ANZA-BORREGO NORTH: County Road S-2

San Felipe Valley

Historically, the trans-desert route to California by way of the San Felipe Valley is the third route used by non-Indians. The first was Anza's route through Coyote Canyon, the second the Fages route through Oriflamme Canyon. The San Felipe Valley route dates to the 1820s when California was part of Mexico. Major use ended after the Civil War when a highway and railroad were built to Los Angeles by way of the Salton Sea, the San Gorgonio Pass, and what is now Interstate-10.

Today, most of the land along this stretch of County Road S-2 is private property. From north to south, points of note include: Highway 79, Warner-Carrillo Adobe and Butterfield Stage Station, County Road S-22, Teofulio Summit, San Felipe, San Felipe Valley, Highway 78.

For more on the history of the area, see the articles on Lt. Santiago Argüello, San Felipe, San Felipe Indian Village, San Felipe Ranch, and San Felipe Stage Station in Anza-Borrego A to Z by Diana Lindsay.