Split Mountain Trail

What can ya say… Mother Nature did most of the work on this one. This area can be both busy during the cooler winter months, however if you are able to sneak out during the early week days then you are almost always guaranteed a quiet serene day. The trail is most always clearly identifiable and marked well as to what you can do where when it comes to shooting, ATV’s and Camping. I have on several occasions navigated a good portion of this trail with a vehcile that probably shouldnt be taken «offroad», but I don’t recommend it. There are several soft sandy spots that make turning around in a street car fairly nerve racking… but this is one of the places out here you can really get to with minimal effort in most places… so have fun!

This is an incredible place to visit. To access it I recommend if you are coming from San Diego you take hwy 8 to Hwy 79 to Julian. turn right on hwy 78, drive about 35 miles to Split Mountain Road. This is a beautiful drive.
When you get to the canyon walls drive about 5 miles to the trailhead on the left. The hike up the trail is a bit of a work out depending on how fast you want to hike it.
It is only 2 miles out and back.
The wind caves are your final destination. Many awesome view/​picture moments await.
Sometimes it kinda looks like the Martian surface. Not much growing.
But I did discover a little full grown spiky horn lizard. Bonus.
Enjoy your time here this is a real gem of the desert!

Cool place just go.

I was, rather, I am a boyscout — An Eagle Scout — to be exact!
The Anza Borrego Desert (only 1 S, because you want less of it!) was a destination of choice for my Troop, and it also became a weekend-​getaway with a hot date for Valentines day (AGES AGO!).
Let’s be real. If you’re at Split Mountain Park, you’re going to rough it. And I’m talking backpacking, no running water, shit in the sand, wipe your ass with leaves, and sleep under the stars rough it. That being said, it’s GORGEOUS!
The trails will take you from high cliffs to (not very) deep valleys. You’ll see the natural landscapes you’ve only ever seen in Windows Screen Savers. You’ll probably run into spiders and flies, maybe even a snake! You’ll be lucky to see another group of people, and at night you’ll wonder if the rustling is a bear or a psycho serial killer. It’s THAT MUCH FUN!
Take your bike, it’s a great challenge. Bring your pets & they’ll love you forever!
Story Time: I fell in love with the wind caves near Ocitillo Wells and Split Mountain. You have to hike out far to get to them (half-​day by foot, hours by car. and either way isn’t easy!)… so I decided to take a high-​school Valentines Date on a weekend trip. I packed up the 4-​runner, the boy-​scout uniform, a bottle of lube, extra toilet paper, and the 2-​into-​1 sleeping bags for a great trip. And that it was! We had a blast spending the ENTIRE weekend ALONE. Not another soul joined us at the wind caves or even on the trails to/​from. We hiked up/​down the area, cooked wherever we could, and took all kinds of emo pictures of each other and our surroundings. If you want to impress your partner, and they don’t mind the outdoors, plan a trip!