Desert View Tower and Boulder Park: the 1920s roadside oddity on the edge of San Diego County
Desert View Tower is a 70-foot stone tower built between 1922 and 1928 at about 3,000 feet near Jacumba Hot Springs, off I-8 at the In-Ko-Pah Park Road exit. A small admission fee covers the tower's museum and lookout plus Boulder Park, a jumble of granite caves carved into animals and faces in the 1930s.
- Tower
- 70 ft
- Elevation
- ~3,000 ft
- Exit
- I-8 #77
- Admission
- Small fee
Built 1922–1928
In-Ko-Pah Mountains
In-Ko-Pah Park Road
Paid on site
The short version
- Real-estate developer Bert Vaughn, who owned Jacumba, built the 70-foot tower as a roadside attraction between 1922 and 1928.
- Boulder Park, next to the tower, is granite boulders carved into animals and faces by an out-of-work engineer during the Depression.
- Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Take I-8 east to exit 77, In-Ko-Pah Park Road, and follow it to the end.
- Times of San Diego (April 2026) lists the phone as (619) 971-2845 and says hours vary; call before the drive.
Drive east on Interstate 8 until the mountains turn to boulder piles, and just before the grade drops into the Imperial Valley, a stone tower appears on the ridge. Desert View Tower is a century-old roadside attraction that never got the memo about modern tourism. It's part museum, part gift shop, part lookout, with a hillside of carved rock creatures next door. Kids treat Boulder Park like a playground; adults stay for the view east over the Imperial Valley desert.
Two attractions, one ticket
| Desert View Tower | Boulder Park | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A 70-foot stone tower: museum shelves inside, observation deck on top | Wind-weathered granite boulders forming caves and tunnels, carved and painted into animals and faces |
| Built | 1922 to 1928, by Jacumba's owner Bert Vaughn | 1930s, by an unemployed engineer (usually named as W.T. Ratcliffe) |
| Time needed | 20 to 30 minutes, including the climb | As long as the kids last; 30 to 60 minutes is typical |
| Watch for | Narrow stairs; a quarter-fed telescope on top | Hot rock in summer; uneven footing; rattlesnakes in warm months |
Desert View Tower
- What it is
- A 70-foot stone tower: museum shelves inside, observation deck on top
- Built
- 1922 to 1928, by Jacumba's owner Bert Vaughn
- Time needed
- 20 to 30 minutes, including the climb
- Watch for
- Narrow stairs; a quarter-fed telescope on top
Boulder Park
- What it is
- Wind-weathered granite boulders forming caves and tunnels, carved and painted into animals and faces
- Built
- 1930s, by an unemployed engineer (usually named as W.T. Ratcliffe)
- Time needed
- As long as the kids last; 30 to 60 minutes is typical
- Watch for
- Hot rock in summer; uneven footing; rattlesnakes in warm months
Getting there
- Route: I-8 east, exit 77 (In-Ko-Pah Park Road), then follow the road to its end.
- Admission: paid on site at the gift shop, not online. Reports in 2024–2025 put it around $10 per adult, but call to confirm; younger kids are often discounted.
- Hours: generally daily, about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but they vary. Phone (619) 971-2845 before you drive out.
- No transit: you need a car. Don't stop on the interstate shoulder to walk up.
A century on the ridge
- 1922–28
Tower built
Bert Vaughn builds a stone lookout for travelers on the old highway
- 1930s
Boulder Park carved
A Depression-era engineer carves animals into the granite next door
- Later
Historic listing
Tower and Boulder Park are added to the National Register of Historic Places
- TodayNow
Still privately run
Open to visitors by day; the current owner also rents it overnight
- 1922–28
Tower built
Bert Vaughn builds a stone lookout for travelers on the old highway
- 1930s
Boulder Park carved
A Depression-era engineer carves animals into the granite next door
- Later
Historic listing
Tower and Boulder Park are added to the National Register of Historic Places
- NowToday
Still privately run
Open to visitors by day; the current owner also rents it overnight
Sources: California Historical Landmarks guide, Times of San Diego (April 2026), Airbnb listing by the current owner. Checked November 6, 2026.
Make a day of it: the Jacumba hot springs are a few minutes west, and fit hikers can combine the drive with the Goat Canyon Trestle.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 6, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Prices, fees, hours and rules change, often at the start of a year or season. Confirm with the official source linked below before you rely on a number.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
- Background#939.9 Desert View Tower
California Historical Landmarks guide · Checked November 6, 2026
Built 1922–1928 by Bert Vaughn; Boulder Park carved in the 1930s; first floor free
Times of San Diego · Published April 3, 2026
NRHP listing; phone (619) 971-2845; hours vary; exit 77
Day Trippen · Checked November 6, 2026
About 3,000 ft; 8:30–5 hours; $7.50–$10 admission range; overnight rental
- BackgroundDesert View Tower
San Diego Reader · Checked November 6, 2026
70-foot tower; quarter-fed telescope; Ratcliffe carvings