BajaNomad

"Oak Tree Campground" - Santo Tomas

thebajarunner - 4-5-2007 at 08:30 PM

About five mile out toward Punta Santo Tomas is a delightful campground, even has a nice covered area in case of rain.

We stayed there two weeks ago, and really liked it better than the crowing roosters and all night jake brakes at El Palomar.

Anyone else camped there?

David K - 4-5-2007 at 09:21 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by thebajarunner
About five mile out toward Punta Santo Tomas is a delightful campground, even has a nice covered area in case of rain.

We stayed there two weeks ago, and really liked it better than the crowing roosters and all night jake brakes at El Palomar.

Anyone else camped there?



Here? Who told you?? LOL!!



LOL: See http://vivabaja.com/1105 for more on this nice camp area is located at the FIRST site of the Santo Tomas mission, 3.9 miles west of Hwy. 1 and just off the road to Puerto Santo Tomas

thebajarunner - 4-5-2007 at 09:24 PM

Yes, Baja Vida gave you credit for suggesting it,
actually, he and I sort of pre-ran it last Summer,
it is really a nice quiet place to camp.

David K - 4-5-2007 at 09:45 PM

From 1791-1799, this was the mission site... This is all that remains... how sad!

Cardon - 4-5-2007 at 10:07 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by thebajarunner


Anyone else camped there?

Yes, I enjoy camping there under the trees. You do need to check out the branches above you if you do that as many of the branches are weak and come crashing down on occasion.









Here are some pics taken two months ago of the ruins. The trees behind are where the camping is at.



David K - 4-5-2007 at 10:13 PM

Nice that the weeds were gone from the mission ruins!

Those are some great photos, Cardon! Thanks!!

thebajarunner - 4-5-2007 at 10:14 PM

Limbs crashing down!!!
Yeah, next morning we noted some colossal limbs that had split off and crashed to the ground,
Would certainly cause a good night's sleep to go sideways if you chose to put your cot under one of those monsters on the night it chose to part company with the mother tree.

Risking it all!

John M - 4-6-2007 at 06:27 AM

Notice the tent under the trees - bugs were a nusiance in the afternoon, cleared out by evening time and we enjoyed sleeping on cots under the stars.

Guess we weren't the only ones bothered by bugs - the initial mission site - ruins shown in the above photographs - was deemed unsatisfactory within two years of its founding due to it being..."so infested with mosquitos that the heathen Indians would never live there." (Dominican Mission Frontier of Lower California).

John M

On the way to La Bocana.JPG - 49kB

Pompano - 4-6-2007 at 06:33 AM

We have group-camped in those oaks for many years on our way back and forth in Baja. It was always a nice experience...thank goodness with no falling limbs! Think of it as free firewood.

Fred - 4-6-2007 at 10:40 AM

What is the cost of this campground?

Cost

John M - 4-6-2007 at 12:04 PM

A year ago a fellow came driving up about dinnertime and charged us $5.00 per vehicle for a night. There is nothing there except a couple of tables but very close to the historic mission ruins, if that interests you. There is also a newer building that may have been destined to be some sort of store/office/bathrooms at one time.

A nice place, a little vehicle traffic on the nearby road leading to La Bocana but not enough to be bothersome.

Did the guy own the place? Or did he just see us camped and play us for suckers? dunno - but we paid him.

John

I think the campground belongs to the ejido

BajaVida - 4-7-2007 at 06:30 PM

there is what looks like a botanical garden as you take the road in to the campground

is that run by the ejido?

[Edited on 4-8-2007 by BajaVida]

Jake - 5-25-2007 at 06:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cardon
Quote:
Originally posted by thebajarunner


Anyone else camped there?

Yes, I enjoy camping there under the trees. You do need to check out the branches above you if you do that as many of the branches are weak and come crashing down on occasion.









Here are some pics taken two months ago of the ruins. The trees behind are where the camping is at.