Historic California Posts, Camps,
Stations and Airfields
Camp Ensign
Bureau of Land Management History
Camp Ensign (just outside the western
boundary of the Army's Borrego Maneuver Area) - The Ensign Ranch,
known as Camp Ensign, is situated in the western portion of Borrego
Springs, California. The intersection of Palm Canyon Drive and
Borrego Springs Road defines the northeast corner of the former
Camp. In 1943 Marines established a formal base at the Ensign
Ranch. No real estate documents were found that identified the
amount of acreage the camp consisted of. The historical map indicates
that the camp consisted of sections 4, 9, and 16 of T11S, R6E
(estimated from maps to be 1920 acres).
Camp Ensign reportedly consisted of a
tented area for trainees and an unoccupied dwelling for use as
headquarters near the open area where the tents were set up.
The facility was used to train large numbers of Marines as truck
drivers who were to be readied for combat duty in short order.
It is possible that the destination for these drivers after training
made practice in desert driving essential.
The area once occupied by Camp Ensign
is now a residential area containing residences and large open
areas.