There are no designated wilderness areas within Anza Borrego Desert State Park, but several do border the area. Signs indicating "Wilderness" and "Closed Road" or "Closed Route" are placed at various intervals. Vehicles can be parked outside the wilderness boundary; however, the boundary is set back 30 feet from unmaintained dirt roads and 300 feet on paved roads. Mechanized or motorized vehicles are NOT PERMITTED in a wilderness. Hunting, fishing, and non-commercial trapping are allowed under state and local laws. Pet are allowed, but please keep your pets under control at all times. Horses are permitted, however you may be required to carry feed. Removal, disturbance, or attempting to remove archaelogical materials is a felony. Selling, receiving, purchasing, transporting, exchanging or offering to do so is prohibited by law. CAMPING: Camping is permitted, limited to 14 days. After 14 days, campers must relocate at least 25 miles from previous site. The BLM encourages all desert recreationists and travelers exploring public lands, not only within southern California but through the west, to use propylene glycol based antifreeze/coolant in their touring and recreation vehicles. Proven safer, it will have minimal impacts on the wildlife and the environment should a leak occur. Carrizo Gorge Wilderness Area ----------------------------- Size: 14,740 acres. The Carrizo Gorge Wilderness offers some of the most expansive scenic vistas in the California Desert. Views stretching 100 miles or more are common. The panorama includes the Salton Sea, Chocolate Mountains, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Mount Signal on the Mexico border This wilderness is the only ecological transition zone between the Colorado Desert and the peninsular mountain ranges represented in the National Wilderness Preserve System. Three peninsular bighorn sheep herds call the area home, and the San Diego coast horned lizard, Swainson's hawk, golden eagle and other birds of prey have all been spotted here. California fan palms line the edges of dry washes and narrow canyons, creating desert oases. Getting There : Access this wilderness by taking the Boulevard/Manzanita exit from Interstate 8. Follow State Route 94 east to the McCain Valley Road. Driving north, the wilderness is located along the east side of the McCain Valley Road. Coyote Mountains Wilderness Area -------------------------------- Size: 18,631 acres. Described as a fish hook shaped mountain range, the Coyote Mountains make up 40 percent of this wilderness. Part of the Carrizo Badlands lie within the northern portion of the wilderness, their narrow and twisting gullies giving the landscape its austere, forbidding appearance. A group of unusual sandstone rock formations, believed to be six million years old, add to the character of this region. The barefoot gecko is known to make its home among the mountain ridges. Getting There : This wilderness can be accessed from two routes. From U.S. Highway 80 (Evan Hughes Highway) turn north on Painted Gorge Road, which will take you to the wilderness boundary. Or take State Route S2 to the Fossil Canyon Road and turn north, which also will take to the boundary of the wilderness. Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness Area ---------------------------------- Size: 33,612 acres. Ridges and valleys alternate here rising from 1,400 feet to 5,600 feet. The ridges extend like fingers from the Laguna Mountains into the desert, creating the alluvial valleys of Vallecito, Inner Pasture and Canebrake Canyon. Wildlife residents include the San Diego horned lizard, spotted bat and willow flycatcher. Historically, Peninsular bighorn sheep made their home here, and today transient sheep use the area. Prairie falcon, golden eagle and Cooper's hawk span their wings above the desert floor. More than 200 species of plants are believed to grow within this wilderness, where vegetation transforms from a dense chaparral at the higher elevations along the Laguna Mountains to low desert creosote brush. Many of the plant species are under review for listing as threatened or endangered. Getting There : Although State Route 2 winds along the northern side of the wilderness, there is no legal access due to private lands along the boundary. The only access is from the Pepperwood Height Trail at the end of the McCain Valley. To reach this trailhead, exit Interstate 8 at the Manzanita Boulevard exit, follow State Route 94 east to McCain Valley, and follow this road 13 miles to Cottonwood Campground. Fish Creek Mountains Wilderness Area ------------------------------------ 21,390 acres. The Fish Creek Mountains resemble a plateau rising as a great wall above the desert basin. From a distance, few dramatic peaks are visible. However, on closer examination, a rugged land of jagged ridges and peaks appears above twisting canyons and small valleys, creating a pristine natural environment. The steep mountain slopes contain limestone outcrops that have resisted erosion. As a result, water from cloudbursts has created narrow chutes swirling with water. Shielded from the sun's evaporating rays, water at the base of these chutes remains year-round serving wildlife as natural tanks. A portion of the ancient Lake Cahuilla shoreline is visible within this wilderness. The lake was a great body of freshwater once covering the Imperial and Coachella Valleys, receding 500 years ago. Access this wilderness from California State Highway 78. Approximately 3 miles from the San Diego/Imperial County line, take the Split Mountain Road south to where it intersects with the Gypsum Mine Rail Road and follow it south. The wilderness lies along the west side of the railroad and across the wash.