One of our favorite hikes is the Borrego Palm Canyon trail in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. In an environment that is hot, rocky, and with little shade, you would never think that just a mile and half away from the trailhead was a lush Palm Oasis with a waterfall. Along the way, there’s a chance that you’ll see endangered Big Horn Sheep tiptoeing up the canyon walls. The hike is a fairly easy one, but be sure to equip yourself with a lot of water and sun protection. It is the desert after all, and there is no real escape from the heat. You’ll find some relief when you reach the flowing water about a mile in. It’s tough to resist a quick foot soak in this rare waterway. But be sure to keep going! At the end is a grove of California’s only native palm, the California fan palm. And with those trees comes a little well-deserved shade.

The Borrego Palm Canyon trail will take you about 2 hours to hike and is a total of 3 miles in and out.