Anza-Borrego North: Collins Valley

The Stream from Sheep Canyon to Lower Willows

It isn't easy to get to Collins Valley, but when you get there you are likely to feel rewarded.

There are rewards in following the path of Coyote Creek up the valley's east side to Middle Willows. There are other rewards three miles to the west where the valley hits the mountains. Canyons with names like Indian, Cougar, Sheep, and Salvador are fun to explore. Each can be a destination, hiking or driving, perhaps even the start of a hike across the mountains (but don't try it without first studying the trails and knowing where the Indian reservation is).

Getting to Collins Valley from Borrego Springs may or may not be easy. The easy part is the beginning, from County Road S-22 (Palm Canyon Drive) go north on DiGiorgio Road to where the pavement ends and the Coyote Canyon Jeep Trail begins, and then on through Desert Gardens just before the First Crossing of Coyote Creek.

If you drive, four-wheel drive is recommended beyond this point. Sands around the creekbed can be soft. There may be water in the creek. Large rocks and small boulders in the jeep trail make it wise to go forward only in a high-clearance vehicle.

Second Crossing is an even more difficult crossing because of the water, and Third Crossing is tougher yet. If you walk, you should be able to find a place where the creek is narrow enough to allow you to step or jump across.

It may be easier to walk from Second Crossing than to drive. Gore-Tex hiking boots (or your bare feet) help. Water levels in Coyote Creek and boulders in the jeep trail (a bypass road around Lower Willows) make the route almost impossible for all vehicles except high clearance 4-wheel drive. And even if you do cross the creek at Third Crossing, you next must deal with the bumpy road informally known as Boulder Alley.

The Coyote Canyon Jeep Trail is closed to all from June to October, allowing the local Peninsular Bighorn Sheep free access to the water in the creek. The jeep trail ends at Middle Willows at the north end of the valley. From here north it is mountain bikers, hikers, and horsemen only, all the way to the Terwilliger Valley in Anza.