Blow Sand Canyon Road

Trail Overview

Blow Sand Canyon Road is a 3.5-mile point-to-point trail rated 3 out of 10 located within the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The trailhead starts at Highway 78 and crosses through the Borrego Mountains ending at the San Felipe Wash. The highlight of this trail is the large sand dune located near the middle of the trail when crossing through Blow Sand Canyon. The trail is mostly hard-packed with sections of blowing sand which can be deep at times. Wind-blown sand is a highly effective agent of abrasion, as anyone who has been in a sandstorm will understand. Here the wind pushes the sand often with the finer or lighter grains carrying uphill to be deposited at the top of the dune. All canyons and washes in the area are subject to flash floods. Travelers should watch the weather reports for the mountains to the west. There is no cell phone service within the canyon. The nearest services are located in Borrego Springs to the northwest and Salton City to the northeast. Offroad travel within the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is restricted to street-legal vehicles only.

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Difficulty

The trail consists of loose rocks, dirt, and sand with some slick rock surfaces and mud holes possible. No steps are higher than 12 inches. 4WD may be required, and aggressive tires are a plus.

History

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is a California State Park located within the Colorado Desert of southern California, United States. The park takes its name from 18th-century Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish word borrego which literally means "lamb" but is also used to describe the desert bighorn sheep. With nearly 600,000 acres, it is the largest state park in California as well as the 48 contiguous states. The park has a varied topography that includes dry lake beds, badlands, and mountains that rise above 5,500 feet (1,675 meters). Two-thirds of the park's area is designated as wilderness, and cactus, yucca, and ocotillo are abundant throughout. Among the park's attractions are groves of California fan palms and a profusion of wildflowers that bloom in mid-to-late winter. Deer, kit foxes, iguanas, rattlesnakes, roadrunners, eagles, and the endangered desert bighorn sheep are all found within the park.

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