Hiking Anza-Borrego Desert

Hiking in Anza-Borrego Desert
Hiking in Anza-Borrego Desert: Over 100 Half-Day Hikes
By Robin Halford

Covering over 600,000 acres, the extraordinary Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in Southern California is one of the largest State Parks in the country. It encompasses both high and low desert areas so is home to a great many species of plants, animals and birds. The elusive desert bighorn sheep hides out in the western canyons; from mid February to early April it is often a sea of wildflowers; it has canyons, cholla forests, sandy washes and beautiful mountain peaks to explore.
So when Robin Halford's book 'Hiking in Anza-Borrego Desert: Over 100 Half-day Hikes' was published - you can imagine what a blessing it to those of us who don't know where to begin exploring this vast desert park.
Whether you're a beginner hiker and visiting the desert for the first time, or a pro who can 'climb any mountain', this book is a must-have resource that covers a lot of ground including general park information, a list of the various park's hiking regions and map, and a list of the hikes categorized by difficulty.
These clearly “guided” hikes are gathered into 19 different areas and are ranked by difficulty. One is shown exactly where to park and what to expect to see. Distances are given in both miles and kilometers. Jef Johnson used GPS when preparing his maps. With her lovely drawings, Paulette Ache hints at some surprises one might encounter along the way.
It is a very handy, well written guide to have with you when exploring this superb wilderness area. It makes you want to take the time to do each hike and explore each region of this unique desert park.

Illustrations by Paulette Ache; Maps by Jef Johnson.
134 pages, 50 drawings, 20 maps, paperback, $9.95.
A new publication from Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association, and available in paperback for $9.95 at the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association's Nature Center located at 652 Palm Canyon Dr., Borrego Springs, CA 92004. Info: (760) 767-3098, www.abdnha.org

About the Author Robin Halford: Robin Halford is a fifth generation Californian who graduated from Colorado State with majors in zoology and entomology. For several years after college she enjoyed working in Death Valley in the winter and Yellowstone National Park in the summer. When she talked with colleagues about her decision to make a change, a geologist friend told her about the Anza-Borrego Desert. She consulted Rand McNally and got a AAA packet of information about this southern corner of California. In the summer of 1990 she discovered Borrego Springs and has never left. She is well-known in Borrego Springs as owner of The Desert Robin Shirts and Gifts and as an occasional contributor to the “Borrego Sun”. She is a volunteer parabotanist on the San Diego County Plant Atlas.
When asked how she ever managed to find and document over 100 hikes she says she began with hand-written notes collected in a binder, and she has many friends to thank for their help and companionship on these half-day explorations. “None of these hikes is an endurance contest,” she says. They are meant for people with a little gear, a little time, but lots of curiosity and enthusiasm.” Calculating with factors of time and terrain she estimates walkers will travel at about 2 mph.

For a sample hike, please click here.