While at Agua Caliente, we heard about a "dry camping" area just south a few miles where palms grow in the mountain washes. We stayed there 2 days and I enjoyed hiking the 2.5 mile and 1,000 foot ascent. At the top is Torote Bowl, where rare Elephant trees grow. See all of our pictures at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/TDetwiler3/DesertFanPalms#
http://picasaweb.google.com/TDetwiler3/DesertPalmsOasis#
http://picasaweb.google.com/TDetwiler3/FanPalmDesert#
Tim
I've grown to love hiking in the desert. We traveled from Yuma, AZ to Agua Caliente campground in SW California after a guy somewhere along our trip suggested we should go there. There are hot springs there with 2 outdoor pools and one indoors. But it was the hiking in the hills surrounding that I enjoyed the most. As you can see the terrain is rugged, but the weather is great. Generally 70 degrees, dry and with the sun shining. The desert was just getting started blooming during the last week of Febuary, and you can see lots of pictures we took at our google albums: