Five Hikes in Anza-Borrego Worth the Drive

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park covers 600,000 acres — larger than Yosemite. Most visitors see one or two trails. Here are five that earn a full day each.

Borrego Palm Canyon (3 miles round-trip): the classic. A flat sandy wash leads into a hidden palm grove fed by a year-round spring. Best in the morning before the canyon walls heat up.

Slot Canyon (2 miles round-trip): a narrow, twisting passage carved through soft mudstone. Some sections require ducking under a chockstone or scrambling down a six-foot drop. Skip after rain.

The Wind Caves (1 mile round-trip): a short scramble up to a cluster of sandstone caves overlooking the Carrizo Badlands. Sunset here is something else.

Mountain Palm Springs (2.5 miles): a loop through six separate palm groves, each one a small tropical surprise in the middle of bone-dry desert.

Calcite Mine (4 miles round-trip): a steep, exposed scramble to an old WWII-era mining site. Crystals everywhere, and views straight down to the Salton Sea.