Please review our hiker info page to familiarize yourself with hiker safety rules and our hike ratings so that you can select hikes that meet your level of fitness. Unless specified otherwise in the activity descriptions below, hikes have a 15 person limit, and they begin in the ABDNHA parking lot.
Week of Events
Sunday, March 1, 2026
No events on this day.
Monday, March 2, 2026
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March 2, 2026 -Full Moon Walk: South Palm Wash (Easy)
Full Moon Walk: South Palm Wash (Easy)
Leader: Mike McElhatton, ABDNHA Education Director
Join ABDNHA’s Program Director Mike McElhatton on this month’s Full Moon Walk in South Palm Wash. Experience the unique and serene beauty of moonlight on the canyon walls as we take a 1.5-mile walk through South Palm Wash. Mostly a fairly easy walk, with a few moderate areas that require “big steps” on inclines. We meet at the ABDNHA Library and carpool from there. A flashlight, water, and good hiking shoes are required. Limit 22. Activity cancels if cloud cover limits the moonlight. No charge. Call the Nature Center at 760-767-3098 to reserve.
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
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March 3, 2026 -Hike: Rockhouse/Hidden Spring/Butler Loop (Strenuous)
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March 3, 2026 -Nature Journaling (Easy)
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March 3, 2026 -4WD Tour: Full Moon at Font’s Point
Hike: Rockhouse/Hidden Spring/Butler Loop (Strenuous)
Leaders: Carmelita Logerwell and Terri Straub
Hike 10 miles with 1000' gain on a loop starting with 3 miles on a jeep road up Rockhouse Canyon. Reach Hidden Spring, ascend to Jackass Flat, cross the flat, come down Butler Canyon. 4WD highly recommended, preference given to 4WD vehicles. Meet at ABDNHA by 7:50 a.m. Bring lunch, snacks, water. Limit 15. Reserve at 760-767-3098.
Nature Journaling (Easy)
Leaders: Pat Matthews and Selden McKee, ABDNHA Volunteers
This activity repeats on the first Tuesdays of the month to explore nature journaling in the ABDNHA garden and in the field until noon. No experience necessary—just a curiosity about the natural world. Participants will need a small, unlined journal, a pencil, an eraser, a micron pen, colored pencils or a compact watercolor set, and a chair. We will be outdoors, so a sun hat, water, and a snack are recommended. Meet in the parking lot of ABDNHA. No charge; call the Nature Center to reserve.
4WD Tour: Full Moon at Font’s Point
Leader: Jim Torian, ABDNHA Volunteer
Join us for the “Worm Moon” rising as viewed from Font’s Point. The sun’s low angle should offer striking views of the Borrego badlands, Ocotillo Wells, and the Salton Sea. We will meet in the ABDNHA parking lot at 4:15 p.m. for a quick briefing, then shove off East on the S-22 to Font’s Point Wash turnoff. From there, we will travel on washboard and through some sandy washes for about 4 miles to a park less than 100 yards from the overlook. The point can be breezy. Please, check the weather and dress accordingly. Bring a chair, camera, beverage, and snack to enjoy with the moonrise at 6:16 p.m. We will leave Font’s Point by 7 p.m. to return to S22, where our journey ends. This portion will be at night and offer a different perspective off-road. Have a full tank of fuel and have 4WD (AWD is OK). GMRS Radio Ch. 15 is optional. This trip is weather-dependent. 22 participants, 10 vehicles max. No charge. Register at the Nature Center, or call 760-767-3098.
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
No events on this day.
Thursday, March 5, 2026
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March 5, 2026 -4X4 Off-Roading 101 Instruction
4X4 Off-Roading 101 Instruction
Leader: Ken Wuytens, ABDNHA Volunteer
Join us for this session demonstrating practical 4X4 equipment and tools, and how to use them. Meet in the ABDNHA parking lot, then drive to a nearby location for our session, designed to provide instruction for those just starting their 4-wheeling adventures, as well as for those with moderate skill levels. We will discuss topics such as airing down, treading lightly, general trail safety, trail etiquette, basic recovery, and driving/spotting techniques. The number of people and vehicles and people is limited. Expected to fill quickly; call or visit the ABDNHA Nature Center to reserve your spot, 760-767-3098. Following the session, Ken plans a short trail ride; route to be determined. Those attending are welcome to join, with a return to Borrego Springs by approx. 3:30 p.m. If you plan to join the ride, be sure to have a full tank of gas, lunch, and water. This is a free program provided by ABDNHA, but donations are appreciated.
Friday, March 6, 2026
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March 6, 2026 -Hike and Write: Glorietta Canyon (Easy to Moderate)
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March 6, 2026 -ABDNHA Friendly Friday Bike Ride
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March 6, 2026 -Lecture: “I May Still Be Speaking” – Indigenous Oral Tradition of Northern Baja California
Hike and Write: Glorietta Canyon (Easy to Moderate)
Leader: Amy Brewster
“I only went for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found I was really going in.” -- John Muir
Join writer/naturalist Amy Brewster for a lovely ramble up Glorietta Canyon. We will hike about 2 miles, stopping at an overlook of Borrego Valley, and then take time to write. Some sections of incline and loose rocks. Option to share your writing if the spirit moves. Please bring writing materials, such as a small notebook. Max: 10 people. Meet at ABDNHA to carpool. Call 760-767-3098 to reserve.
