Anza Borrego - The Overview
Anza Borrego is California's largest state park, encompassing more than 600,000 acres. The Park includes many rugged mountain ranges and contains more than 500 miles of roads, as well as many fascinating geologic formations and historic places of interest. Watch this video to get an idea of some places you may want to visit.

 

Anza Borrego - Borrego Badlands
Conglomerates, sandstones, claystones and mudstones, compressed and hardened, chronicle a variety of landscapes, fossil life forms and climates that no longer exist at Anza-Borrego. This spectacular area, with its arid rocky geography, sunken mesas and corrugated hills of dry mud, is called the Badlands of Anza Borrego.

 

Anza Borrego - Carrizo Badlands: Mud Caves & Canyon Sin Nombre
The length of the mud caves varies, with some extending over 1000 feet and featuring ceilings as high as 80 feet. Caves have been reported up to 35 feet wide, and others so narrow, you have to squeeze through openings. Multi-level caves with skylights have been found, where erosion has created an opening, or sinkhole, in the ceiling of the cave. Some of the caves are fairly easy to navigate while others may require you to crawl in sections.

 

Anza Borrego - Coyote Canyon to Lower Willows
Coyote Canyon is a 4x4 route in Anza Borrego Desert State Park whose entrance is marked by the Borrego Angel. This canyon was a corridor that was used by Anza in 1775 to bring settlers to California. Come along with the DesertUSA crew as we navigate this trail, cross a flooded wash, and encounter equestrians.

 

Anza Borrego - Fish Creek Wash
Fish Creek Wash is an easy 4WD route that passes through Split Mountain, winding through a gorge between the Vallecito and Fish Creek Mountains. View this area, including the "anticline," an unusual formation created during an earthquake 5 million years ago, the Elephant Knees mud hill formation, and the sculpted Wind Caves.

 

Anza Borrego - Fonts Point
Centered in the arid Borrego Badlands due east of the Visitors Center between County Road S-22 and Route 78, four million years of geologic and paleontologic history are exhibited across a stark desert landscape. Join the crew of DesertUSA and take a road trip to Fonts Point to view sediments of the Pliocene and Pleistocene Epochs.

 

Anza Borrego DSP - 2008 Wildflower Summary
The rains came early to the Anza Borrego Desert State Park in 2008. Coyote Canyon Creek had a good flow, and in early February, the ocotillos were turning green with a few blooms. Then we started to see the desert sunflowers. View the blooms in this great wildflower year!

 

Borrego Springs, CA - Free Standing Art Structures
History is unfolding in Borrego Springs with the placement of the Gomphotherium free standing art structures. These creatures lived in the area about 3 million years ago. Dennis Avery, landowner of Galleta Meadows Estates has added 'free standing art', original steel welded sculptures created by Perris Jurassic Park's Ricardo Breceda.

   

Anza Borrego - The Ghost Mountain Movie (Movie Preview)
An unmarked grave in Julian, CA and a shattered adobe house on top of Ghost Mountain in the Anza Borrego Desert are all that is left of Marshal South and his family's utopian experiment in the wilderness. Originally told in the pages of Desert Magazine by the Souths themselves, the story is now illuminated in a documentary DVD. Enjoy the film preview's great shots of the desert!

 

Anza Borrego - Seasons in the Desert (Movie Preview)
It is a place of great extremes, yet filled with living things and secret corners. The Emmy Award winning film is an intimate portrait of the desert; a celebration of wilderness and of life. This preview shows some wonderful footage of Anza Borrego Desert State Park and some of its inhabitants.

 

Ballarat and the Rainbow Chasers
At the end of every rainbow is a pot of gold. Parked at the base of the Panamint Mountains are the remains of Ballarat, California. Founded in 1876 as a supply center for gold mines and prospectors, Ballarat lasted 21 years. After the post office closed in 1970, Ballarat became home for two famous rainbow chasers: Shorty Harris and Seldom Seen Slim. Learn more about these colorful prospectors, and the ghost town of Ballarat in this video.

