The Slot

4.4/5 (10 reviews)
"The Slot" is a extremely narrow hiking trail in a sandstone canyon in the heart of Anza Borrego State Park. The off-road drive to The Slot is a very easy one with some soft sand and compact hard dirt. The road is safe to drive in a 2wd vehicle most of the year, but please note, when it comes to ... Read More
Start 7-Day Free Trial
All-Access Icon
The Slot is an All-Access Member Only trail guide. You'll need to start a 7-Day Free Trial to see this guide.

Highlights of The Slot

Desert Category Icon Desert
Iconic Category Icon Iconic
Overland Category Icon Overland
Sand Category Icon Sand
Scenic Category Icon Scenic
Highest Elevation
818 ft
Shape of Trail
Out & Back
Typically Open
Year Round
Best Direction
West
Official Trail Name
The Slot
Nearest Town
Borrego Springs
Nearest Services
Borrego Springs
Management Agency
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
District
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Overview

"The Slot" is a extremely narrow hiking trail in a sandstone canyon in the heart of Anza Borrego State Park. The off-road drive to The Slot is a very easy one with some soft sand and compact hard dirt. The road is safe to drive in a 2wd vehicle most of the year, but please note, when it comes to taking any dirt road, it is always best to travel in a group. Once you reach The Slot, you can hike from east to west down the canyon. The Slot starts out an openish area but quickly closes in. At points in the trail you will be trying to shimmy sideways just to continue on. Once to the bottom it opens up to a slot canyon just wide enough for a off-road vehicle. If you have an equipped vehicle and are with a group, driving around this end of the trail might make for a full day adventure. For most people, it is recommended that you go back out the way you came in. **Important Notice** It gets over 110 degrees at The Slot in the summer. Please bring lots of water and notify people where you are going. Also, this area is at high risk of flash flood. Only enter The Slot on sunny days.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Guide Overview
7 Waypoints
23 Trail Photos
1 Trail Concerns
10 Community Reviews
1 Video
Trail Tools
App Store Icon Open in App
Gaia GPS Icon Upload to Gaia GPS
Download GPX
Directions to...
Share Trail
Print Trail

Start a 7-Day Free Trial and Unlock 5,000+ Trail Guides

3000+ Detailed Trail Guides
2000+ Member Only Scout Routes
Companion App with Offline Use
New Tracks Added Weekly
Download GPX Files and Print Guides
Access to Trail Guide Writer
What makes our Trail Guides so great?

Sign Up for Free to Get a Taste of Adventure

Free Members get 205 introductory guides to explore. Upgrade to an All-Access Membership for 5,000+ trails at your fingertips.
Start a free trial and get this level of detail on every trail guide
Start Free Trial