Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [309]
About 4 miles south along Split Mountain Rd is a dirt-road turnoff for the primitive Fish Creek campground Click here; another 4 miles brings you to Split Mountain (Map). The road – popular with 4WD enthusiasts – goes right through Split Mountain between 600ft-high walls created by earthquakes and erosion. The gorge is about 2 miles long from north to south. At the southern end, several steep trails lead up to delicate caves that have been carved into the sandstone outcroppings by the wind.
In the west of the park, around 5 miles southeast of Scissors Crossing (where S2 crosses Hwy 78), is Blair Valley (Map), known for its Native American pictographs and morteros (hollows in rocks used for grinding seeds). The area also offers nice campgrounds and hiking trails.
A monument at Foot and Walker Pass marks a difficult spot on the Butterfield Overland Stage Route, and in Box Canyon you can still see the marks of wagons on the Emigrant Trail. A steep 1-mile climb leads to Ghost Mountain and the remains of a house occupied by the family of desert recluse Marshall South.
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ACTIVITIES
Hiking
There is a wide variety of hiking trails (Map) on offer. Borrego Palm Canyon Nature Trail, a popular self-guided loop trail that goes northeast from the Borrego Palm Canyon Campground (day fee $6 per vehicle), climbs 350ft in 3 miles past a palm grove and waterfall, a delightful oasis in the dry, rocky countryside.
Hellhole Canyon/Maidenhair Falls Trail starts from the Hellhole Canyon Trailhead, 2 miles west of the visitor center on S22, and climbs past several palm oases to a seasonal waterfall that supports bird life and a variety of plants.
In a 3-mile round-trip you can see pictographs and a view of the Vallecito Valley from Pictograph/Smuggler’s Canyon Trail, which starts 3.5 miles from S2 in Blair Valley.
A variety of other short trails have interpretive signs or self-guiding brochures. The 1-mile Cactus Loop Nature Trail shows a variety of cacti. Nearby, the 2-mile Yaqui Well Nature Trail has many labeled desert plants and passes a natural water hole that attracts a rich variety of birdlife as well as the occasional bighorn sheep in winter. The short Narrows Earth Trail, 2 miles east of Tamarisk Grove, highlights the local geology; look for the unusual chuparosa shrubs, which attract hummingbirds.
For last-minute equipment, stop by Borrego Outfitters ( 760-767-3502; 519 The Mall).
Mountain Biking
Both primitive roads and paved roads are open to bikes. Popular routes are Grapevine Canyon, Oriflamme Canyon and Canyon Sin Nombre. The visitor center Click here has a free mountain-bike guide. Carrizo Bikes ( 760-767-3872; 648 Palm Canyon Dr; bike hire per first hr/additional hrs/24hr $7/5/30), in Borrego Springs, rents bikes and also leads guided rides (inquire ahead).
Organized Tours
The Anza Borrego Foundation ( 760-767-0446; www.theabf.org; 587 Palm Canyon Dr) has an impressive lineup of interpretive programs from stargazing to three-day hikes for the fittest outdoors folk. Phone or check online for upcoming events.
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SLEEPING
Camping
Camping is permitted anywhere in the park as long as you’re not within 200 yards of any road or water source. You can’t light a fire on the ground, and gathering vegetation (dead or alive) is prohibited.
Bow Willow Campground (Map; campsites $7; ) Off S2 in the southern part of the park, Bow Willow has only 16 campsites available, with water, pit toilets, tables and fire pits. No reservations.
Tamarisk Grove Campground (Map; reservations 800-444-7275; www.reserveamerica.com; campsites $29; mid-Sep–mid-May; ) Twelve miles south of Borrego Springs, near Hwy 78 and at 1400ft of elevation, Tamarisk is smaller than Borrego Palm Canyon but has more shelter. It also has flush toilets.
Borrego Palm Canyon Campground (Map; reservations 800-444-7275; www.reserveamerica.com; tent/RV sites Oct–mid-May $20/29, mid-May–Sep $15/24; ) This campground has award-winning toilets (rebuilt after a