We made the mistake of going via Julian. We left the balmy shores of San Diego behind and headed east, turning up the 79 to Julian. Suddenly it looked cold, though wildly beautiful, the road winding up to Cuyamaca Reservoir through a stark hilly landscape not unlike the highlands of Scotland. We made the even bigger mistake of checking into Pinezanita Camping, 4 miles south of Julian at 4,680 feet, before we had seen Julian.
Julian really only consists of one main street and on a cold dark afternoon in March, nothing much was happening. Low cloud and drizzle moved in and it was bitterly cold: suddenly we had been transported to another world. Only the Julian Cafe was open, serving the town’s famous apple pie. Their apple and boysenberry pie was a splodge on the plate but tasted OK. The wild west decor clashed with the religious motifs: the Americans always terrify me as they think God is on their side.
At this stage we should have hightailed it down to the desert but we were booked in so had to endure a night of camping at zero degrees. It rained and it snowed and there was ice on the ground the next morning. We had to wake up an American RV to jump start the car as we had a flat battery. The camp shop is good value by the way and has a cool range of knives!
So it was with relief that we dropped down from the heights of Julian and hit the desert floor. Suddenly there was blue sky and sunshine again. We were in the Anza Borrego Desert State Park and winter looked endurable again.
History of Anza Borrego
Juan Bautista de Anza was a Spanish frontier officer who was sent north from Mexico to snaffle California before England, France or Russia got hold of it. His first expedition found a route through the desert in 1774, his second led a trek of 240 settlers and soldiers along it to San Francisco Bay in 1775.
The Borrego part of the name comes from the Spanish name for the Bighorn Sheep that are still found in the area. Though it might all look like a barren desert, for centuries it has provided both animals and native Indians with food and water. There are plentiful springs in hidden corners which once supported a wide network of trade routes.
Today Anza Borrego is the largest state park in California at nearly 1000 square miles. Although there are over 500 miles of dirt road to explore, making it a popular off roading destination, you can still have a wonderful time exploring in a 2wd vehicle especially if you are prepared to do a little walking. The park also promotes itself as a dark sky location
We were surprised at the sheer variety of landscapes within the park, which actually varies from 15 feet above sea level near the Salton Sea in the east, to 6,193 feet in the northwest at Combs Peak. The little town of Borrego Springs is a handy central focal point.
Borrego Springs
I love this cool little town! There isn’t a lot of it but it is friendly with great independent shops and restaurants and a relaxed vibe: no one is in a hurry to go anywhere. There is a little market in Christmas Circle on a Friday morning with foodie stuff and some nice handmade jewellery and glass ornaments: stroll over after breakfast at Red Ocotillo and a wander in the next door Bargain Barn, only open on Fridays and Saturdays.
Another good all round American institution is Carlee’s, with all the unhealthy favourites that taste so good – try the juicy grilled onion burger with a salty marguerita or a local pale ale. It never looks like much from the outside, but open the door and there is a hive of activity!
The Art Gallery has a varied art selection as well as neat cards and the Ansa-Borrego Desert Natural History Association, just up from Carlee’s, is an essential stop. They can provide lots of information on the area, including the latest places to find the wildflowers, and they also have an excellent shop. At the rear there is a little desert garden you can wander in.
Christmas Circle is quite often a gathering spot as it has charging points under the palm trees and wifi: a rather brilliant idea. The new eco-friendly library also has excellent internet facilities and a good used books selection for sale.
Don’t miss the Frugal Coyote half way along main street: it is a varied thrift shop where you are bound to find something. The supermarket round the back has a water tap and a good range of funky souvenirs as well as the usual food stuff.
Wild Flowers
The desert bursts into bloom in the spring with the peak usually sometime between early to mid March – if you are lucky, you may coincide with a super bloom. The search and appreciation of flowers is an innocent pastime and many enjoyable hours can be spent bumbling round the desert in its pursuit. Indeed, it really feels like a triumph when these delicate flowers appear in such seemingly harsh surroundings.
