Anza-Borrego North: Villager Peak, Rabbit Peak

Ridge to Villager and Rabbit Peaks from Call Box S22-319

Villager Peak is one of Anza-Borrego's most popular peak climbs. Rabbit Peak, about 3 miles further on, is often hiked as a bit of frosting on the cake. On a nice day, it can be lovely up there, pleasantly cooler than the hot desert. You can see not only the southern mountains of Borrego but the northern moutains like the San Jacintos. You can also look down on the Salton Sea.

On the other hand, there can be days up there when it is so windy you may think you could be blown off your trail and down a cliff. Or, it could get so cloudy that members of a hiking party could become separated and not be able to call to one another because of the wind.

Getting to either peak is not as easy as it might seem. Yes, it is 5 miles from the trailhead to Villager as the crow flies, and yes, you climb from just under 1,000 feet to 5,756 feet which is about 1,000 feet per miles where the climbing begins. It doesn't sound like much, but what the figures don't describe is the relentless steepness, and narrowness, of the trail. They don't account for the loose rocks you will step and slip on as you go up and down. And the walk to Rabbit is more of the same, only worse.

If you intend to camp, keep an eye out for campsite possibilities as you climb. The rocky ground may limit the places where you can camp. On the trip down the hill, be sure you know where your flashlight is in case you have to walk the last mile or two in the dark.

So much for peak-bagging. Many people are content just to climb the ridge to perhaps 3,500 feet, for lunch perhaps. It's higher than the top of Coyote Mountain (3,192 feet) to the west and about even with Rattlesnake Spring to the east.

Getting to the trailhead. Drive County Road S-22 east of Borrego Springs to Call Box S22-319 and park. The base of the ridge is just under two miles north.