Month: October 2014

Location: Vista, CA
Difficulty: Easy
Hike Statistics: 1.5 to 2 miles round trip; negligible elevation change
Conditions: Day, clear sky, 72 degrees, mixed shade
Trail Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Trailhead: Brengle Terrace Park ; Wildwood Park ; Several additional points along path provide access in and out

GPX Track: Google Drive (Note: Accuracy Not Guaranteed; track maps Brengle Terrace Park to Wildwood Park and back, including some alternate routings)

A friend invited me to go on an adventure they were planning along Old Highway 80. I wasn’t really sure what I was getting into, but decided to jump right in and see what happened.

We started the day by driving out to the Desert View Tower just into Imperial County. On the drive in, once off of Interstate 8, the area became instantly interesting, with balanced rocks, rocks with bunny faces attached to them, and even a self-described UFO recovery and repair station. The tower itself, marked by signs of a historic landmark, was at the end of the road. We joked a little about the conditions that the tower could be closed under on any given day, such as heat over 120F and dust storms, but were happy to be there on a day it was open.

Admission fees were paid inside of the tower itself, where we met the many dogs and the caretaker of the tower. It was awesome to get such great, friendly service all the way out here, and we spent some time climbing to the top of the tower to take in the views.