Agua Caliente Springs

We moved from the State Park in Borrego Springs to a San Diego County Park to the south. Agua Caliente is very isolated with no cell service, restaurants or grocery stores near by. So why come? The quiet and the hot springs.

The cool pool- 85 degrees

The medium pool- 92 degrees

The hot pool- 102 degrees

Sitting in hot water will only get you so far in a day. There is also plenty of hiking in the park or a short drive from the campground.

The Desert Overlook Trail

The Marsh Trail

The trail ends in a small group of Fan Palms

Moonlight Canyon Trail

We liked this one so much we did it twice.

Julian CA

About 42 miles from camp is the small mountain town of Julian. The town got its start during the California gold rush. It turned out that there wasn’t much gold in the area so they reinvented themselves as an apple growing community. Today it is a popular day trip destination from San Diego and the desert towns east of the mountain.

All that remains from those early days as an apple producing locale are numerous pie restaurants and (hard)cideries.

And then there’s beer.

Blair Valley and Little Blair Valley

Anza-Borrego Desert Park is so large and that you couldn’t see it all in a week. At the south end near Agua Caliente there are several remote valleys to explore. We spent a pleasant day hiking the trails in one of them. Blair Valley shows signs of habitation from 1000 years ago. The Kumeyaay people were hunter gatherers who called this place home. They left evidence of agave roasting pits, moteros and pictographs.

Blair Valley features miles of dirt roads.

Blair Valley Dry Lake

Pictograph Trail

Moteros Trail

During our numerous desert visits we have not experienced much in the way of percipitation. That has not been the case this trip. The Southwest can certainly use some rain and camping in it is not always a bad thing. Think flowers and rainbows.

We are moving on to Arizona but have enjoyed our Southern California sojourn.