ABDNHA Friendly Friday Bike Ride
Leader: Paul Petersen, ABDNHA Volunteer. Relaxed social ride of 20-30 miles, mostly flat, at a 10-12 mph pace. Routes vary weekly, and fun rides to highlight the roads less traveled. Return times vary depending on the chosen route. FREE, every Friday. No registration required. Meet in the parking lot opposite the County Public Library.
Lecture: “I May Still Be Speaking” – Indigenous Oral Tradition of Northern Baja California
Speaker: Michael Wilken-Robertson, Anthropologist
Indigenous people of northern Baja California share ancient cultural and linguistic ties with other Yuman groups of southern California and Arizona. Over the millennia, native peoples developed richly elaborate cosmologies in which the earth, sky, plants, and animals were infused with spirit; these narratives were passed along through myths, legends, stories, and song. In this lively talk, we will hear examples of storytelling from the Kumeyaay, Paipai, and Kiliwa peoples that Wilken-Robertson has worked with for over 40 years in Baja California. The narratives will be considered in their cultural context to help us better understand the meanings embedded in them and why the particular narratives passed down for generations remain compelling to listeners today.
Anthropologist Michael Wilken-Robertson has developed lifelong collaborative relationships with native artists and traditional authorities to foster cultural revitalization and sustainable community development in northern Baja. He has taught in the anthropology department at California State University, San Marcos. His fascination with native plants and the natural landscapes of the Californias have inspired him to explore the many ways that humans have interacted with their environments, from the ancient past to the present. Michael resides in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. In the ABDNHA Library. GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register online, or call us at 760-767-3098.
Register here for the program.
Saturday, March 7, 2026
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March 7, 2026 -Talk & Walk: Plants of Anza-Borrego
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March 7, 2026 -Photography: New Perspectives on Ordinary Things
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March 7, 2026 -Lecture: Native Bats of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
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March 7, 2026 -Lecture: Swainson’s Hawk Incredible Migration
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March 7, 2026 -Lecture: Plant Sex – Everything You Didn’t Know to Ask about Sex in the Desert
Talk & Walk: Plants of Anza-Borrego
Leader: Don Rideout, Coordinator, Desert Botany Club
Short Lecture and Field Trip (Easy walk, okay for all vehicles)
An offering of the new Botany Club, these walks will focus on the plants of Anza-Borrego Desert, with locations varying depending on where we find the most interesting plants. Our pace will be generally slow, allowing plenty of time for plant identification, questions, discussion, and photography. All levels of knowledge are welcome, including children. Meet at ABDNHA; carpool as best we can, as we head to the field trip site. No Charge. Space is limited. Register at the Nature Center or call 760-767-3098.
Photography: New Perspectives on Ordinary Things
Speaker: Professional Photographer Sandy Zelasko
Capturing ordinary subjects in unique and unexpected ways often yields interesting images. In today’s session, led by professional photography instructor Sandy Zelasko, we do just that. Sandy will lead the group to a location of her choice and explore ways to take compelling photos of the subject matter. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned professional, and regardless of the equipment you possess, everyone is encouraged to attend. Class size is limited to 15. Meet in the ABDNHA Library. GP $40, M $25, V $22. Register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.
Register here for the program.
Lecture: Native Bats of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Speaker: Don Endicott
Don is a volunteer naturalist with a special interest in bats and bat research. He records bat echolocation sounds and submits them to the San Diego Natural History Museum's acoustics collection, as well as for research and analysis in commercial bat software. Don began conducting this acoustic research on the park's bat population in early 2020, following a fire in Borrego Palm Canyon. If time and conditions permit, he will lead the group outdoors after the lecture to see if he can detect the calls of active bats. At the ABDNHA Library. GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register online, or call the Nature Center at 760-767-3098.
Register here for the program.
Lecture: Swainson’s Hawk Incredible Migration
Speaker: Hal Cohen, Hawkwatch founder
Learn about the Swainson's Hawk and its incredible 6,000-mile migration from Argentina to the skies above Borrego Springs, on its way to Alaska. Hal will share highlights of this migration, hawk natural history, hawkwatch history, and invite your participation in the hawkwatch. Following the talk, interested participants are invited to attend the evening watch (one hour before sunset to dark). ABDNHA Library. GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register at abdnha.org or call us at 760-767-3098.
Register here for the program.
Lecture: Plant Sex – Everything You Didn’t Know to Ask about Sex in the Desert
Speaker: Botanist Kate Harper
Is there such a thing as ADULT botany? Botanist Kate Harper says there is as she explains in her presentation how human sex and plant sex have surprising comparisons – and even more surprising differences! Come experience a racy romp through the world of plant sex. An extensive handout is included. In the ABDNHA Library. GP $12, M $10, V $8. You can register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.
Register here for the program.