Drop into the Natural History Association shop for up to date info and maps on the best areas to view the flowers or check online here. This spring there were swathes of rich yellow desert dandelions on the approach to Coyote Canyon and you could see everyone wandering amidst the flowers with a silly grin on their faces as if it were catnip. Indeed a soft indefinable fragrance hung in the air and painted lady butterflies fluttered overhead.
Further into the canyon, Arizona lupines jostled with delicate pink sand verbena and tiny white popcorn flowers, creating a riot of colour which extended up the mountain sides.
On the desert floor cholla cactus and the flame tipped ocotillo are common, as well as the fragrant creosote bushes which have a delicate yellow flower. With temperatures ranging from a lovely 70 ° in the winter to a stifling 100° + in the summer, plants have to be tough to survive.
One of my more enjoyable sightings occurred early one morning at Arroyo Salado after rain. The heady smell of the creosote bushes hung in the air as I walked amidst the delicate desert lilies, which looked fresh and beautiful with glistening raindrops still clinging to their fragile petals.
At Hellhole Canyon the wash was a riot of rich pink Bigelow monkey flowers interspersed with mini golden desert sunflowers. The purple paecella grew amongst the Chuparosa and brittlebush
People come for miles to see these flowers – if you spot a lot of erratic parking or people wandering around aimlessly in the desert, it is almost certain that there are wild flowers nearby.
The Sky Art Sculptures
As you near Borrego Springs you might be surprised to find dinosaurs thundering over the desert. If you approach from the north, a 130 ft dragon bisects the road, elephants cavort in the scrub and a jeep takes a hairy route.
These are some of the many subjects that the twisted mind of Ricardo Breceda has conjured into life. Financed by a local philanthropist, the later Dennis Avery, for his Galleta Meadows Estate, there are some 130 statues scattered around the town, largely in two clusters to the north and south. All have dirt roads to them and are 2WD accessible with care.
They take one of three themes: firstly, the prehistoric animals that were once found in the area, such as the ground sloth and sabre toothed tiger. Then there is the more recent history, such as the priests and prospectors and the Indians who helped them to open up the area.
Lastly there is the whimsical section, whose highlight is the scaly dragon-serpent which took 3 months to make – it is particularly popular with the Asian side of the world! It does look quite spectacular, undulating through the desert and the head is especially fierce with a long forked tongue.
There is a map in the town brochure and it is an amusing way to spend a couple of afternoons – the animals look particularly good towards sunset. They are very clever: check out the stone and wire necklace on the padre and the wooly coats on the sheep. He has also taken the musculature of the animal into consideration. Each sculpture is unique: my favourite is the prospector with all the implements hanging off his mule’s pack.
There are some 130 in total, in fact many seem to come as a herd, so you can have great fun ticking them all off. Find your own favourite!
Mountain Palm Spring
This area has a very scenic free camping site where we were lucky enough to stumble on a lovely walk the next morning.
Setting off into the right hand canyon, whose trees can be seen from the car park, we admired the Californian fan palms tucked tightly into their little niche in the gorge. A path led easily off to their left and we ended up winding up, around and down the hill into the next valley, with wonderful desert flowers and cacti on the way.
We again headed up the canyon to another group of palms. There are various theories as to why they are here: they are certainly a relic from warmer, wetter times and maybe spread by Indians coming up from Baja California. Their dates provided an important food source for the Indians, though coyotes and foxes enjoy them too: in March they were ripe and could occasionally be seen on the ground. If you chew carefully they taste just like a date, but beware the large hard seed.
We continued further and came across a huge collection in a picturesque setting at the end of the canyon. With their fibrous skirts they looked like hula hula girls; their huge fan leaves also provided the Indians with shelter and material for baskets and sandals.
Sitting on a rock to enjoy them, there was a surprising amount of life. We saw a lizard, a cheeky desert packrat, a jack rabbit with huge heat reducing ears, and numerous birds. Most spectacular amongst these were the jewel green humming birds whose long beaks sought out the long red flowers of the chuperrosa bush – they were not much larger than a big bee but moved incredibly fast.
This state park is centred on geothermal springs which come out of the ground at 91°. They are then piped to three separate pools, two of which are outside, and an indoor spa at a delicious 93° for winter soaking.
