It is 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the Imperial County line on California State Route 78 at an elevation of 163 feet (50 m).

The Los Puertecitos Historic Site is on California State Route 78 about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the community.

My Desert Rose, which was a traditional restaurant located at the intersection of State Route 78 and Split Mountain Road, burned down in 2008.

This off-road vehicle area is part of the department's Southern Division, Ocotillo Wells District which is headquartered in Borrego Springs.

[citation needed] Natural features in the park include: The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail travels through the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area.

[7] The F-35B crashed near Ocotillo Wells in front of civilian onlookers who recorded the impact, with its pilot able to eject safely.

[8] The KC-130J made an emergency wheels-up landing in an agricultural field near Thermal, California, with all eight crew members surviving.