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Rainbow Wash Book References Hiking in Anza-Borrego Desert V.2 Page 87 Anza-Borrego Desert Region Pages 169,170 Rainbow Wash in the Borrego Badlands is a beautiful area where hills made of ancient sea deposits take on a wide range of colors depending on the time of day and the light. Getting to Rainbow Wash is more difficult and complicated than most of the other places listed in this guide, but it is listed here because it is such a fascinating area. You will need a 4WD as well as a guidebook, a map, and some pre-planning. How to Get There From Christmas Circle drive south for 8.7 miles on Borrego Springs Road to the bottom of the Texas Dip, turn left (north) onto San Felipe Wash jeep road and drive to the north for 4.3 miles. Turn right (east) at the T and drive .4 miles. Turn left (north) onto Rainbow Wash jeep road and drive 1.2 miles and park near the "State Park Boundary" sign. You can explore from this point. If you wish to hike very far into Rainbow Wash, a copy of Hiking in the Anza-Borrego Desert, V.2 is strongly recommended as there are many twists and turns. |
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Coachwhip Canyon Book References Hiking in Anza-Borrego Desert Volume 1, Pgs. 23-24 Anza-Borrego Desert Region, Pg. 119 Coachwhip Canyon is a place that is mentioned in several different sections of this guide because it offers so much and is easy to get to with any kind of vehicle. For photographers, the wind and water eroded rock has created many beautiful formations and shapes and is a great place for creative photography. If you do not have a vehicle for dirt roads you can park just off of the highway and explore on foot. Whether you drive or walk, after less than a mile the road forks and either the left fork or straight ahead leads to more interesting rock formations. The area is small enough, expecially if you drive, to check out both forks. The dirt road itself tends to be firm and not too sandy so if you have a vehicle with high enough clearance to go over rocks in the road you should be OK. That said, road conditions can change quickly, so don't get into a situation that either the vehicle or the driver cannot handle. Another option is to drive to the fork and explore on foot from there. How to Get There From Christmas Circle take Palm Canyon Drive (S-22) east for 15.2 miles; the entrance to the canyon will be on the north side of the road, across from the entrance to Arroyo Salado. The dirt road into the canyon is generally firm enough that 4WD is not needed, although there are some rocks to maneuver around and high clearance is advised. The road forks after about 1/2 mile, the left fork leads to an area of deeply eroded rocks and the right fork ends in a place with steep canyon walls on all sides. Walking along the roadway is flat and easy, and there is plenty to see. Or you can take the road to either end of the forks and hike from there. |
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The Sculptures of Ricardo Brecera
The Sculptures of Ricardo Brecera are found at several locations around Borrego Springs and they range from depictions of animals that lived here long ago to present day animals, historical figures, and many things that are just imaginative and magical. Photographers capture images of the sculptures in many different ways, using the time of day, sky and cloud conditions, the special light of sunrise and sunset, and the stary night skies of Borrego Springs as the setting to unleash their creativity. There are more than 120 sculptures in all. How to Get There From Christmas Circle go west on Palm Canyon Trail for approximately 3 miles and turn right at the sign for the Palm Canyon Campground. You will pay a day use fee at the campground kiosk and then continue to the day use area at the very back of the campground. If the kiosk is staffed be sure to ask if what is being seen on the trail, particurlary if bighorn sheep are being seen, and where. |
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Macro Photography
Sometimes you just need to look down to discover beauty in miniature, and Anza-Borrego will give you many opportunities to do just that, with patterns in the sand, flowers, insects, wood that has been dried after 30 years in the desert sun, and countless other creations just waiting for a creative eye to discover the beauty they hold. There is no particular place to go for this kind of photography, the journey is in the mind of the photographer and the subject matter is all around. |
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Flower Photography Everyone knows about the flower blooms of Anza-Borrego, people come from long distances to see the bloom and to photograph it. Flowers bloom, if they bloom, most reliaby in late February to mid March. But you don't need to be here during a major bloom. There are almost always some flowers to be found in the desert, often back in the washes, places where the soil moisture and exposure to the sun have created mini-environoments for flowers to make it. When people think of photography and the flowers of Anza-Borrego they generally think of fields of flowers stretching to the mountains. But creative photographers don't need all of that. As shown in the photo to the left, there are many different ways to photograph flowers, whethr nature has given you a field of them or just a couple of plants. |
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Night Photography Photographers