There is a popular campsite around the complex with sites starting at $24, as well as some cabins from $70. Day use is excellent value at only $3 per person. Only residents are allowed to use the pools when they have extended opening hours between 6 – 9 pm on Friday and Saturday nights.
Vallecito County Park
Just to the north of Agua Caliente, this park has a nice desert setting, but more interestingly, a restored stage station. It was used first as an army supply depot, then as a rest stop on the Jackass Mail route (so called because 180 miles of the route actually involved riding on a mule) then on the Butterfield Overland Stage from 1858 to 1861.
This line carried mail and passengers very uncomfortably from Tipton, Missouri, to San Francisco in 25 days. The coaches virtually travelled 24 hours a day non-stop for all of the 2,800 miles, with 139 stage stations set up for horse changes and quick refreshment. Vallecito was said to be the first green country that the travellers saw after crossing the southern desert. Luckily for future travellers, war and then the railroad saw off the route.
The old adobe building has been restored and has various displays telling the history of the area and its inhabitants. It is reputedly haunted by the White Lady: en route to join her fiance in Sacramento, she fell ill and died at the depot. Hers is the centre, unmarked grave of the trio in the nearby little cemetery – she was buried in the wedding dress that she was carrying out with her.
If you want to risk the ghosts – there is a white stallion too – stay at the surrounding campsite which has toilets and showers and nice sheltered sites starting at $24
Box Canyon
This was the original pass into southern California, opened up by the Mormon pioneers in 1849. It follows a wash and actually has a much more gentle incline than the modern road. It was extremely narrow and the early users found they had to hack parts of the canyon wall off in order to get their wagons through.
Today it is an interesting walk: join it at the pull in on the right at the base of the pass and follow it through to where the canyon finishes at a dry waterfall, necessitating a detour along the side of the canyon before the trail rejoined the wash for the last fairly gentle climb onto the flatlands before the Foot and Walker Pass. It will certainly give you a better appreciation of what the early pioneers went through. There is a monument on the hill above, opposite where the track leaves the wash.
The Blair Valley
This is a magical little spot, two wide flat valleys separated by a stoney ridge and surrounded by rugged mountains. In the old days the stage route ran through the Foot and Walker Pass connecting the two in minutes, now one has to drive 5 miles round on dirt roads. It is a popular wild camping spot and has some interesting walks.
We started with the Pictographs, though our crappy hire car had to be abandoned half a mile before the trailhead. Another mile led to a large boulder covered with Indian squiggles: Simon reckoned they had problems with Mexicans too as one looked very like a wall. The Kameyaay lived here for thousands of years before the Europeans arrived and their traces are everywhere. Further down we came across a huge boulder with morteros, depressions caused by the women grinding seeds and grain. Slipping through a gap in the mountain, we were suddenly confronted with a 100 foot dry drop off and a lovely view over the Vallecito valley.
The Morteros Trail was just round the corner, a short walk leading to the site of an old Indian village. Near large boulders were flat rocks with more morteros holes: some were 6 to 8 inches deep and one wondered at the sheer work needed to create them.
The Marshall South Trail on Ghost Mountain leads to the ruins of Yaquitepec, an adobe house that was occupied for 16 years in the 1930’s and 40’s by Marshall South, his wife and 3 children. I think it was an early exercise in sustainable living: Marshall supported his family by writing monthly articles about life on the mountain. Unfortunately, by 1947 his wife had had enough and divorced him.
Today an easy 130 m, 20 minute climb leads to the meagre ruins with ancient bed frames and old water tanks. He did pick quite a sheltered spot but it was a stoney one, albeit with fine views: it is well worth the walk.
Above our picturesque wild camping spot lay a monument to the Butterfield Stage which only ran for three years between 1859 and 1862, before war and the railway killed it off. Covering some 2,800 miles virtually nonstop in 23 days, here at the Foot and Walker Pass one can still see the narrow gully where the horses once struggled over the pass. Unsurprisingly, those who completed the journey described it as quite hellish.
It is worth continuing up the rocky path just above the monument for 10 minutes to the flat lookout above: there is a superb view over the two valleys and the route of the old stage can clearly be seen.
