I took a trip to Anza Borrego last week to see the wildflowers before they faded away. There was plenty of desert beauty to see. But first I had to stop to check out the rock garden, heading down Montezuma Valley Rd to the desert floor from Ranchita
My first stop on my trip to Anza Borrego was Henderson Valley Rd. which according to Anza Borrego State Park, has some of the best blooms to see. In addition to this, Yaqui Well, and Canyon Sin Nombre, are noted as wildflower destinations, more to the south inI s the park.
I stopped at the overlook to gaze out over the valley, greeted by some bush sunflowers. I knew the desert was in bloom, but to what extent, was a mystery. My last trip here was in February, and not even the cactus had bloomed at that point.
I entered Borrego Springs and made my way north to Henderson Valley Rd. I drove through the center of town, before passing a large solar farm.
On arrival along the roadside of Henderson Valley Rd, I noticed a literal bounty of sand verbena, desert sunflowers and desert primrose to see here.
From being here before, I knew a few places I would also check where I had seen flowers before. Also, I did not drive all this way, just to stop on the roadside. I was planning to hike, and I knew Hellhole Canyon has beautiful flowers, so I decided to head there next.
I knew the desert waterfalls of Anza Borrego could be flowing, with all the rain we had in the last couple days. I decided to check out Maidenhair Falls, located about 2.5 miles up Hellhole Canyon, which is also one of my favorite spots for viewing desert wildflowers in the spring.
As I trod along through Hellhole Canyon, on a flat wide trail, I passed by many tall Ocotillo in bloom, along with various other tiny desert wildflowers, mostly in shades of purple, yellow, and white.
I love when the Cactus blooms in the desert, in shades of fuschia, pink, and yellow. A
April seems to be the best month for wildflowers this year, though I have seen it bloom much earlier in March, during warmer years.
The cool temps and constant rains this year are helping the desert bloom later in the season and for what seems much longer than usual.
I came here before to Hellhole Canyon. Once I was with my daughter, and I remember sitting on this same rock, gazing out into the valley.
That was a different time in my life, when I had many challenges to overcome. Now looking back, here I am again. Those challenges are long gone, but there are new ones.
Life is a series of challenges, and we just need to keep going. There are many seasons of life, just as the desert has many distinct seasons.
As I ventured further up Hellhole Canyon, in Anza Borrego, I entered a rock garden and oasis. There were absolutely massive boulders here.
I had never been to the waterfall before, and had no idea what to expect. I came to an green palm filled oasis, and the trail became rocky.
I had to scramble up 6 ft boulders, and struggled to find my way.
Plenty of hikers were astounded by these boulders. They were simply turning back, once the trail ended, and the scramble began. I decided to continue on, use my best moves, to make it through all this.
After a bit of a scramble, I continued through a maze of brush, high grasses, and stream crossings for another .25 mile, to reach Maidenhair Falls.
I had turned around, several times, since there were many confusing trails strewn about the canyon.
I ducked through an opening in some vines, and there I was standing beneath a giant fern covered rock wall, with Maidenhair Falls cascading down in front of me to a shallow pool of water.
It felt much cooler and air conditioned here, and it felt like a nice accomplishment, overcoming some challenges to get here.
Swimming hole it was not, and I did not hang around long here. But it did feel like a cool milestone, to see an illusive, rarely flowing desert waterfall for the first time. From what I have heard this one flows only after a big rain, and the rest of the time, is a mere trickle, with a pool of algae. That was not the case today, since the waters were clear, and it was flowing well.
On the way back from the falls, I spotted a new type of desert snake I had never seen before, the Rosy Boa. With all the overgrown terrain, keep this in mind, that there are lots of desert critters calling this place home, so be careful as you walk, keeping eyes on the trail (hard to do with all the pretty scenery).
I did not have much time this morning to enjoy the desert for long, since I only had 3.5 hours to enjoy the desert on this particular day, before I had to head home and get back to work.
It was definitely worth it, because every trip to the desert for me is very healing. Next time I am camping at Palm Canyon or Blaire Valley, or perhaps a backpacker site, to enjoy this place a bit longer.
I hope you enjoyed reading this, and it is helpful in knowing what to expect, should you decide to visit here.
About me
I’m Serafina! I’m a writer and California girl who loves to go exploring. Hope you will get outside today, breathe some fresh air, and be happy!
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Disclaimer: The work on this blog is my opinion and my opinion alone and I am not responsible for the outcome if someone were to apply these thoughts to their own life. All text and photography copyright 2024 by Serafina, all rights reserved. Information and opinions provided are kept current to the best of the author’s ability. All readers’ usage of the ideas and opinions presented in the blog, are at their own risk. Be aware of the possible dangers of hiking, surfing, walking, cooking, and other activities, which may take place indoors or outdoors. By reading this, you agree not to hold the author or publisher of the content on this web site responsible for any injuries or inconveniences that may result from reading the blog, or partaking in any activity mentioned in the blog. Read the blog, and use its ideas, if you so desire, at your own risk.
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