One of the more interesting artifacts of California's Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is "Yaquitepec" on "Ghost Mountain."

Getting to "Ghost Mountain"

The ruins of the South Home can be seen from the top of this short, steep trail (about 600 feet in ¾ mile) that begins in Blair Valley, 2.7 miles from Highway S-2.

This is a rewarding hike with interesting remains to explore and beautiful 360-degree views.

The 1.4-mile hike gets a “5 out of 5” rating by EveryTrail members. It’s rated “family friendly.”

Tips: Watch for the Blair Valley sign (on your left) just after curve on S2 south.

There are other nice short hikes in this area, including the pictograph trail and the Mortero Trail.
 Bring plenty of water and sunscreen and a hat since there is no shade!

Thanks to TripAdvisor for the above information.

About the South Family

The “South Home,” actually an adobe cabin, was built by Marshal and Tanya South when they began homesteading in 1932, before the area was within the state park boundaries. Marshal South was a poet, novelist and nudist. Long before the word “hippie” became popular, South grew his hair long, wore a headband and walked around barefooted.

South wrote eight Western novels and over 100 articles for “Desert Magazine.” It was in his column in “Desert Magazine” that he chronicled life on Ghost Mountain with his wife Tanya and their three children. Marshal was a gifted writer and held readers in awe of his "experiment in primitive living."

Their experiment lasted until 1946 when one day Tanya took their children, walked three miles from Ghost Mountain to the main road, hailed a car and subsequently filed for divorce.

Click here to read a fascinating story about the Souths in Examiner.com.

Visitors to Palm Canyon Resort will find Marshal South's book as well a new, two-book series written by his son, Rider South, in our store.

Book Now

When you visit "Ghost Mountain," you'll need a place to stay. To reserve a space at the Palm Canyon Resort, visit www.palmcanyonresort.com or call (760) 767-5342.