Review Date
April 25, 2008

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: drcbrath ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Coordinates for the trail head are incorrect; off by about 100 miles. That's why the map above does not show Borrego Springs.

I rode this trail a few weeks ago. According to my GPS the trail head is at
LatitudeDegrees: 33.3250243
LongitudeDegrees: -116.3675306

You can verify this with Google Earth or Google Maps.

Too much sand for my taste.

Review Date
May 10, 2002

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: Lewis Guiss , from Santa Monica, CA

Summary:
I had 1 extra tire,2 extra tubes,a 3qt Camelback and another qt on the bike.I used long pants and jersey for brush and an old pair of shoes that could have been thrown away if not washable.You go from 3900 ft to 700 ft with 1/2 of the elevation loss in the first few miles.At about 10 miles(line shack and corral)you have to be careful to go east and find the entrance in the fence that allows horses,hikers and bikers into the Upper Willows because the road is closed to cars.You have to do alot of walking on soft horse trails. There are alot of little arrows on posts that show the way but few sign posts giving directions.You will have to walk/carry your bike along wet narrow bogs and creeks along the willows. The Middle Willows are very wet and muddy. I tended to stay on the eastern side of the canyon when I was in the Middle and Lower Willows.There probably is a road to the west of the Lower Willows but I could not find it.I guess the road is open again at the lower part of the Middle Willows because there is another fence hole you have to find.The Lower Willows end at the third crossing but I had to wade through 2-3 feet of water at the second crossing.I saw nobody until the 2nd crossing so be smart and careful because you are on your own.The 1st crossing was dry and the rest of the road was easy riding.One of the most enjoyable rides I have done because you get to do some steep desents, fast soft sand riding, and get to ride through shallow creek beds.Expect about 5-6 hours without any stops.My only regret was not bringing a camara.

Recommended Route:
From Anza,find Terwilliger Rd.,it turns,use your map,then make a left on Coyote Canyon Rd,then right on dirt road.Shuttle from Anza to Borrego Springs is about 80 miles.Coyote Canyon is closed June 1 to October for Big Horn Sheep.

Review Date
April 27, 2002

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: Rat , from Carlsbad, CA

Summary:
What i just described is a shuttle ride and a very fun one but the 2 points are 1 1/2 hours apart and it takes a long time to set up and afterwards there is the drive back. for that reason i haven't repeated this ride. there is a lot of soft sand and some walking and as of this date i do not know if the ride is legal to do anymore, should check with the rangers first

Recommended Route:
Pavement to pavement starting from the top in Anza and the bottom in Borrego

Review Date
September 17, 1999

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Every few months

Reviewed by: Miggy , from Poway, CA

Summary:
Soft Sand with a subtle incline. The trail seems more difficult than it should be because of the softsand. Like anything worth having you have to work for it so don't whine and just do it. The scenery is spectacular and the downhill is surprisingly fast.

Recommended Route:
At the end of DiGiorgio Rd. do an out and back to Sheep Canyon. If you want a more challenging trip then head up the Anza Trail or start in Anza,CA and work your way down to Borrego. You'll need a shuttle for that route.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Jasper-Trail, Grapevine Canyon, Glorietta Canyon, Font's Point, Pinyon Mountain, Split Mountain, Butte's Pass, Banner Toll Rd., Eagle Peak, Oakzanita, Noble Canyon, Los Coyotes Indian Reservation, and Palomar Mountain. Boys and girls the East County is where the riding is at. The urban parks are nice but being out in the wilderness is what it's about.