The trailhead starts at the state park visitor center, about ten minutes from the motel. The first mile is a wide gravel wash; after that the trail tightens into a palm oasis with a year-round seep — the only place in this part of the desert with reliable surface water.
Keep your eyes on the ridges. Bighorn sheep work the slopes here in the cool months, and they're often closer than you'd think. Bring more water than you think you need; the wash holds heat into the evening.
