RV Rental El Centro, CA

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Approximately halfway between the cities of Yuma, Arizona and San Diego, California lies the medium-sized city of El Centro. This Southern California town is located just a few miles from the shared border between the United States and Mexico. El Centro comes from the Spanish word “center,” possibly due to its historical significance as a population center in Southern California’s Imperial Valley. This metropolitan area is considered one of the largest in the region, dating back to the first time Spanish explorers passed through it in the 16th century.

After it was officially founded in the early 20th century, and incorporated in 1908, El Centro enjoyed explosive population growth and prosperity due to its agricultural prowess and strategic location along railways and roads. After successful lobbying convinced the county that El Centro should be the county’s seat, El Centro solidified its standing in the region, and remains an enjoyable place to live, visit, or rent an RV to this very day.

When you book an RV in El Centro, there is no shortage of exciting adventures to have and wonderful natural areas to see. Enthralling desert landscapes, mountainous hiking paths, gorgeous coastal areas, and big cities like Los Angeles and San Diego make El Centro a truly ideal place to take a vacation.

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The Great Outdoors

The inland areas of Southern California are often associated with hot, arid, desert climates with no recreational value. However, the region is very diverse and fun to explore in your El Centro camper rental. The Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area is home to the Algodones Dunes, a mesmerizing collection of towering sand dunes that can be seen from space. The dunes are popular with people who enjoy riding ATVs, motorcycles, dune buggies, 4x4 vehicles, and other off-road vehicles. This barren sand field is also a great place to camp with an El Centro motorhome rental.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is one of the most famous and largest in all of California, known for its stunning, serene, desert landscapes. They might look empty at first glance, but these desert ecosystems are absolutely teeming with life, from high flying birds of prey to pugnacious bighorn sheep. Visitors can find ancient petroglyphs carved into the cave walls of the park, fossilized remains dating back millions of years, remnants of an old inland sea, and many other fascinating pieces of history in this well-preserved area. Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is essentially right next to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, with lots of similar features. It still deserves a visit for its lush evergreen forests, its meadows full of flowers, and high mountain views atop Cuyamaca Peak. Cuyamaca Peak is over 6,000 feet tall, making it one of the highest elevation areas in all of Southern California. You can mountain bike, hike, bird watch, ride horses, or camp out in your El Centro RV rental when you stop by this wonderful state park.

If you want to see one of The Golden State’s most beloved natural treasures, Joshua Tree National Park is no more than a two-hour drive to the north beyond the Salton Sea. The park is recognized and preserved for its unique characteristics. Both the Sonoran and the Colorado deserts clash and blend together, creating some peculiar characteristics. There are lots of rocky outcroppings dotting the desert that you can climb or explore, as well as thousands of Joshua trees for which the park is named. Camping out in this serene paradise is simply divine, especially if you have a comfortable El Centro motorhome rental waiting for you at your campsite. The night skies are one of the park’s best features, with little light pollution and lots of stars to see.

RV Parks

Fortunately, El Centro is quite accommodating when it comes to camping, so it should be a breeze to find a campground or RV park that suits your needs. You can try staying the night at Country Life RV Park when you rent an RV in El Centro, in an easy-to-find location. There are plenty of campsites to choose from, a playground for children, and a refreshing pool for swimming.

Sunbeam Lake RV Resort has a large heated pool, a whirlpool spa, amazing patios for sunbathing, a large clubhouse, sports courts of all types, a game room and recreation area, a fully-stocked fishing lake, boat ramps, and much more.

Rio Bend RV & Golf Resort could be an ideal place to head off to if you are in the area to do some golfing. This lush, 120-acre park has laundry facilities, snack bars, restaurants, golf pro shops, a driving range, and a masterfully maintained golf course for guests. Between the golfing, the peaceful vibes, and the large lagoon you can hike around, this could be a nice place to set up camp with the travel trailer rental near El Centro.

City Sightseeing

El Centro is quite large, so naturally, you can expect to find a variety of impressive restaurants, shopping centers, bars, breweries, cafes, and other places to pass the time. Imperial Valley Mall is a popular shopping facility in the area, with hundreds of retail shops, restaurants, and a large movie theater on site.

Imperial Valley Pioneer Museum pays homage to the first brave few who ventured off to the unknown in search of a new life. The first pioneers in Imperial Valley had to do battle with the valley, slowly figuring out over time how to acclimate to the arid desert lands they had chosen for their new home. The museum focuses on the different cultures that combined to create the community, along with the ways in which they tamed the desert and created farmland out of thin air. There are lots of artifacts, historical photographs, old outfits, and antiquated farm equipment that you can see or photograph during one of the museum’s informative, guided tours.

El Centro is a pleasant place that sure likes to celebrate its interesting cultural diversity, so you can visit during one of its many city-wide celebrations depending on what time of year that you rent an RV. The Imperial Valley Arts Festival, the Imperial Valley Film Festival, the California Mid-Winter Fiesta & Fair, the El Centro Music Festival & Firework Show, and the Mariachi Festival Sin Fronteras are all fantastic reasons to visit Imperial Valley.

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Popular nearby hiking trails and campgrounds


  • Hiking TrailLocation
  • Painted Gorge-Carrizo Mountain Trail, CAThermal, CA
  • Fossil Canyon Drive, CAThermal, CA
  • Salton Sea - Rock Hill Trail, CACalipatria, CA
  • Dos Cabeza Road, CAJacumba Hot Springs, CA
  • Dos Cabezas Road, CAAnza-Borrego Desert State Park, CA
  • The Domelands Trail, CAThermal, CA
  • Glamis / Oldsmobile Hill, CAWinterhaven, CA
  • Mortero Wash, CAAnza-Borrego Desert State Park, CA
  • Blue Angels Peak Trail, CAThermal, CA
  • Valley of The Moon and Blue Angels Peak, CAJacumba Hot Springs, CA

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