The Slot
Walks in Anza Barrego seem to have a habit of becoming much longer than intended. This canyon is only 0.8 miles long, so we thought we would walk up the hill and enter at its top. The views over a badland of eroded washes and canyons were breathtaking and the trail continued on invitingly up the hill.
We ended up walking to the top of the mountain which was actually fairly easy on a good path. It has a wide stoney top and I think we covered all four compass points, with superb views in every direction. To the east, the wide expanse of the Salton Sea; to the north the little town of Borrego Springs.
When we finally returned and entered the canyon it was easy going but an impressive experience. The water has carved out a deeply eroded course through the soft mudstone and in places it is so narrow that one person can only just fit through. The high walls were a mass of eroded features and towering heights. We retraced our steps the same way to return to the main car park.
Hawk Canyon
We spied this wide canyon on our walk above the Slot and it looked so inviting from above that we simply had to camp there. Taking a left as we drove out from the Slot parking, the road led us down to the canyon with no problems for our 2WD car.
It was indeed a wonderful camping spot which we enjoyed in complete solitude. A gentle walk up the canyon leads to a dead end from where it is possible to swing right handed for a short ascent to a ridge from where there is a lovely view. This can then be followed back down to the car park.
We were even lucky enough to find a fire ring and sufficient firewood for a fire and later than night the towering canyon walls flickered warmly in the flames. We could have been Indians in such a timeless place.
The Calcite Mine
Optical grade calcite was used in precision gunsights and anti aircraft weapons and when America became involved in World War 2, they sourced it from a mine just east of Borrego Springs. It was only in operation from 1942 for three years as later a synthetic, cheaper alternative was discovered.
There isn’t a huge amount to actually see at the mine, just a series of scattered trenches, but it is a really cool walk: not only is there a wonderful view from the mining area, but the figure of eight route leads you in and out via a lovely slot canyon. It is about 4 miles return.
Parking at the 38.2 mile point on the S22 east of Borrego Springs, we initially followed a jeep track for 35 minutes. When this dropped steeply into a canyon after 1.4 miles, we bore left up the canyon which produced more scenic slot walking, the canyon walls swirling round continuously with some minor scrambling over boulders.
We dead ended at a dry waterfall where we followed a track up and out to the mine, emerging to a wild panorama of jagged badlands: a warren of steep canyons and washouts all the way to the plain below and the Salton Sea, actually 226 feet below sea level and 40 % saltier than the Pacific. It was created when the Colorado River mistakenly ran into it for two years after a breach in the irrigation system. For the best view, hike up to the reddish coloured flat top mountain just above the mines. Keep a look out for shards of calcite on the ground: they are quite easy to see.
Ocotillo Wells
After Pearl Harbour, the desert around Ocotillo Wells was used for bomber practice and later served as a training ground for the North African campaign. This land was later turned over for vehicle recreation, though unexploded ordnance can be found to this day.
It is a handy stop if you want to use the excellent facilities of the SRVA (State Vehicular Recreation Area) with their piping hot showers (25 cents for one minute); though the camping is free with tables, shade and fire rings I would advise against it. There is a lovely view of distant mountains but there is also every small-dicked dickhead in the area revving his sand buggy and playing music into the early hours – when we attempted to stay there we finally gave up on sleep and packed up and left. I suppose it is better to contain them in a small area!
However, the Discovery Centre, just to the west of town, is well worth a stop for their excellent displays on the flora, fauna and geology of the region. They also have a good range of local info and maps and can tell you about the wildflower hotspots. There is a garden beside the centre which is a good introduction to all the desert flowers.
There is little to the town itself apart from a little store and the Iron Door Saloon. The area is popular with R.Vs and they are everywhere one looks. It is possible to hire an ATV or a dune buggy at the crossroads to explore further but they are expensive at between $200 – 400 a day. Try Ironwood Rentals if you are keen.
Culp Valley
The S22 leads west out of Borrego Springs, winding up steeply into the mountains, a wild rocky landscape transitioning between desert and montane chaparral. We camped at the Culp Valley campground which lay amongst beautiful boulders – at 3,400 feet, it was quite cold and blustery after the desert floor.
