Natural History Wanderings

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Wildflower Update April 14, 2017

Fields of annual wildflowers are no longer to be found at lower elevations, but blooming shrubs and cacti can still be found in Anza-Borrego.

The Visitor Center remains one of the best places to see many varieties of cacti in bloom, as well as shrubs (indigo bush!) and ocotillo, along with a few persisting annuals.

Good places to look for ocotillos in bloom are: Highway S-22 toward the Salton Sea, Borrego Springs Road south of Tilting T, the junction of Borrego Springs Road and Highway 78, Yaqui Pass Road, and Ocotillo Flats, near Desert Gardens in Coyote Canyon.

The Bill Kenyon Overlook Trail (at the top of Yaqui Pass) has brittlebush and other perennials in bloom, and a lovely overlook, which can be reached by hiking one mile from the Yaqui Pass Primitive Camp (a shorter trail leaves from pullout on Hwy S-3).

The road to the Mine Wash Village site has plenty of shrubs in bloom, as well as cacti and a few annuals. 4WD vehicles can continue up the road for more flowers.

Hikers should be able to find shrubs in bloom, along with cacti and perhaps some annuals, in canyons such as Palm Canyon, Hellhole Canyon, and especially Plum Canyon (off Highway 78; 2WD vehicles should stay right at the fork).

Hikers along the Pacific Crest Trail between Ranchita and Warner Springs will find poppies, lupine, and other annuals in bloom.

Culp Valley is a good place to look for mallow, yucca, and scarlet bugler (penstemon).

A few patches of sand verbena may still linger among the desert dandelions and pincushion blooming around the collection of metal sculptures near the junctions of Borrego Springs Road (north) and DiGiorgio Road with Henderson Canyon Road.

Primitive camps available to two-wheel-drive vehicles are Culp Valley (west of town) and Arroyo Salado (east of town), both on Highway S-22, and Blair Valley and Mountain Palm Springs on S-2. 4WD vehicles can access Yaqui Well camp, Fish

Visitors who have a day or more would do well to explore the southern half of the park, also. Flowers should be coming into bloom at higher elevations, and the primitive camps at Blair Valley and Mountain Palm Springs should be less crowded. Fill your gas tank before heading south, take plenty of water, and be prepared to pack out your trash. No ground fires. Be sure to drink plenty of water while you are here!

Creek, and Bow Willow ($15 fee). No ground fires permitted.

Dogs must remain leashed while in the park, and are not allowed on hiking trails.