Desert View Trail via Burnt Rancheria Campground

The Desert View Trail is a relatively short and easy hike located within Laguna Mountain Recreation Area. Just over a mile long, it is perfect for families with young children and anyone who enjoys wide and open vistas. There are two trailheads at Burnt Rancheria Campground, one at the northeastern and one at the southern side. Hikers may choose either, as the trail loops back to the campground. Going counterclockwise, the trail meanders through Jeffrey pine forest cover until it merges with the Pacific Crest Trail. As the forest gradually gives way to chaparral, views of La Posta Creek Canyon open up to the southeast. The trail continues north along a ridge, and a short distance later dramatic views of the Anza-Borrego Desert emerge. The light brown color of the desert is a sharp contrast to the lush greenery of the Laguna Mountains. To the north, a former United States Air Force station is marked by radar domes on a mountain peak. Soon the Desert View Trail swings left, leaving the PCT behind, and leads back to Burnt Rancheria Campground through dense forest cover.