Anza Borrego Road Trip – Take the Scenic Route to San Diego

Going on a road trip through Anza Borrego Desert State Park with our family of four was an amazing experience. We explored the rugged terrain and abundant wildlife of the desert, witnessing firsthand how nature can be both beautiful and harsh. We drove all the way to Borrego Springs, stopping off at various points along Montezuma Valley Road to marvel at the stunning landscapes of Anza-Borrego. It was a unique and unforgettable trip for us. Read on about our Anza Borrego road trip.

Erosion Road

After leaving the beautiful but busy Joshua Tree National Park, Anza Borrego felt like real, deserted desert. One of our highlights was watching the sun rise at the Ocotillo Wells Viewpoint. While Font’s Point is the #1 destination in Anza Borrego, we didn’t have a 4×4 vehicle and as first time RVers, we didn’t want to end up stuck on the sandy roads.

It’s a hugely popular area for ATVs and there were circles of big RVs parked with a campfire in the middle and their ATVs and dirt bikes lined up. It was an interesting glimpse into a world different from our own in Southern Ontario.

Before our trip I printed out this free guide to Anza Borrego Desert State Park and it was perfect for us to read a few facts about the natural landscape and history of the area as we drove through on Highway 22.

We didn’t stop on our way because we were heading for San Diego but the town of Borrego Springs was a fun oasis surprise. It looked like the set of a Western movie mixed with an oasis of palm tree-lined streets with cute shops and cafes. On a different version of this trip, I would have stayed here for a night or two with a 4×4 vehicle to see Font’s Point and go hiking in the slot canyons.

As it was, we were headed to San Diego, and didn’t really research anything about the route. This worked out in our favor because one of my favourite things about a road trip is finding the unexpected, and this day was full of it.

It turns out it took us up the winding Montezuma Valley Road to San Felipe Valley. We got very lucky with a perfect, blue sky day and the views from the zigzagging road were incredible.

After so many hours of driving through flat, dry desert, I couldn’t believe the elevation we climbed.

As we approached the top, the landscape started to change again, with boulders and trails and signs warning of mountain goats. (We didn’t see any.) I was expecting to travel down the other side but when we reached the top we were on a plateau, surrounded by green, misty ranches. Ramona was another interesting town in an area full of vineyards and wineries, and it’s not far from the San Diego Zoo.

I loved the variation in our road trip, starting in the overstimulating city of excess, Las Vegas, and passing through Joshua Tree National Park, with it’s preserved desert vegetation and amazing rock formations. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park was even more deserty, which was a totally new landscape in our experience, and the drive to San Diego was full of surprises.

Next up, San Diego, the Pacific Coast Highway, and Los Angeles!