4/2 Drive to Borrego Springs, CA

There are several ways to get to Borrego Springs, CA, but the most scenic and most scary is coming from the west through Ranchita on S22, aka Montezuma Borrego Road. (Borrego Springs is in a wide valley with mountains on almost all sides.) The road looks like tiny on the map, but is paved, although curvy.  I have driven it twice and highly recommend it!  And you want to drive it from west to east to get the full views of the valley.

The road starts out pretty flat, although you have already gradually climbed to over 3,500 feet by this point. 

Then it starts going down and you get peeks of the valley in the distance. Note the lack of guard rails.  They would only block the view, anyway.

There are a couple of pullouts.  I took this telephoto shot of the town of Borrego Springs from one of them.

I confess that I took this photo through the windshield as I was driving.  The nice thing about this route is that there is hardly any traffic, so it is easy to slow down.

While this is one of the driest parts of California, it occasionally does get heavy rains.  Notice the wash on the right side of the photo.  Nature is wearing down a mountain or two.

These are four-wheel trails on the mountain.

You can see the road cutting through in the distance.

Borrego Springs is a very small place, but it has two small gas stations, a sort of a hardware store, and a small market, hidden behind the performing arts center.  This is the road to town from the campground.  

Downtown Borrego Springs!  There is a gift shop and garden center on the left. On the right is the art institute.  Straight ahead is the town park which is the center of a large roundabout.

Nice place to sit or even have a picnic.  Rest rooms are in the center.

The art institute.

I'll try to take more photos as I drive through town on my way out tomorrow.