DesertBlog

Wildflower Bloom in Anza-Borrego’s San Felipe Hills

The San Felipe Hills are poppin’! Whether it’s the barrel cactus, yucca and brittlebush of the lower elevations, the lupines and poppies of the middle reaches, or the bush poppies colonizing the burn areas in the north, spring is bursting out throughout this low mountain range on the western edge of Anza-Borrego.

If you’re planning a trip, the Pacific Crest Trail provides easy access to the San Felipe Hills. You’ll find the Barrel Springs trailhead off of highway S-22 about 1 mile east of highway S-2, giving access to the northern, chapparal-covered portion of the range. (From the parking area, the trail heads directly south through a gate, then turns left (eastward) past the piped Barrel Springs.)

At the southern, desert end of the range, the PCT passes through Scissors Crossing (the junction of S-2 and Highway 78) before heading north onto the slopes of Grapevine Mountain. (Best parking is on S-2 south of 78; from there, follow the PCT signs across San Felipe Creek and then across Highway 78.)

If you’d prefer to have a leader for your outing, the Anza-Borrego Foundation and Institute is offering a hike in the northern portion of the San Felipe Hills on April 13.

For those of you who can’t make it to Anza-Borrego this year, enjoy the photos!