Safety of Southern Tier near Border

[wijnenme]

Hi,

My brother (18) and I (23) are planning on riding the Southern Tier East to West starting in February. I'm a bit concerned about safety near the border. Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks!

[John Nettles]

We just got done with a western leg of the ST this past November between Phoenix and San Diego and we had zero issues with safety other than the previously reported narrow road and lots of RVs on the stretch between Blythe and Brawley.  No "immigration" issues at all.  Do note the stretch along the California border does have limited services so stock up in El Centro.  The climb out of El Centro is long but not unbearable.  Enjoy the ride!

[staehpj1]

I didn't consider it especially dangerous when I rode it.

[gback1]

My wife and I rode the ST in 2011 and my brother and I rode it in 2014.  Neither time did we feel unsafe at anytime due to border concerns.  The border patrol will pass by you very frequently.  You do have to be aware of traffic between Brawley and Blythe, and be prepared to get off to the road if meeting traffic coming from both directions. IMHO the most unsafe part of the ST is between Superior and Globe, uphill, with fast traffic, complicated by road construction.

[planeguy5]

I haven't ridden this portion of the Southern Tier, so I cannot attest to the safety of the route. However, with regards to safety along this region of the border, there shouldn't be any issues, and I wouldn't hesitate visiting any of the towns along the California-Mexico border. In fact, just last week I was in Tijuana, and have plans on going to Tecate within the next week. Just keep your wits about you as you would in any town, don't do anything that you wouldn't do in the states, and be respectful. There shouldn't be any issues, other than border patrol (potentially) asking you a few questions to see what you are doing.

Best,
Jeremy (a San Diego native)

[22hornet]

I rode the ST east to west last feb and had no issues with anything let alone the border, enjoy the ride and use good judgement you will have the time of your life.

[Westinghouse]

Don't worry about it. Just  be careful about going into Mexico along that route. You may be quite safe visiting Mexico on that length of road, but many acts of extreme violence have been known to happen too.

[MaryK]

My husband and I rode the Southern Tier in 2014 and had no concerns about safety. As others have said, you will see the Border Patrol frequently. Aggressive drivers can be a problem, but no more so on this route than others we've done. You'll also have a lot of people pull over, especially while you're in the desert, and make sure you're ok, don't need water, etc. Enjoy your trip!