Anza-Borrego Slot Canyons: Everything You Need to Know

On my recent trip to Palm Springs, I stumbled upon Anza-Borrego while researching places to go. I found multiple slot canyons and overlooks to potentially explore but didn’t have high expectations after slot canyon exploring in Utah earlier in the year. Anza-Borrego sure showed me. It was stunning! Exploring the miles of slot canyons here was easily one of my favorite days of the entire road trip. This guide shares the two trailheads I started at for the slot canyon hikes as well everything you need to know to explore them without getting lost.

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Anza-Borrego Slot Canyon Safety

The most important thing about slot canyons is knowing the danger of slot canyons. Slot canyons form when raging flood waters carve through layers of dirt and rock. This means if you were to be in a slot canyon when one of these flood where to hit, you very well could die in the slot canyons.

Always check the weather not only for the area of the slot canyons but whatever counties flood into the canyon. It may be blue, sunny skies at the slot canyon and thunderstorms miles north. Those thunderstorms could potentially bring flood waters downstream to the slot canyons.

NEVER ENTER A CANYON WITHOUT KNOWING THE WEATHER AND FLOODING DANGERS FIRST. If there is even a slight chance of rain in the forecast for any counties feeding into the slot canyons, go another day. Entering a slot canyon on one of these days will never be worth the risk. It will still be there waiting for you to explore another day.

Things to Know About Anza-Borrego

• The desert is very unforgiving, so going prepared is essential to a positive experience. This means knowing the weather, packing proper clothing and gear and having a minimum of a gallon of water per day, per person.

• The desert has various reptiles, most are harmless but know what to do if you cross paths with something poisonous. Rattlesnakes and scorpions will try to stay cool amongst the rocks, so never put your hands or feet someplace you can’t see.

• Anza-Borrego does have a fee for day use and camping. The $10 day use fee can be purchased at the visitor center or the Slot Canyon Trailhead. If you’re just driving through and not hiking, you do not need to pay a fee to drive through.

• In summer months, if the temperature rises too high, the park may close certain areas due to excessive heat. Trails are closed from 11am-sunset. This allows for early morning hiking, but closed during the heat of the day. This is to protect hikers from heat exhaustion and dehydration as well as protecting rescuers from needing to risk their lives to save someone who shouldn’t be hiking to begin with. Respect closure times when they are being implemented.

Leave No Trace Principles

Be sure to know and follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles on trail. It’s so important to help protect these beautiful places we love and enjoy. Make sure you know these principles before going out on a hike.

• Plan Ahead and Prepare: Always check for current weather updates and educate yourself on trail conditions prior to starting a hike. Look for recent reviews or call the local ranger station for up-to-date trail information like closures, recent wildlife and road conditions. 

• Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces: Stick to the trail. Avoid going off trail unless it’s to go to the bathroom. You can capture amazing photos from the trail. Do not cut switchbacks. Stepping off trail can cause years of damage with just one simple step. Camp in exciting campsites rather than over vegetation.  

• Dispose of Waste Properly: Pack out all trash and food scraps. Never toss food items on the ground. It is harmful to the wildlife. Properly dispose of human waste by digging a cat hole at least 6 inches deep and burying human waste. Bring a wag back to pack it out in fragile alpine terrain. Never leave toilet paper or feminine hygiene products behind because they shouldn’t be disposed of on trail. Being a bag and pack them out to dispose of properly. Same goes for dog poop. Properly burry it or pack it back out to dispose of. Do not leave dog poop bags on the side of the trail because they are easy to forget, animals can get into them and other hikers don’t want to see them. 

• Leave What You Find: Do not take objects like plant off trail with you. Preserve nature by not marking on rocks or harming any natural objects. Never pick wildflowers. It is illegal in many states. 

• Minimize Campfire Impacts: Check and follow all local wildfire regulations. Use exciting fire rings and keep fires small. Put fires out properly by dousing will multiple gallons of water. Coals should be cool to the touch before walking away. 

• Respect Wildlife: Never touch, feed or approach wildlife. Give a minimum of 25 yards to all wildlife and a minimum or 100 yard for predators and larger wildlife. Wildlife are not like house pets. They can spook easily or feel threatened. Stay in your car if wildlife is near the road. Do not feed them because our food is harmful to thier digestive system.

