ANZA-BORREGO DRIVING TOUR - Mile Marker Memories

Are you looking for an Anza-Borrego driving tour as a comfortable and accessible option to see the beauty of the desert? The Triangle Tour is a great way to see a lot without taking a massive hike or long 4WD trip into the desert landscape. This scenic drive is an incredible way to take the kids out to see the geology and changing landscape of Anza-Borrego State Park. In this portion of our guide to Anza-Borrego with kids, we’ll cover all you need to know to enjoy this scenic driving tour!

Table of Contents

WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN ANZA-BORREGO STATE PARK?

STOP BY THE ANZA-BORREGO STATE PARK VISITOR CENTER
EXPLORE THE TOWN OF BORREGO SPRINGS
MARVEL AT THE LARGE ANIMAL SCULPTURES OF GALLETA MEADOWS
ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF DESERT WILDFLOWERS
YOU ARE HERE (PART 5) – EXPLORE THE GEOLOGY OF THE AREA ON THE TRIANGLE TOUR DRIVE
OFF-ROAD TO THE THE WIND CAVES
HIKE BORREGO PALM CANYON
HIKE SLOT CANYON

WHAT IS THE TRIANGLE TOUR SCENIC DRIVE?

I love the Triangle Tour scenic drive because it gives you ample opportunity to get out and stretch your legs. The drive has options for several short hikes, overlooks, a campground picnic area, and a short road for off-roading if you desire. The accompanying trail guides will give your kids historical information and geology facts they will connect with come third and fourth grade. Grab a picnic in town to enjoy during your drive. If you want to leave town through Julian, this Anza-Borrego driving tour is the perfect scenic route out of town. We took about three hours for the drive, stops, short hikes, and a relaxing picnic.

STOP 1 – ANZA-BORREGO STATE PARK VISITOR CENTER

The Anza-Borrego State Park Visitor Center put together the information on this drive. Before heading out, you can pick up the map, information, and the corresponding trail guides at the Anza-Borrego State Park Visitor Center. Make sure to enjoy the area surrounding the Visitor Center when you stop in. You can read this post for more about enjoying the Anza-Borrego State Park Visitor Center. Once you are ready to go, head south down Borrego Springs Road.

STOP 2 – TEXAS DIP

This first highlight is not a stop but the 1.1-mile long piece of the road you are driving on. The road “dips” to cross through the biggest wash in the park – the San Felipe Wash. This is not a place I would want to be during desert rains and flash floods. Apparently, this wash drains to the Salton Sea, over 25 miles away! Our son has loved this portion of Borrego Springs Road for years because of, “Mom! The dips!” It is a mini roller coaster for him. Shortly after the Texas Dip, turn right on Highway 78. Take the highway 4 miles and watch for the small Narrows Earth Trail sign on your left.

STOP 3 – NARROWS EARTH TRAIL

The Narrows Earth Trail is an easy stop on this Anza-Borrego driving tour. This simple .5 mile loop is very flat and BOB stroller-friendly. It does not take long to explore. We parked on the side of the road by the trail sign and were able to see our car the entire time. Although the loop stayed close to the highway, we still felt like we were venturing out into the desert landscape. We used the self-guided trail brochure from the visitor center to learn more about the area’s geology.

This short trail is a geological gem. If you have a fourth-grader studying the changes in geologic formations, this is a great place to check out. There are many cactus varieties on the trail as well. This is also a place you may be able to see bighorn sheep. We drove by the trail at first and had to spin around on the highway. You can see in pictures how small the sign is.

STOP 4 – MINE WASH ROAD

This short 4WD road is only 1.6-miles from an ancient Kumeyaay Native American village. According to the park directions, you drive 1.8-miles from the Narrows Earth Trail and turn down the dirt road on your left. Sadly, we missed the 4WD road and decided to continue. However, if your child is in third grade and studying the local Kuymeyaay, this ancient village is worth a stop. I will update you here when we return.

STOP 5 – TAMARISK CAMPGROUND & THE CACTUS LOOP TRAIL

This campground makes for a great stop during your Anza-Borrego driving tour. The campground facilities are available, making this an excellent bathroom stop. There is a $10 day-use fee to park inside the campground. However, there is usually ample parking on the street. The campground also has picnic areas if you want to take a break and picnic with facilities.

Tamarisk Campground in Anza Borrego State Park

THE CACTUS LOOP TRAIL

Directly across from the campground is the trailhead for the Cactus Loop Trail. This is a beautiful trail to explore as it is a short 1-mile loop and gives you an unclose view of a variety of cactus plants. If your children are young and like to run ahead or wander off-trail, this would be a trail to skip as there are cacti all around. However, our son loved it and enjoyed climbing around and staring up at the tall Ocotillo plants.

This trail is another area to look up for bighorn sheep. They tend to be spotted on the mountain ridge above. We picked up the Cactus Loop Trail Guide from the State Park Visitor Center and enjoyed reading about each numbered area along the loop.

STOP 6 – WILLIAM KENYON OVERLOOK

As you leave the Tamarisk Grove Campground, you leave the valley and climb up Yaqui Pass Road. The scenery begins to change dramatically. There is a pullout on the right-hand side to enjoy the view of the valley floor, but I HIGHLY recommend driving a bit more to the William Kenyon Overlook trail.

The trailhead is on the right-hand side of the road along a pullout area. It is hard to see, but know that you passed it if you end up at the Yaqui Pass Primitive Campground. You can park and hike from the campground, but it adds a mile to your hike out. So we flipped around and parked at the pullout to keep a one-mile round trip hike to the William Kenyon Overlook. Although you need to hike up the hill to get to the William Kenyon Overlook, it is only 1/2 a mile and well worth the effort!

The William Kenyon Overlook Trail is an excellent place for kids to explore. The trail is wide, so the worries about the cactus being close are not a big concern. If you journey early in the morning, chances are you will catch bighorn sheep doing on the mountain. We enjoyed our picnic from this overlook. Our son had fun trying to find some bighorn sheep, but we were unsuccessful. Next time!

At this point, you have finished the Triangle Tour but do have two options to complete your Anza-Borrego scenic drive. If you are staying in Anza-Borrego longer, you can continue enjoying the scenery and continue driving up Yaqui Pass Road back to Borrego Springs and the State Park Visitor Center.

Or, you can head back down to the 78 and leave the park from here. We love this drive as a scenic way out to town, so from here, we head back down Yaqui Pass Road to the 78 and head into Julian.