Trail Overview
Buttes Pass Road is a 3.6-mile point-to-point trail rated 3 of 10 located within the California Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (ABDSP). Trails within the ABDSP are restricted to street-legal vehicles. Buttes Pass is the primary access point for those wishing to visit "The Slot" as well as visiting the Borrego Badlands a little further north. The trail is accessed from Highway 78 and runs north towards Borrego Mountain. One mile up the trail is the intersection with Borrego Mountain Wash (straight) or it turns right to stay on Buttes Pass. Continuing north 1 mile is the intersection to Hawk Canyon. The trail then runs past the east side of Borrego Mountain and intersects with San Felipe Wash. The trail consists predominately of hard-packed soil with sections of sand. The trail is accessible by any 2 or 4WD high-clearance vehicle. Cell phone service is intermittent unless near the highway. The nearest services are located in Borrego Springs.
Difficulty
The trail consists of loose rocks, dirt, and sand with some slick rock surfaces and mud holes possible. No steps are higher than 12 inches. 4WD may be required, and aggressive tires are a plus.
History
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is a California State Park located within the Colorado Desert of southern California, United States. The park takes its name from 18th-century Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish word borrego, which literally means "lamb" but is also used to describe the desert bighorn sheep. With nearly 600,000 acres, it is the largest state park in California as well as the 48 contiguous states. The park has varied topography that includes dry lake beds, badlands, and mountains that rise above 5,500 feet (1,675 meters). Two-thirds of the park's area is designated as wilderness, and cactus, yucca, and ocotillo are abundant throughout. Among the park's attractions are groves of California fan palms and a profusion of wildflowers that bloom in mid-to-late winter. Deer, kit foxes, iguanas, rattlesnakes, roadrunners, eagles, and the endangered desert bighorn sheep are all found within the park.
