Coyote Wash to Pinnacles — Anza-Borrego Desert Jeep Trail

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park holds more open desert 4×4 routes than almost anywhere else in California, and the Coyote Canyon corridor is its crown jewel. Starting near the old Anza trailhead north of Borrego Springs, you drop into Lower Willows — a genuine riparian surprise in the middle of the Sonoran Desert — before working north through increasingly narrow canyon walls, loose cobble washes, and multiple stream crossings on Coyote Creek itself. The canyon narrows at Middle Willows force you to read water levels carefully; in spring runoff this section can shut down even capable rigs. The exit climbs onto the Desert Divide where you get unobstructed views back across the Borrego Valley toward the Santa Rosa Mountains.

This is a moderate trail that’ll punish stock SUVs with low clearance — expect axle-deep water crossings in late winter and early spring when Coyote Creek runs. A true high-clearance 4WD with skid plates is the minimum. The upper canyon is closed January 1 through June 15 annually to protect Peninsular bighorn sheep lambing habitat, so plan your run for late June through December. No permit needed, dispersed camping is allowed throughout. Borrego Springs is your last fuel and water stop — top off there. Cell service drops to nothing inside the canyon.