Interesting geological features abound in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and Lute Ridge is an easily accessible example of natural forces at work. The ridge is actually a fault scarp – an uprising of land where one side of a fault has moved vertically from the other. Lute Ridge is the largest known fault scarp in North America. Continue reading Lute Ridge (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
Category Archives: Desert
Mountain Palm Springs (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
Hiking to a desert oasis is always a fun experience. After trudging through the hot and arid desert, finding a cool stand of trees where you can kick back, watch the birds flit from tree to tree, and enjoy the quiet stillness of the day is bliss. This hike, starting from the Mountain Palm Springs Camprgound in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, takes you to not one, not two, not even three, but up to six separate palm tree groves of varying sizes. Continue reading Mountain Palm Springs (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
Marsh Trail and Desert Overlook
We had taken a couple days to camp at Agua Caliente County Park out in Anza-Borrego and explore some of the trails in the area. Agua Caliente is best known for its heated therapeutic pools fed by the naturally occurring mineral springs in the park, but there’s a handful of nice little hiking trails that start from the campground as well. We had explored Moonlight Canyon the evening before, and once the sun was finally up in the morning, we set off to explore this small network of trails on the other side of the park. Continue reading Marsh Trail and Desert Overlook
Volcanic Hills Loop (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
This may not be the most exciting or exotic hike in Anza-Borrego, but that doesn’t mean it’s without merit. First of all, it’s very accessible as far as desert hikes go. It begins just off the highway, so there’s no concern about having a high clearance vehicle or anything, and since it follows the course of a well-established 4WD jeep trail, it’s pretty much impossible to lose the trail. It’s a respectable length, measuring in at just under 8 miles, so you can feel like the long drive was worth it. And, as the name implies, it’s full of all kinds of neat volcanic rocks like basalt and andsite, so there are some unique landscape features to enjoy here. Continue reading Volcanic Hills Loop (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
Moonlight Canyon
Agua Caliente County Park near Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is definitely one of the more remote County Parks in San Diego, but it has a lot to offer. Besides a fully-equipped campground with a variety of tent, RV, and cabin sites, it offers several therapeutic pools and spas fed by naturally occurring mineral springs. The indoor spa, heated to a relaxing 102 degrees, is an awesome way to relax after a day of desert hiking. The campground is surrounded by numerous springs which attract all kinds of interesting desert wildlife, making it a great spot for bird-watching. Continue reading Moonlight Canyon
Pictograph Trail (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
Anza-Borrego contains a plethora of fascinating archaeological sites. Over 50 Native American rock art sites have been discovered in the park, many of which are relatively easily accessible to the public. While many parks have had to close off or not publicly disclose the location of pictographs like these for fear of vandals defacing the historical sites, this trail leads you right up to the fragile artwork. And if the unique privilege of seeing such a rare artifact doesn’t sell you on this hike, then perhaps the beautiful views from the dry fall at the end of Smuggler Canyon will convince you! Continue reading Pictograph Trail (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
‘Ehmuu-Morteros Trail (Anza Borrego Desert State Park)
The ‘Ehmuu-Morteros trail is a short but fascinating path through the site of a former Kumeyaay Native American seasonal village. The nomadic Kumeyaay would spend winters in the Anza-Borrego region, and from this location they would collect and process pinyon nuts, mesquite beans, and desert agave.
This is one of three short, easy trails along the southern portion of Blair Valley. To make the most of your trip to this area, I highly recommend hitting the Ghost Mountain and Pictograph trails while you’re out here. While the road that winds through this part of the park is unpaved, narrow, and sandy, it was overall in decent condition and we didn’t run into any problems with our small passenger car. Continue reading ‘Ehmuu-Morteros Trail (Anza Borrego Desert State Park)
Ghost Mountain/Marshal South Trail (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
Ghost Mountain is a small and unassuming promontory along the southern edge of Blair Valley. At first glance, the peak doesn’t seem particularly noteworthy, but for 16 years in the 1930’s and 40’s, it was the home of author Marshal South and his family.
During the Great Depression, South and his wife Tanya built their home atop Ghost Mountain. They called their homestead “Yaquitepec,” or “House of the Sun,” and lived there for nearly two decades. They raised three children in their desert sanctuary, making their living by writing articles for Desert Magazine and hauling everything they needed to survive up the nearly 1-mile trail we were about to ascend. Continue reading Ghost Mountain/Marshal South Trail (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
Palm Canyon (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
Palm Canyon is one of the most popular trails in Anza-Borrego. With a trailhead located at the Park’s largest campground, this easy 3 mile trail is readily accessible to hikers of all skill levels. It is also regularly visited by Peninsular bighorn sheep, who venture down into the canyon for water and to graze on the various plant life that depend on the oasis’s comparatively abundant supply of water. At one point, the endangered Bighorn sheep were so rare that even long-time residents of Borrego Springs could go decades without seeing one of the elusive creatures, however conservation efforts have paid off and the sheep’s numbers are growing. Knowing that Palm Canyon was a frequent destination for Bighorns, we were optimistic about our chances of seeing one on our hike. Continue reading Palm Canyon (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
Yaqui Well Trail (Anza Borrego State Park)
The Yaqui Well Nature Trail is an easy self-guided interpretive trail that leads to a natural spring. The spring supports abundant plant and animal life in the otherwise harsh and arid desert. In the late 1800’s, a well was built at the site of the spring to improve access to water for mule-driven freight wagon teams transporting goods through the area. Later, cattle ranchers took advantage of the water source for their herds. Today, it is frequented by squirrels, rabbits, coyotes, bobcats, birds, and the occasional hiker. Continue reading Yaqui Well Trail (Anza Borrego State Park)