Off-road The Truckhaven Trail, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

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The Truckhaven Trail. Borrego's first trail system was that left by the Native Americans. Early homesteaders used many of these narrow foot paths for travel by horse and burro, but the advent of the automobile called for improved roadways. In 1929, Alfred Armstrong Beaty led a mule-drawn Fresno scraper through the Borrego Badlands to the Truckhaven Cafe on old Highway 99. The 30 miles of road was not easy to build and almost impossible to maintain. "Doc" Beaty obtained donations of food and money from supporters in the Coachella Valley while local folks helped out with mules, scrapers and labor. The old Truckhaven Trail became a popular jeep road after World War II. In 1968 the Borrego Salton Seaway was dedicated. The paved road follows Doc's route closely but much of the old trail can still be seen taking off into the desert. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle you'll find the trip every bit as exciting as it was in Doc's day.

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