Our friend Hans showed us this incredible place – Valley of the Moon lies south of Jacumba in Imperial County, in the BLM-managed Jacumba Mountains Wilderness, which is itself a part of the Sierra Juarez Mountains. It had somehow slipped my attention, because it’s tucked in somewhat hidden near the end of Jerry Schad’s “Afoot & Afield in San Diego County” hiking book. It is also an extremely windy place and Valley of the Winds would be an equally fitting name. :-)

Jerry Schad writes: “Strolling through Valley of the Moon, you might think that a square-mile patch of Joshua Tree National Park has been magically transported there […].” – but see for yourself:

With plenty of clearance and a rugged 4WD vehicle it is actually possible to drive into the area on dirt roads. For those of us without such transportation, the only option is to hike which is, depending on how much you explore and wander around, about 6 miles out and back, or more. I’ve never asked the Border Patrol (which is very present in this area) for a ride… :-)