• Be Considerate of Others : Respect other hikers by allowing those that hike faster to pass. Uphill hikers have the right of way, so safely step aside for them to pass, unless they offer to stop first. Limit noise and use headphones. Keep groups under 8. Say hello to a fellow hiker!

Anza-Borrego Location

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is located south of Palm Springs between the Salton Sea and Carlsbad/Oceanside. The park is very large and has multiple road options to get there. The Slot Canyon Trail is located off CA-78 in the center of the park and South Fork Trail is located off Borrego Salton Sea Way at the north end of the park. Multiple roads in the park are 4×4 recommended. Stick to paved roads unless you have an appropriate car to navigate the sandy roads.

Best Time of Year to Visit Anza-Borrego

Anza-Borrego State Park is open year-round but has very different weather throughout the year. In the summer months the temperature can reach up to 125°F. Winter months will be much cooler with lows in the 60’s. I went in late fall and it was still very warm during the day. If you are able to go fall, winter or spring, you will have the mildest weather. The slots canyons will be much cooler in the winter because they are cooler from lack of sun and being in the cool rocks, so plan for the slot canyons themselves to be much cooler than the outside temperature in winter. I think later fall and early spring would be ideal for temperature.

Camping at Anza-Borrego

Anza-Borrego State Park has three developed campgrounds. You can reserve a campsite six months in advance here. If you aren’t wanting a developed campground, the east side of the park is all BLM land and has endless options for free camping. If you choose to camp on BLM land, please remember to always practice leave no trace. Pack out all your trash, camp on durable ground and use existing campsites. A lot of the park land is loose sand, but you can stick to the paved roads. Know what your car is capable of and avoid areas that look like soft sand to prevent getting stuck.

Anza-Borrego Slot Canyon Trails

There are two main areas to explore for slot canyons in Anza-Borrego State Park. I will share a detailed descriptions and tips to exploring them both safely below. Go prepared and educate yourself on the dangers they impose. Slots canyons are fun to explore, but require safety knowledge prior.

The Slot

The Slot is the more popular trail of the two slots I’m sharing about and you will most likely encounter others on trail. From the parking lot, head north on the trail and follow the signs into the canyon. This slot canyon is easy to follow and doesn’t have any off shoots from here once you head south. The canyon walls vary throughout the hike from towering walls to shorter walls. It also varies in its width throughout the canyon. One moment you may be squeezing through (it’s a wide squeeze) to being able to spread your arms out and not come close to touching the sides.

After roughly .4 miles in the canyon, you will begin to pop out. You will come to the jeep road where you can explore farther or follow the trail back out of the canyon. This is the part of the trail that gives it a moderate rating. In order to exit the canyon, you hike up a jeep road that is rather steep and filled with potholes. Once you reach the top of the canyon, it’s an easy, but fully exposed hike back to the parking lot along the rim’s edge. Although the hike back isn’t as exciting as the canyon section, it is amazing to be able to stand above and look down into the slot canyon.

South Fork Palm Wash

The parking lot for this one is on the side of Borrego Salton Sea Way, unless you have high clearance 4×4 vehicle, then you can drive roughly a half mile to the entrance of the slot canyon and start hiking. If you’re like me and have a low clearance car, the trail takes you down the same road to the entrance of the slot canyon. There were no cars on the road so it was fine walking it, but I would imagine it can be dusty if there are cars on it. I saw multiple vehicles entering and exiting the canyon, but none of them turned to the left and down to the slot canyon entrance.

The slot canyon entrance starts out with towering walls. This canyon is much taller than The Slot is. Once you enter the canyons, there are multiple areas where other canyons connect. Always pay close attention to the trail and direction you are heading. As I neared what I thought was the end of the canyon, I soon realized we were in an offshoot canyon.

I easily could have turned back around and walked out the way we came, but we were trying to connect to the Calcite Mine and couldn’t find the trail. Eventually I was able to climb out of the canyon when we found a safe spot and found ourselves a canyon over from the trail we wanted. From the top, I was able to easily walk to the trail and go to the Calcite Mine. Without a map, I easily could have gotten stuck on trail.

After visiting the Calcite Mine, it was easier to walk the jeep road back then to reenter the slot canyon. The jeep road was easy to follow and led me right back to where the slot canyon entrance is from the highway. Stick to the main canyon and don’t go exploring if you don’t feel comfortable navigating slot canyons or don’t want to risk getting lost.

