One of the most popular activities at butterfield Ranch Resort is hiking in our surrounding desert wilderness.  So, we’d like to share a little bit about some of our favorite hikes.

Native American Morteros

Many of the trails around Butterfield Ranch Resort were first blazed by the Native American Kwaaymii tribes, who spent the winter months in the moderate desert climates. Just a short 30 minute walk from Butterfield lie remnants of this past civilization, the morteros.  These holes were slowly carved into the stone and used for grinding food, such as seeds, pods and nuts.

Gold Mine

The 20th Century brought miners to California, looking for riches.  Gold mines litter this desert landscape, with some not too far from Butterfield Ranch Resort.  Just an hour hike south of Butterfield, we can visit the remnants of one of these old gold mines and imagine what it must have felt like, searching for buried treasure.

Desert Wildflowers

Springtime at Butterfield brings the beautiful desert wildflowers, all around the resort and especially in the nearby Anza Borrego State Park.  Visitors can happily stroll through the uniquely beautiful landscape to view the marvels that nature brings to the harsh dessert environment. The timing of the wildflower bloom changes every year, so it’s always a surprise when the dessert lights up with color.

Why the constant change you ask?  The desert flowers depend on a lot of different factors for the yearly bloom, including amount of winter rainfall, temperatures, and wind.  Most of the bloom has finished for this year, but the cacti and chaparral are still showing beautiful blooms.

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