Desert Loop: Pines to Palms & Borrego Oct 2026
Event Details
The Desert Loop is a full-day desert motorcycle ride from Orange County: Ortega Highway, Highway 371 and the Pines to Palms Highway down to the Coachella Valley, lunch on the shore of the Salton Sea, then Borrego Springs and back over the mountains on Montezuma Valley Road, Highway 79 and Highway 76. About 318 miles and seven and a half hours in the saddle, with pine forest, open desert and some of the best switchbacks in Southern California in one Sunday.
This is a long ride with multiple stops and a full-day commitment. Come fueled up, hydrated and ready for a long day.
Desert Loop ride plan: Pines to Palms, Borrego and Julian backroads
- Meetup: 8:00 AM at Starbucks, 30835 Gateway Pl, Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694
- KSU: 8:15 AM. We leave on time, so arrive fueled.
- Distance: about 318 miles, roughly 7.5 hours of riding plus stops
- Lunch: around 1:00 PM at the Alamo Restaurant in Salton City
- Back by: around 7:00 PM at the meetup. Sunset is about 6 PM, so the last leg is in the dark: bring a clear visor or clear glasses.
Stops
Times are estimates for a group pace and shift with the size of the group.
- ~9:15 AM, gas: Mobil in Murrieta, after Ortega Highway and before Highway 371
- ~11:30 AM, gas: Chevron in La Quinta, at the bottom of the Pines to Palms Highway
- ~1:00 PM, lunch: Alamo Restaurant, 2100 S Marina Dr, Salton City, CA, on Highway 86 by the Salton Sea. Family-run Mexican food with a covered patio
- ~3:45 PM, gas and regroup: Mirage Gas Company, at Highway 79 after the Montezuma Valley Road climb
- ~5:30 PM, gas: Chevron, at the end of Highway 76 before the ride home
From the meetup we take Ortega Highway over to Lake Elsinore and Murrieta for the first gas stop. Highway 371 through Anza climbs to the Pines to Palms Highway (CA 74), past the Cahuilla Tewanet Vista Point, and drops down into the Coachella Valley for gas in La Quinta. From there we head south along Washington Street to the Salton Sea and lunch at the Alamo. After lunch, Highway 78 and Borrego Springs Road take us past the Iron Door Bar into Borrego Springs, then we climb Montezuma Valley Road to Ranchita, pick up Highway 79 and San Felipe Road, and ride Highway 76 past Lake Henshaw down to the coast for the last gas stop and the I-5 home.
What to wear
- Proper riding jacket
- Proper riding pants
- Proper riding gloves
- Proper riding boots
- Leathers recommended
- Long day, bring a bottle of water and a bag with what you need
What we expect from riders
Every rider SHOULD and MUST ride within their limits. If the group goes at a speed you don’t feel comfortable with, don’t attempt to keep up.
Go at your own pace. The sweeper will always be with you, and the group always stops at important points for everyone to regroup.
Never feel like you are holding the group back. We ride to enjoy our motorcycles among friends, and we want you to be safe.
- Safety meeting is mandatory before the ride
- Adhere to the indications given during the safety meeting
- No passing on the right side of the road
- Ride your own ride; don’t push beyond your comfort zone
Tips for riding in a group
Take a few minutes to watch these: they cover how to ride in a group.
- Group riding tips and techniques
- Top 5 Things You Should NOT Do During A Group Ride
- How to Ride in a Motorcycle Pack
Know your hand signals
Download a printable version from the DROC rides page.
RSVP
RSVP on this page so we know how many to expect and can brief the group properly. Free to ride with us; you cover your own gas and food.
Not a DROC member yet? Join the Ducati Riders of Orange County, the official Ducati club for Orange County. Browse the full events calendar for more rides, bike nights, MotoGP watch parties, and track days, and follow @drocdesmo on Instagram for photos from this one. First DROC ride? Read what to expect.
Disclaimer
By RSVPing to or attending this event, you acknowledge and accept the DROC event disclaimer in full. Participation is voluntary, on an “at-will” basis, and at your own risk.
You assume all risks of taking part, and you release WE ARE DROC dba Ducati Riders of Orange County (“DROC”), and its successors and assigns, its officers, organizers, ride leaders, volunteers, members, and the host venue from any claim for injury, death, loss, or damage to you or your property, except for gross negligence, recklessness, or willful misconduct, and except for any right that cannot be waived under California law. You are responsible for anyone you bring with you.
A signed DROC waiver is required to take part. Sign the DROC waiver if you have not already, and expect to sign an event-specific waiver on site at some events.
You confirm you are licensed, insured, on a street-legal and mechanically sound motorcycle, and fit to ride. This is not a guided or supervised ride: you ride your own ride, at your own pace, within your own limits. The pre-ride safety meeting is mandatory for every rider.
Ride responsibly. Don’t drink and ride. If you plan on drinking, use a ride-share.
Please have an ‘in case of emergency’ (“ICE”) contact number programmed in your phone (instructions for iPhone and Android) and/or placed on your bike.