If you choose to try and work your way to the Calcite Mine, do not try it without a downloaded map or a GPS device because it can be hard to navigate without. Also give yourself plenty of time so you don’t run out of daylight. Always carry a headlamp in your backpack just in case.

Other Areas to Explore in Anza-Borrego

Fonts Point

Fonts point was actually at the top of my must-see list for the state park, but we decide to cut it out of the trip for safety. The road in takes drivers down a wide, sandy wash before ending at a parking lot with sweeping views of the canyon landscape that makes up the state park. The road in is very sandy and it is only recommend for off road, 4×4 equipped vehicles.

At the time, the car I was driving was low clearance. I had read a lot of reviews of people making it okay in their low clearance cars., but I didn’t want to risk getting stuck. Reviews mention where to park and tips on how to not get stuck. At the end of the day, potentially getting stuck wasn’t worth the risk personally. That said, I fully intend to go back someday with a 4×4 and watch the sunset from Fonts Point.

Cactus Loop Trail

This is a short .7 miles loop across from the Tamarisk Campground. I did this loop and enjoyed it because it had a huge variety of desert vegetation. The Cactus Loop trail does not have shade therefore, avoid hiking in the heat of the day on warm days. It’s an easy hike with only 187 feet of elevation, making it a great one for families and children.

Pictograph Trail

If you have a 4×4, you can drive straight to the trailhead, but because I didn’t, I just couldn’t hike the added 2 miles round trip to reach the trailhead on this trip. The trail is a 2.6 mile trail with 423 feet of elevation. This trail is know for the artwork by the Kumeyaay tribe, painted thousands of years ago. The drawings are located at .8 miles on the trail. Do not carve or mark on the rocks and leave the artwork as it is to preserve the area.

What to Bring Hiking at Anza-Borrego State Park

Water, water, water! It‘s so important to have an appropriate amount of water. You should consume a liter for every 2 hours of hiking. Every hiker needs to consume a gallon of water a day therefore, small water bottle or a shared water supply will not be enough. If you have one, bring a water filter to resupply.

Durable shoes like hiking boots or trail runners are a better options than sandals or tennis shoes. Hiking boots and trail runners will provide better traction for rocks and provide protection from wildlife.

Plenty of layers. In winter, it may be cold in the morning and warm in the afternoon. You would want fleece or down layers to keep you warm during winter months. Additionally, beanie and gloves will help keep you warm. In the summer, you may want to consider packing layers to protect you from the sun. Although its hot, having a long sleeve layer to keep the sun off your arms and a hat for your head is important in preventing burns.

Even in the winter months, you should carry and wear sunscreen because it doesn’t take much to get sunburned in the desert. If you’re going to have exposed skin and the sun is out, plan to wear sunscreen to protect yourself.

Always hike with the 10 essential items in your backpack! You can learn more about these items in my “The 10 Essentials” guide. Be prepared for an unexpected emergency on trail. These items will help you survive in the wilderness.

To learn more about what I hike with go here to see my must-have gear, trail clothes and more!

Reminders

• There is little to no cell service throughout Anza-Borrego State Park. It is easy to get turned around in a slot canyon. I ended up getting turned around multiple times in the South Fork Wash and wouldn’t have easily made it to where I wanted to go without my GPS. Do not enter the canyons unless you have a GPS map downloaded or paper map of the area first. A downloaded map is great at helping you not get lost.

• Know your limits and be okay with turning around, especially if you are hiking in summer months when it’s hot. If you’re showing signs of heat exhaustion, get back to your car ASAP and cool off.

• Know what reptiles you may encounter in Anza-Borrego. There are multiple species of poisonous reptiles, including rattlesnakes and scorpions. Know what to look out for; never put your hands and feet someplace you cannot see and know what to do if you get bit or stung.

Anza-Borrego State Park is truly an underrated beauty. I can’t wait to go back someday with a different car so I can truly explore all there is. The nice thing about Anza-Borrego is that it’s very family friendly with a lot of short hikes, especially if you can drive to the true trailheads and fun rock formations to explore for adults and children. I’d recommend looking over the map of the park and visiting it’s website to see what all it has to offer and what you can do with your vehicle. Whether you go for a day or adventure for a week, you’re bound to find some amazing sites at this park.

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