Next day, we hiked around to Pena Spring, one of the small permanent springs in the area that provided enough water to allow homesteaders to run cattle in the summer months. It was a small boggy soak with just a couple of tiny clear spots of water, but it was enough.
We walked a little further down the hill for a fine view, then backtracked to near the parking area where we picked up the Californian Riding Trail eastwards to a superb look out over Borrego Springs. The subtle colours of the desert were spread out before us, the isolated hills and encircling Santa Rosa mountains clearly visible. From there it was an easy drop down to our campsite after a couple of hours of easy rambling.
A mile or so further down the road, a track on the right led to the site of the old Paroli homestead, but though the area was pretty enough, there was nothing left to see.
Hellhole Canyon
Apparently a helluva hole to get a cow out of, this rugged canyon has one of the loveliest walks in the park. The Hellhole trailhead is just to the southwest of town and an easy 1 ½ mile walk leads to its base. In the spring, there is a riot of wildflowers.
If you get here and see water trickling down, it is worth persevering: a further 1 ½ miles will bring you to the seasonal Maidenhair Falls, though some bouldering is required for this stage. You have the strange phenomenon of water in the desert and a 20 foot waterfall is tucked away in a little niche in the canyon. It has delicate maidenhair ferns growing on the damp, mossy walls – a smooth rock in front provides a good viewing spot, or if you are brave, you could step under!
After this water hole, some serious rock climbing would have been required to carry on (I think one could go all the way up to Culp Valley if determined) so we backtracked to a large boulder above the waterfall for a very scenic picnic with views all the way to Borrego Springs.
We followed a track which led above the waterfall to where the canyon widened out with steep walls to each side. The floor was littered with giant boulders. We picked our way around these for 15 minutes to a bunch of willows and another good watering hole for wild animals; we even passed some coyote scat and it looked as if it could be ideal mountain lion territory.
Walking back to the car park, we kept left into a sandy wash which had a superb flush of vibrant pink blooms. On the flat the desert dandelions littered the floor and little phaella nestled round the creosote bushes for a breathtaking display.
Borrego Palm Canyon
Our farewell hike in the park and a fitting finale. This easy three mile return walk is the most popular in the park, starting from the Palm Canyon campground which is just on the western edge of Borrego Springs.
The first mile leads gently across the valley floor with some brilliant wild flowers when we were there. It seemed a popular spot for jack rabbits too with their easy lope. The last half mile involved a bit more climbing round boulders but eventually we were rewarded with a cluster of fan palms in the canyon.
We had encountered swiftly glowing water early on and the walk involved stepping stones across the stream in a couple of places: it was coming all the way from the highest mountains in San Diego county so they must have been having good rains up there. We weren’t sure where it ended in Borrego Springs: Simon suspected the golf course!
We were not allowed to enter the palm area as apparently it is an important area for the bighorn sheep which live in the canyon. There are between 30 and 40 in residence but unfortunately there had been a helicopter medevac two days before which had frightened them all off.
Instead we picnicked next to the sandy stream before heading back. We had parked at the end of a nearby road to avoid the parking charges which had added only an additional 20 minutes each way, but the stunning wild flower showings made it a worthwhile detour.
When it came time to head westwards again, we went through Julian. It was 31°. I think I would stick with the desert!
Notes
More information on Anza Borrego Desert State Park here.
Be warned, it now costs $10 to park at the visitor’s centre. However, there are several places in town which can supply all the info you will need, including on where to find the wild flowers in season. The Anza Borrego Desert Natural History Association are very helpful and have a great shop next to Carlee’s.
There are several developed campgrounds in the park, including Tamarisk, Bow Willow, Palm Canyon, Agua Caliente and Vallecito which are fee paying. Information on reservations here.
Primitive campgrounds are free and usually only have a pit toilet: all are very scenic and include Culp Valley, Mountain Palm Spring, Blair Valley, Arroyo Salado, Fish Valley and Yaqui Well. Fires must be off the floor in a metal container and bring your own firewood.
The park also allows wild camping virtually anywhere as long as it is not near water and vehicles are only moved one vehicle’s length off the road. We liked Coachwhip Canyon, Galleta Meadows on the south side near the dinosaurs, and Hawk Canyon.