 

The Cosos Range - Little Petroglyph Canyon
The Cosos lie within the confines of China Lake Naval Weapons Center (NWC), the U.S. Navy's largest research and development facility, making it a little difficult to arrange a visit. Let DesertUSA show you this little-viewed canyon that contains as many as 100,000 drawings, some thought to be 10,000 years old.

 

Death Valley - Titus Canyon
As Titus Canyon Road in Death Valley reaches the foothills, it starts to climb and meander among the sagebrush and red rock outcroppings. The road becomes steeper and narrower as it approaches Red Pass, amply named for its red rocks and dirt. Enjoy the ride!

 

Death Valley National Park - 2008 Wildflower Summary
Death Valley is known for its lack of vegetation, its geological features, Badwater, and its heat. But there's another side to the park in February and March - its wildflowers. In 2008, Death Valley had only a limited amount of rain, but it produced a good variety of blooms.

 

Imperial Sand Dunes - Desert Photography
The Imperial Sand Dunes are the largest mass of sand dunes in California. This dune system extends for more than 40 miles along the eastern edge of the Imperial Valley agricultural region in a band averaging five miles in width. Join DesertUSA's staff as we explore the unique challenges of photography in this desert environment.

 

Joshua Tree National Park - Black Eagle Mine Road
Beginning 6.5 miles north of the Cottonwood Visitor Center, this dead-end dirt road runs along the edge of Pinto Basin, crosses several dry washes, and then winds up through canyons in the Eagle Mountains. The first 9 + miles of the road are within the park boundary. Beyond that point is BLM land. Several old mines are located near this road.

 

Joshua Tree National Park - Geology Tour Road
The Geology Tour Road is an 18-mile long road that goes through some of Joshua Tree Park's most fascinating landscapes. There are 16 stops along the dirt road and it takes approximately 2 hours to make the round trip. Follow the road through Queens Valley, see the twin peaks of Malapai Hill, and learn about the geologic processes that created the beautiful rock formations at Joshua Tree.

 

Joshua Tree NP - Old Dale Road
Old Dale Road starts in Joshua Tree National Park, passes through the Pinto Basin and out of the park into the Pinto Mountains, where it becomes Gold Crown Road. The route ends at California Route 62, 15 miles east of the small desert town of Twentynine Palms. This video will give you an idea of what the road is like in case you want to take a little 4 wheeling trip!

 

Joshua Tree NP - Rock Formations
The rocky landscape of Joshua Tree National Park has fascinated many of its visitors. The landscape of the White Tanks Campground was born more than 100 million years ago. You feel as though you might see a dinosaur step out from one of the Jumbo Rock piles at any moment. Explore the unique boulder formations at Joshua Tree National Park with the DesertUSA team.

 

Joshua Tree National Park - 2008 Wildflower Summary
Joshua Tree National Park's wildflower season got off to an early start in 2008, when wildflowers began blooming at its southern entrance just off of Route 10. The wildflowers had a good bloom for about six to eight weeks, then the showing moved up to the northern part of the park.

 

Mojave Desert and Southern California - 2008 Wildflower Summary
In the Mojave Desert the rain was selective in 2008. The best area for wildflowers in February was the Amboy Crater, which is located off the I-40 on the old Route 66. The wildflower show was excellent, and lasted for about six weeks. The show then moved on to the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve which also had a good showing.

 

Mojave National Preserve
Located between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is the Mojave National Preserve, a 1.6 million acre park. Trains pass through this area over rails built by the Union Pacific, leading to Kelso. See the Kelso Depot, built in 1924 and closed in 1985. It has been completely restored, and is now Mojave NP's information center, with museum exhibits and historically furnished rooms.

 

Ocotillo Wells SVRA
Located off of California SR 78, Ocotillo Wells has quickly become a preferred destination for ATVs, dirt bikes and dune buggies. Join DesertUSA as we take a look at what draws so many people to this location - almost 2 million people in 2007! See also the Gas Domes' mud pots and the Pumpkin Patch's mysterious round rocks.

 

Ocotillo Wells - Are You Riding Your ATV Over Gold?
One of the most famous prospectors of the time, trapper/gold seeker “Pegleg Smith” traveled through the Anza Borrego region. It's rumored he discovered black gold somewhere in the east part of the Park. Where he found his gold has never been discovered, or if it has, the location has never been published or verified.

