First time in Anza-Borrego, which would kick off many revisits and alternative paths. We more or less drove north to south on dirt roads, from Fonts Point to Diablo (a hillclimb near the mud caves). The trip was with Kyle and Jenny, who became official while camping at Fonts Point… and eventually married. I third-wheeled my own trip, but it was worth it in the end. We drove the Valley of the Moon and stayed in Fish Canyon.
If you go
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California, and most of it allows dispersed camping — pull off a dirt road and post up almost anywhere, which is the whole appeal. Fonts Point (the ‘California Badlands’ overlook) and the mud caves down Arroyo Tapiado are the classic stops, but the mud caves are unstable and have killed people; don’t go in after rain and skip the tight ones.
When to go: November through March — summer here is genuinely dangerous heat. A wet winter sets up the famous spring wildflower bloom. Air down for the sandy washes and carry recovery gear; help is a long way off.
