Descend Into The Earth at The Slot in Anza-Borrego State Park
Hiking through the desert comes with its own unique charm. The variety of terrain that comes with each desert hike is always a toss-up.
Will we see towering canyons? Or maybe sprawling valleys of desert fauna? Sometimes you can even find rushing water through some of the dry, barren landscapes.
While we love all these types of desert landscapes, there is one type of environment that we can almost never pass up – slot canyons!
These hidden gems are a truly fascinating natural creation and offer a totally different kind of hiking experience. One of the best ones we’ve discovered is right here in southern California known as The Slot in Anza-Borrego State Park.
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The scenic Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is loaded with all kinds of incredible nature. Although, The Slot is one of the park’s more intriguing spots for visitors.
Many consider The Slot as the inner soul of Anza-Borrego as it’s literally a split from inside the earth, created over time from wind and water.
While peering down into The Slot from the top is cool, it’s a much more personal and immersive experience hiking inside it.
The Slot is a short hike that takes you down in between tight sandstone walls with very narrow curves. Where you feel almost fully enclosed in the Earth as you wander through the narrow canyon.
If not for the convenient length of the trail, the impressive geological landscape is one to draw you in.
HOW TO GET TO THE SLOT
While not near the central area of Anza-Borrego State Park, The Slot is about 20 minutes southeast of the small town of Borrego Springs.
To reach The Slot, head south from Borrego Springs on Borrego Springs Rd until you reach Highway 78. Turn left on the highway and drive 1.5 miles until you see a dirt road on the left. This road has no signs but is named Borrego Mountain Wash on Google Maps.
Drive 1.8 miles on this dirt road until you reach a sizable dirt parking lot on the right. This is where you will park.
4WD is not typically necessary to reach The Slot. The dirt road is mainly flat with a few small rocks. Our Toyota Corolla had no problem reaching the parking lot.
Exact Coordinates: 33.181954, -116.214122 (just plug into Google Maps) or type in Slot Canyon Trail.
HIKE DETAILS
- Length: Around 1 mile (Out & Back) – length is variable on how far you wish to go
- Elevation: 100 ft
- Difficulty: Easy
- Time to complete: 1 hour or less
- No bathrooms on-site
- Wear proper hiking shoes as the terrain is crumbly and slippery from all the loose rock
For overnight accommodation, the town of Borrego Springs is your best place to find lodging, food, groceries, and a few shops.
We stayed here overnight and had everything we needed for our little weekend trip. Both hiking the park and visiting Slab City about 1.5 hours away near the Salton Sea.
If you’re wanting to add a quirky destination to your desert trip, check out our post on Slab City: 3 Top Spots in the Last Free Place of America.
Hiking The Slot at Anza-Borrego State Park
From the parking lot, you will see a small hill with a trail near the back of the lot. Head
up the hill and a little ways down to reach one of the few entry points of the slot canyon.
While there is not one distinctive trailhead marker for the canyon, you can enter from a variety of different pathways. However, we feel the best one is just up and over this hill.
Once past the hill, you will see a small dirt path on the left, marked with a small “Trail” sign.
We like this entry point the most as it’s the least steep and rocky, as well as starting you further up the slot canyon so you can hike the most of it from start to finish.
STARTING THE DESCENT INTO THE SLOT
Follow the path down a few crumbly parts till you step officially into the canyon. Once at the bottom, head left to start towards The Slot. The walls are not too tall here but do not fret as this is just the beginning!
The entirety of this trail is a gradual descent. As long as you’re heading downward, you’re going in the right direction.
As you head down the trail, you’ll notice the tannish brown siltstone walls start to grow taller and become more narrow.
The path winds you through a fun, maze-like environment filled with both walls of solid rock and sections of looser pebbles or stones conjoined together.
REACHING THE NARROWS
A bit further down into The Slot and you’re soon enclosed even more within the tall canyon walls. This is where the trail starts to get real interesting.
Amazingly, this section is so narrow and tall that it provides tons of shade within the canyon. Which is especially nice if you’re hiking in the hotter months.
Progressing through the narrows, you’ll find some extremely tight turns where you actually have to walk sideways.
At some points Nathan had to take off his backpack and camera gear to avoid scraping against the walls. Honestly, you can’t even pass through some of the tight crevices without removing gear and ‘sucking it in.’
As you continue to weave your way through The Slot, you’ll see the walls starting to get taller as you go deeper.
In this area, you should stop to take in the incredible size of this canyon. While still narrow, it’s a bit more open compared to before. This allows others to squeeze by you if you want to take a pause.
About 3/4 of the way, you will reach the natural rock bridge.
More like a sketchy fallen boulder that now sits in between the slot walls above you.
A rare feature of the trail that looks like could crumble at any moment. Eek!
After you pass the rock bridge, the trail quickly spits you out onto a dirt road. This is technically the end of The Slot.
You could continue further if you wish, but many turn around and head back the way they came. This way you can enjoy The Slot and all its entirety once again but from the opposing perspective!
Don’t Skip The Slot on Your Next Trip to Anza-Borrego State Park
While there are tons to explore at Anza-Borrego State Park, we highly recommend including The Slot on your next trip. For such a short trail, it’s easy to add to your itinerary even if you already have another hike planned within your day.
A hike through The Slot feels like an adventure into the depths of the earth. Even though it’s just 30 feet below the surface, this spectacular natural landscape is like wandering through another world.
From the steep rock walls to the slender & wavy turns, along with the eerie dark ambiance, it’s easy to forget you’re still in the middle of the desert!
Easy and fun for just you or for the whole family, we know you will enjoy your time roaming through The Slot. One of Anza-Borrego State Park’s most captivating trails!
For another exciting slot canyon hike, check out our post on Annie’s Canyon Trail – a slot canyon just 10 minutes from Solana Beach!
Or if you’re craving more desert trails, don’t miss our post on the 8 Best Desert Spots in Southern California!
Have you hiked a slot canyon before? What was your favorite? Share with us along with any questions you have on The Slot below in the comments!
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