California's Secret Desert™ – Borrego Springs

Carrizo Badlands is an area that a true desert explorer will appreciate. This is the very southern end of the park, and lies closest to Mexico. Even if all you do is take a drive to its southern border and back, the grandeur of this area will impress and affect you. Abundant history and lore here stretches back to the Spanish period of the 18th century. Native peoples spent untold aeons shuttling between the mountains in summer, and the desert floor each winter, leaving hints of what their lives were like in their artifacts – rock art, and morteros.

You'll find palm oases and primitive camping areas interspersed among amazing badlands and ancient, crumbling mountain ranges. There are quite a few day hikes with trailheads accessible to street vehicles. It's worth the drive out from Borrego Springs for a hike at Canyon Sin Nombre, or Bow Willow – sometimes you'll wonder if you're the last person on earth as you wonder among these ancient hills and canyons.

And yes, this is four-wheeler paradise. Miles of dirt roads through canyons and washes provide a real “get away from it all” experience. You can spend days poking around in this country, and still be home in Borrego Springs in a nice, soft bed each night. Bring your G.P.S., plenty of water, and know your desert safety.