From the category archives:

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Hiking Borrego Palm Canyon

March 13, 2009

A relatively easy, 3-mile roundtrip down a rocky canyon to one of the last remaining naturally occurring native California palm groves left on the planet. This is a fascinating hike for amateur botanists and geologists, and desert hikers will be rewarded with a surprising amount of water along the trail. There’s a free pamphlet at [...]

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Hiking Ghost Mountain and Pictograph Trail

March 9, 2009

A tour through some of the highlights of the southwestern corner of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, that can be done as a strenuous 14.6 mile hike, or in easy 1-2 mile chunks if you’re willing to drive on dirt roads to get further into the interior of the desert. The landscape is relatively flat and [...]

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Coyote Mountain Bloom

February 24, 2009

I just got back from a great weekend in Anza-Borrego, and while the wildflowers still aren’t out in force quite yet, there are a few areas in the north end of the park that are pretty colorful. Borrego Palm Canyon, near the popular campground, didn’t have any particularly large number of flowers, but it did [...]

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Desert Blooms Incoming

February 13, 2009

If you’re looking to make a dash to view some desert wildflower blooms, now might be the time to start planning for a trip down south. The California Travel Girl tipped us off to the first wildflower report from Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, which is just starting to see the first flowers pop through the [...]

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10 Hikes Near San Diego

January 5, 2009

The blog Outside San Diego has done all SoCal hikers a favor and listed his top ten must-do 2009 hikes near San Diego. I don’t get down to that neck of the woods as often as I’d like, but I have done a few of the trails he’s picked out, like The Slot and Iron [...]

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Anza-Borrego Powerlines … Again

June 16, 2008

Sometimes, it ain’t easy being green. Like when you have to fight the construction of a new solar plant to prevent environmental damage. As public demand and acceptance of alternative energy sources continues to rise, so does the opposition when it’s about to move from the planning table to actual real-life implementation. We saw this [...]

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Anza-Borrego State Park: Calcite Mine and The Slot

October 30, 2007

Two short hikes in some of the best Slot Canyons in Southern California. Lots of squeezing through walls, scrambling in and out of canyons, and generally feeling like you’re in an Indiana Jones movie. The Calcite Mine area is also home to a historic WWII-era mining area, with other man-made features to explore. The (extra [...]

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Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Wind Caves (Adjacent)

October 29, 2007

A short, off-trail mountain scramble and climb near the Wind Caves area of the park. We didn’t go all the way in because my Accord was probably not meant to be on the sandy dirt road leading to the caves.

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Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Hellhole Canyon

October 29, 2007

A short hike from the hot, dry desert flat into a narrow canyon and to a hidden waterfall oasis, full of mosses, vines, and trees. A surreal arid experience that is not to be missed if you’re in Anza-Borrego. Since the fires and smoky air have banished me to the apartment for the next few [...]

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