Full Moon Anza-Borrego Camp-Out and Desert Exploration!
March 30- April 1, 2006
Insiders’ Tour of the Park and Visitor Center... Explore the back ways of the park, and come in through the back door of the visitor center to see what the public rarely experiences – read on...
Join us for another awesome AEOE camp-out in the incredible Anza-Borrego State Park! From the Park’s website:
“With over 600,000 acres, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest desert state park in the contiguous United States. 500 miles of dirt roads, two huge wilderness areas (comprising 2/3 of the park) and 110 miles of riding and hiking trails provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the Colorado Desert. The park name is derived from a combination of the name of Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish word "borrego," referring to bighorn sheep. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti and sweeping vistas. Visitors may also have the chance to see roadrunners, golden eagles, kit foxes, mule deer and bighorn sheep as well as desert iguanas, chuckwallas and four species of rattlesnake.”
Bring your cameras, binoculars and field guides! We will be getting an insiders’ tour (by car caravan) of some of these little-visited areas, led by Sector Superintendent Mark Jorgensen and retired Superintendent Frank Padilla. These two excellent naturalists will be share their knowledge of the natural history – flora, fauna, archaeology and geology of the area. We will visit the Mars-like landscape of the Anza-Borrego Badlands, and will conclude our tour with a grand view from Font’s Point.
Peak Hawk migration is in March - the Borrego Valley Hawkwatch viewing site is the only registered Spring site in California and has the highest count of Swainson's Hawks in North America. Wildflowers in this Colorado Desert park usually reach their peak in March, so there may be opportunities to botanize a bit as well.
We will also be getting a special ‘back door’ tour of the Anza Borrego Visitor Center! This is an opportunity to see their collection of pelts, bones, bird mounts and fossils, as well as the inner workings ofan interpretive visitor center. (Hey – we’ve got connections! A certain Packrat named Frank...)
Saturday night we will have a campfire complete with the fun and catchy environmental education songs of Rhymin’ Reason, while the light of the nearly full moon will add its magic to the desert landscape. You don’t want to miss this incredible opportunity!
Space is limited - please register soon! We’ll need to carpool, and if you have a 4x4, that would be helpful for the auto tour. Cost is $10 to reserve your spot in the campground (pay now) plus additional State Park fee (payable upon arrival).
To Register: (must be a current AEOE member - click here to join or renew)
Send names of participant(s), contact info (email preferred), emergency contact phone # for each participant, and a check for $10 (made out to AEOE) to:
Fox Outdoor School
Attn. Steve Morris, AEOE Outings
24102 Hwy 76
Santa Ysabel, CA 92076
Directions will be sent to you along with a ‘what to bring’ list when you register.
For more information: Contact Steve Morris
(619) 301-1645 or Frank Padilla, Jr.
(619) 301-1645 or Frank Padilla, Jr.