 

Opal Hill Mine
Tucked deep into the Mule Mountains not far from Palo Verde lies Opal Hill Mine, well known for its beautiful and rare fire agate, opal eggs and quartz crystals. The mine is not a deep shaft or dark tunnel - it is a claim on a hillside which contains rock outcroppings and holes where agate has been found. You can go there yourself, and for a small collecting fee, look for your own agates - take a look at the video and see how to get there!

 

Exploring Route 66 - Historic Mohave Desert Sites
Amboy Road at Sheeps Hole Pass looks into the big basin of Bristol Dry Lake, which was covered by the sea about four million years ago. Across the salt lake, Amboy Dry Crater rises in the distance. The town of Amboy dates back to 1858; it became a critical gas and rest stop on Route 66 after World War II. When I-40 bypassed it in 1972, Amboy almost became a ghost town. Follow the DesertUSA team as they revisit old Route 66 in the Mohave and take a look at some historic sites along the way.

 

Randsburg, Living Ghost Town
Randsburg, California is located southwest of Ridgecrest, just off of Highway 395. Gold was first discovered here in 1895 at the Yellow Aster Mine. The mines of the area have produced over one million ounces of gold. Today the gold mining activities have been replaced by tourists shopping for antiques, part-time prospectors, and off-roaders looking for food and a rest stop.

 

The Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is an inland saline lake in the Sonoran Desert of extreme southeastern California. It occupies the Salton Basin, a remnant of prehistoric Lake Cahuilla. It is borderded on the south by the rich agricultural areas of the Imperial Valley and on the west, by Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Both the Salton Sea State Recreation Area and the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge are located on its shores.

 

Searching for Wyatt Earp's Gold Mine - NEW Bonus Edition Containing Interview with Author Ken Cilch!
In his book, Wyatt Earp, The Missing Years, the author Ken Cilch reports that Wyatt staked several claims in the Mojave and the Sonoran deserts. Earp bought his only home in Vidal, California, near the Colorado River and filed a number of claims at the base of the Whipple Mountains. Join DesertUSA as we search with the author Ken Cilch to find the location of his claims.

 

Trona Pinnacles
The Trona Pinnacles are some of the most unique geological features in the California desert. The Pinnacles have been featured in many commercials and films. In Star Trek: The Final Frontier, the crew of the Enterprise landed on this strange planet. These unique rock formations were created about 10,000 years ago, and give you the feeling that you are on another planet.

 
Quicktime VRs

Quicktime VR images let you spin around, look up and down and zoom in as if you were standing right there! You need to have Apple's QuickTime (For PC or Mac - free download.)

Wildflowers in Anza-Borrego 2-3-2001 - QTVR
A sweeping view from from Henderson Canyon Road near the Peg Leg monument in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on February 3, 2001. Do you remember the 2001 wildflowers?

 

Anza Borrego - Font's Point - QTVR
The view from Font's Point to the southeast, overlooks the Borrego Badlands. Mexico is off in the distance. Turning right (west) reveals Inspiration Point Wash and the town of Borrego Springs in the distance, then the access road to Font's Point. To the north, the Santa Rosa Mountains appear in the distance.

 

Joshua Tree NP QTVR
A panoramic view of the geology and vegetation typical of the upper, western portion of Joshua Tree National Park, all of which are features of the Mojave Desert.

 

Joshua Tree NP - Hidden Valley QTVR
Panoramic view from the center of Hidden Valley in Joshua Tree National Park at the northwestern end of the park. Hidden Valley is completely surrounded and concealed by large rocks, which is why rustlers in the 1800s hid their stolen cattle here. The view begins looking south, then as you turn right (west) the concealed entrance to the valley is revealed.

 

Ocotillo Wells - The Pumpkin Patch QTVR
Join the crew of DesertUSA and take a trip to Fonts Point in the Borrego Badlands. Font's Point may be the best place in North America to view sediments of the Pliocene and Pleistocene Epochs.