Drives
Here are some of the scenic drives in Anza-Borrego. Click on the button/photo for more details about each hike.
Montezuma Grade – It is less than 15 miles from Borrego Springs to the small community of Ranchita following Highway S-22. But you gain 3400 feet in elevation and pass through several different climate zones along the way. The drive is actually most spectacular heading west, from Ranchita down to Borrego Springs. The scenery is spectacular, with massive rock formations, rugged canyons, and a view of the Salton Sea. The road is good, but keep your eyes on the road; there are many twists and turns along this route.
Metal Sculptures – The artwork of Ricardo Breceda. More than 130 sculptures dot the desert landscape around Borrego Spings. They consist of ancient animals that once roamed here, historical figures, and many that are pure imagination. It is all an easy drive from Borrego Springs.
Fonts Point – offers an incredible vista across the Borrego Badlands, an area of layered sediments from ancient streams deposited during the last 600,000 years and much older deposits, as old as four million years, from the ancestral Colorado River. 4WD is strongly recommended for the four miles of off-highway driving that lead to Fonts Point. The route is not steep, but there are sections of soft sand.
Erosion Road – If you are interested in geology, stop by the ABDNHA Nature Center to pick up a free brochure on the Erosion Road, which will lead you on a self-guided auto tour along the Borrego-Salton Seaway, one of the most fascinating landscapes in the Anza-Borrego Desert.
Triangle Tour – If you want to really get into the desert but just getting to know the area, the Triangle Tour offers a great introduction. This is a 33 mile loop and it offers a great combination of scenic driving, hiking, and venturing off of the blacktop highway into some of Anza-Borrego’s ever-changing washes. The Triangle tour brochure, with map, is available in the ABDNHA Nature Center.
Mine Wash – Visit the Native American village site in Mine Wash. Many morteros are scatted among the large boulders. The turnoff is on the south side of Highway 78 about 3 miles east of the Tamarisk Grove Campground. 4WD is not required for the route to the village site but high clearance is advised.
Vallecito County Park – Vallecito is a restored stage stop on the Butterfield Stage Line just a few miles from Agua Caliente. This park has a nice picnic area and campground. 45-minute drive from Borrego Springs.
Agua Caliente County Park – Agua Caliente, with natural hot springs, has two beautiful outdoor swimming pools, an indoor hot pool, the Moonlight Canyon hiking trail, and lots of room for kids to play. It’s a great place for families. This park has a nice picnic area and campground. 45-minute drive from Borrego Springs. Closed during summer.