arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up play-button plus tab-indicator dots close menu search facebook google-plus instagram pinterest rss twitter tiktok youtube rss-two heart Check FeaturedBadge linkedin minus apps placeholder linkedin

Historic County Route S2

Take a Delightful Desert Road Trip

Formerly the Great Overland Stage Route of 1849, County Route S2 stretches more than 65 miles from the small desert town of Ocotillo to the Historic Highway 79 junction near Warner Springs in San Diego’s rural East County. Along this desert roadway, a dramatic landscape unfolds with popular hot springs, campgrounds, parks and photo-worthy roadside attractions to discover.

1. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Take in the vast expanse and natural beauty of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California’s largest state park, encompassing 640,000 acres. The park features many miles of hiking trails, palm groves, cacti, desert wildlife, seasonal spring wildflowers and sweeping desert landscapes.

2. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitors Center

Where: 200 Palm Canyon Dr, Borrego Springs, CA 92004
Stop in at the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitors Center, located on the desert floor, featuring informative exhibits and the award-winning 15-minute film, A Year in the Desert. The Desert Garden outside the center provides a quick look at some of the vegetation typical of the 640,000-acre park, with the species identified.

3. Agua Caliente County Park

Relax in soothing waters of geothermally heated mineral springs at the Agua Caliente County Park, with three naturally fed pools including two outdoor pools and an indoor spa heated to 102 degrees. The park also features camping, picnic and play areas, and miles of trails to hike through scenic canyons and hillsides.

4. Vallecito County Park

Relive local history at Vallecito County Park, a 71-acre oasis, built around a reconstruction of the Historic Vallecito Stage Station. Vallecito, Spanish for "little valley," has been a campsite for hundreds of years beginning with the native Kumeyaay.

5. Fossil Canyon and the Painted Gorge

Check out the unique natural wonders in Ocotillo. The walls of Fossil Canyon hold 50 million years of shell fossils, while three kinds of rock have been exposed to heat and movement over millions of years at the Painted Gorge, causing remarkable coloration of the mountains.

6. San Felipe Valley Wildlife Area

View wildlife at the 17,800-acre San Felipe Valley Wildlife Area in San Felipe. The area features a unique blend of diverse habitat types including chaparral, oak woodland, native grassland and acacia shrub, and supports a tremendous diversity of species including bobcats, gray fox, Southern mule deer, golden eagles and more.

7. "Rancheti" Bigfoot

Where: 37552 Montezuma Valley Rd, Ranchita, CA 92066
Take a unique photo with the “Rancheti” Bigfoot statue, a massive 11-foot, 300-pound white yeti statue built by local resident Joe Rauh that keeps watch over the Ranchita Country Store, a short distance from San Felipe. For years, the imposing beast has supposedly been spotted in the region by residents and visitors.

Find a place to stay

Book online or call 1-800-350-6205 to speak with a local expert
Find Your Open-Road Smile

Explore San Diego's epic roadways along with the best places for visitors to stop along the way and live out their SoCal road trip dreams.

Related Articles and Features

Deals just for you

Activity

Show Your Badge & Save at GoCar Tours

GoCar Tours
Valid: Jul 1 - ongoing

Let us show you how we support and honor those with a badge. Show your badge or use coupon code "BadgeSD" at check out to save 20% on our one of a kind Tour in a Storytelling GoCar! Several...

Team Building

$20 off 4 Tickets-Chauffeured Vineyards Adventure

San Diego Beer, Wine & Spirits Tours
Valid: Jul 23 - ongoing

Call 858.551.5115 to book and get $20 off per ticket when you purchase 4 tickets Or $5 off each. Join us on a deluxe VIP wine tour for award-winning wine tastings and wine pairing dinner on...

Galleries & Museums

Gaslamp Museum: Show Your Badge & Save

Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House
Valid: Jun 10 - ongoing

The Gaslamp Museum is a non-profit organization headquartered in the Davis-Horton House, the oldest standing structure in the Historic Gaslamp Quarter. From tales of espionage to Prohibition,...

Events to check out

Event

Julian StarFest

Aug 2 - Aug 4, 2024

The Julian StarFest will once again grace the dark skies of the Menghini Winery in Julian. The JSF Committee is working hard to ensure the festival includes many of the same activities as in the...

Event

World Design Experience

World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024
Sep 18 - Sep 25, 2024

Belonging: a shared responsibility for radical inclusion. The World Design Experience will be powered by Design Forward Alliance and San Diego Design Week, in collaboration with Mingei...

Event

SIP of Julian

Visit Julian
Jul 27, 2024

Julian Tasting Rooms offering samples of their wine, beer, hard cider, or craft cocktails at this Town Wide Event that will take you to the beautiful mountain community of Julian, California.  ...

Stay in touch

Sign up to receive the latest news, events, and updates about San Diego. Our monthly and weekly newsletters will keep you informed about the latest and greatest happenings in the destination.

Sign Up

Partners

Explore

Plan

Stay

Follow Us

Language:

English | Change Language

Select your country or region

China
Germany
Great Britain
Japan
Mexico
Korea
Switzerland
Brazil
France
Australia
Canada
USA

Or use Google Translate

Afrikaans
Albanian
Arabic
Belarusian
Bulgarian
Croatian
Danish
Deutsch
Español
Estonian
Filipino
Finnish
Francais
Georgian
Greek
Haitian-Creole
Hebrew
Hindi
Hungarian
Icelandic
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Latvian
Lithuanian
Macedonian
Malay
Maltese
Nederlands
Norwegian
Persian
Polish
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Serbian
Slovak
Slovenian
Swahili
Swedish
Telugu
Thai
Turkish
Ukranian
Vietnamese
Yiddish