The most rewarding way to enjoy Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is to have a 4WD, High Clearance Vehicle and the best introductory road for that kind of adventure is Fonts Wash. Siting just south of the S22 Salton Seaway Road east of Borrego Springs and the Visitor Center, is the Fonts Wash 4WD Trail. It isn’t marked but if you’re following the map and paying attention to the curves of the road you can spot it pretty easily assuming you’re heading east from Borrego Springs.

You’ll definitely want to have 4WD because the sand can be rather thick at times and the last thing you want to do is get stuck in loose sand way out in the hot and dry desert. The drive is fun though and once you reach the end of the wash and the viewpoint, you’ll walk up a steep but very short sandy trail where you’ll see some amazing badlands laid out before you.

Make sure to keep an eye out on the west for some more rugged badlands with a mountain backdrop as you head back to the main paved road.