Photographers don't put down their gear when the sun goes down here. Borrego Springs was the second International Dark Sky Community in the United States and the park now has a dark sky designation as well. As with everything else listed in this photography section, there are many ways to photograph at night. The sculptures, desert plants, rock formations, all lend themself to great locations for nightime skyscapes. You will need a tripod and a camera that can be set manually for the long exposure times needed for shooting at night, but digital photography makes it easy to get the right shutter speed by trial and error. Just take a shot, have a look at the results, and then increase your shutter speed until you get it right. If you have the right equipment you can photograph star clusters and constellations. If you want to have some fun, try "light painting," you put your camera on a tripod with a long exposure and then have your friends or family twirl flashlights, or use the flashlights to light up whatever else your subject may be, rocks, plants, the sculpture, buildings, etc. You can also go with an extemely long exposure of an hour or more and get some great effects with star trails. |
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Borrego Palm Canyon Trail Book References Hiking in Anza-Borrego Desert Volume 1, Pg. 39 Anza-Borrego Desert Region, Pgs. 76-79 The Borrego Palm Canyon Trail is the most popular hiking trail in all of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. It is popular because it is easy to get to, is marked and easy to follow, is not too difficult physically, and it also offers some of the desert's best attractions. Those attractions include desert bighorn sheep, which are commonly seen in the canyon, along with birds, reptiles, a pupfish pond at the trail head, flowers, rock formations, a sometimes-flowering stream, and a palm oasis. The Oasis sadly burned in 2019 but the palms have survived and new life can be seen springing from the blackened trunks and on the ground. The best advice for photographers is to walk slowly, stop every once in awhile and look around. Check out the tops of the rocks for chuckwallas and other lizards, look up the hillsides for bighorn sheep, and have a good look at your sorroundings because there is a lot of life and beauty hidden among the rocks and along the streambed. |
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Black & White The most compelling photography often gives us a view of things in a way we do not naturally see them. The world is in color and when that color is stripped away we see it in its most basic form; it is simplified and the most basic elements, the patterns, the structure, are revieled in a way that is different from how they normally appear. Most digital cameras make black and white a very simple thing to do. Give it a try and see what results you get. |
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WILDLIFE
PHOTOGRAPHY The desert may be a dry place and a hard place to live but life is everywhere, plants, flowers, trees, birds, reptiles, insects, and mammals. All of it is here. Wildlife and nature photography requires two things: 1. The right place. Be in a spot where you are likely to see wildlife, whether birds, reptiles, mammals. 2. Be there at the right time. Very early morning and early evening are often the best times, but this will vary with the species you are looking for. Desert Bighorn Sheep can be seen any time of the day in Borrego Palm Canyon, but reptiles will be seen sunning or in the shade as they adust their temperatures, bird are often best seen in morning or eventing, but it depend on the species. 3. Be patient. Often you need to stay in once spot for a long time to get the shots you want. The very best wildlife shots that you see by professional photographers are more likely the result of days of work. Here are some of the spots to try: - The Palm Canyon Trail - It is mentioned above. - The Tamarisk Campround - This a good area for birding and small mammals. Long eared owls are often seen in the campground. - Along the banks of Coyote Creek in Coyote Canyon. The water gives life and all along the banks you will see tracks of the many birds and animals that have come there for water. - The Bill Kenyon Trail - Desert Big Horn sheep are sometime seen in this area. |
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Fonts Point & The Borrego Badlands
Book References Hiking in Anza-Borrego Desert Volume 1, Pg. 31-32 Anza-Borrego Desert Region, Pgs 131-134 Font's Point, with expansive views across the Borrego Badlands and to the Salton Sea beyond, is one of the most dramatic spots in all of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. It is also a popular place for photography, as the mud hills of the badlands take on different colors and textures as the sun rises and falls. How to Get There From the circle. drive east on S22 to Mile 29.4 (approximately 10 miles) then turn right onto the jeep road to Font's Point and drive for approximately 4 miles to the small parking lot at the base of the point. NOTE: This road is often a challenge even with 4WD. Don't try to drive the route without the proper vehicle and experience driving in sand. The Borrego badlands are a large area and Fonts Point is just the beginning. |
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Learn More about this topic With books, maps, and guides from the ABDNHA Desert Nature Center Store 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA 92004 Visit us in person or shop online. Select "Pickup" as your shipping method and pickup your items when you arrive with no shipping fees. |
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