Freehiking at De Anza Springs

“. . . there is a resort near Jacumba, CA that is clothing optional. . . I parked my car and with shoes a walking stick and water bottle headed up into the hills above the resort and out into the desert. The area consists of a granite batholith that is slowly eroding leaving endless rolling hills of rounded granite boulders. The shapes and configurations are amazing. The colors range from light tan to reddish stone and every turn reveals a new panorama. . . The trail system is a mixture of footpaths, old jeep trails and dry sandy washes that cut into the granite creating a meandering path through the oddly shaped rock creatures. They are so unique that they do seem to possess some personality. . . Walking nude so far from my clothes felt wonderful. I soaked in the sun and breeze totally. I wandered on for another hour or so . . . I found myself in a flat sand wash area with cactus and sage and was drawn to a small granite outcropping in the middle of a huge flood wash. The boulders were stacked about 50 feet high. I noticed a sign describing the area as part of an Indian settlement . . . I didn't stay long and decided to make this the end point of my hike and return. On my return I was walking toward the sun mindfully breathing and walking feeling the sun sensing all with my body and mentally at peace and in a semi trance when my reverie was interrupted by a raven sitting in a Yucca plant not ten feet from me. I stopped and then he noticed me, squawked and flew away. . . The nice thing about returning from a nude hike to this resort is that there is a nice indoor pool to swim in and an outdoor hot tube to soak away any muscle strain from the hike.” - Jay