarina. Also abandoned fish camp at Puerto Calamajue has been rumored to be unsafe; ideal spot to unload pangas full of contraband from the mainland. In the end its just the luck of the draw, if the cartels don't get you the trophy trucks will!

mtgoat666 - 6-19-2025 at 09:38 AM

Quote: Originally posted by SFandH  
Pangas are often used by smugglers to bring drugs ashore. The best place to do this is where there are fishing pangas to blend in with the locals. Therefore, I would avoid staying alone near remote "fish camps" and other beaches/bays with panga fleets.




I trust established fish camps more than lone pangas that may be poachers or smugglers, or vehicles met on lonely roads which vehicles may be carrying meth heads or other sociopaths looking to steal…



mtgoat666 - 6-19-2025 at 09:45 AM

Btw, the unfriendliest people i ever met in baja were american surfers camped on a remote beach who practiced “localism” and ran us off with bad vibes…


Puerto Calamajue

AKgringo - 6-19-2025 at 07:17 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaric  
Also abandoned fish camp at Puerto Calamajue has been rumored to be unsafe;


I am pretty sure that when Coco was still alive he told me to avoid that old camp, but wo years ago, there appeared to be a lot of traffic on that road so I drove in and checked it out.

There did not appear to be any panga or fishing activity but there was a lot of gravel and sand mining going on. I kept my distance, but it did not seem that I was drawing any attention from them.

My dog and I did get checked out by a coyote that evening, but I don't think he was reporting back to anyone!

[Edited on 6-20-2025 by AKgringo]

latitude32 - 6-19-2025 at 07:27 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
Quote: Originally posted by bajaric  
Also abandoned fish camp at Puerto Calamajue has been rumored to be unsafe;


I am pretty sure that when Coco was still alive he told me to avoid that old camp, but wo years ago, there appeared to be a lot of traffic on that road so I drove in and checked it out.

There did not appear to be any panga or fishing activity but there was a lot of gravel and sand mining going on. I kept my distance, but it did not seem that I was drawing any attention from them.

My dog and I did get checked out by a coyote that evening, but I don't think he was reporting back to anyone!

[Edited on 6-20-2025 by AKgringo]
I camped out there twice, with two friends not solo. love it out there but definitely creepy at night!:O

mjs - 6-20-2025 at 07:09 AM

The last time we camped Calamajue we were robbed during the night. A coyote chewed the top off of one of our water containers.

Great Puerto Calamajué stories!

David K - 6-20-2025 at 07:32 AM

Thanks for sharing, Nomads!

During my Baja Bound mapping trips (in 2017), I did the drive out there (my first and only time). The graded road went right to the abandoned seafood processing structure (I presume that was what it was) which was not quite on the coast, on the left (northwest side of the cove), with thick brush between it and the beach. There was an active fish camp on the right side (southeast) but the road to it went across a mud/salt flat and it was high tide.

Graham Mackintosh writes fondly about his time there and out fishing with them, in the 1980s (in his first book: 'Into a Desert Place').

My 2017 photos:







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AKgringo - 6-20-2025 at 07:44 AM

When I was in there the building was being used. I suspect it was by the excavation project because there were vehicles parked there but no people or dogs around during the daytime.

There was also a 4x4 lost to the high tide at the crossing DK mentioned.