Coyote Mountains Indian Trails, California

Yote Canyon

Migrant supplies left by the Border Angels near the summit of peak 1474. Nobody is going way up there.

Looking down at the barely visible trail on the west ridge of Mine Peak

Red Hill trail

• PEAK 1975 ONE WAY - Indians went all the way up this from the south then down the east ridge but the high part of their route has faded. I walked a trail up from the Fossil Canyon road to the west canyon of the peak then over the summit and down the east ridge . It starts on the left rim of a wash at N32 46806, W116 00697 to get past a fall then drops back down then in a few feet and goes parabolic up a ridge. It tops out at a T on a rim el 1400. Right goes soon to a plateau but I found nothing. Left goes to the west canyon el 1400 then cuts over to the right bank and fades but the canyon gets easy. At 47943, 00807 el 1550 I stepped up on the right bank and could see an easy route up the left bank of a drainage. I went to saddle at 47927, 00594 el 1900 and found a cleared circle and a trail coming up that ridge. I went on to the summit then followed the trail down the east ridge. I came to a heart shaped clearing then at 47962, 00366 I dropped down steep and it smoothed out. I walked the spotty trail to a saddle below the 1200 line where there is a double ring. That might be from paleface. The trail goes left around a bump there then at peak 1087 it fades out. I dropped down a rocky drainage there to a road on the left bank. I walked that a few feet to an easy ridge down to the main wash then on to my cycle on the Painted Gorge road. I parked it there before the hike and rode my Zizzo down to the frontage road and followed the newer road to Fossil. 4 hours for the hike and the app has 1500 gain, 6 miles. The bike shuttle is an easy 12 miles.  Cars might have trouble getting very far on the Painted Gorge road. That day there was a sandy crossing a half mile in then some grooves across the road after the residential area.  I posted a track on peakbagger under peak 1975. Posted 2024.
•  FOSSIL CANYON INDIAN TRAIL - this is a popular canyon on the south side of Carrizo Mountain. Indians went up the east rim. The topo shows the road going to the mouth where there is a barrier. The last half mile is easy 4wd. The trail goes up a ridge along the road in at N32 46806, W116 00697.  It can be used for various loops or a hike all the way to the summit of Carrizo which is what I did that day. But I didn't know about the trail when I started. I walked up canyon from the barrier for a mile to an obvious road going up to the right on a ridge, just before the fake road on the topo. The road goes up to the rim and meets a branch of the trail, but  a peak is in the way. The Indian trail goes level around the right side to a gully then up that a little and levels off around to the saddle behind the peak where I saw the rock ring that tipped me off that the trail is indeed Indian. It goes to another ring at 48086, 00954 where a road is in view. I walked low along a wash then up past a third ring at 48340, 00869 to get to the road. It's obvious how to follow that to the main jeep road that goes almost to the summit. There is a shortcut up a slope at 49143, 00413. A trail at the end goes to a saddle then left of center to the summit. I retraced back to the third ring and took a right fork on the road to the end of it then got on the left bank of a wash at 48406, 01135. I went on up thru the main saddle at the end then took a trail to the right for 200 feet then dropped to the creekbed and the left bank worked then at 48210, 01395 I crossed to the right bank and walked it to the floor of Fossil then out. That took nearly 6 hours and nearly 10 miles. The app has the gain at 2400 and rarely steep. I put a track on peakbagger under the peak. Next time I'll just skip the peak and take the trail up to the rim  then drop into the canyon for a good loop. Don't let any rock rings get disturbed. Posted 2024.
• FOSSIL CANYON WEST INDIAN TRAIL - a trail runs out of the canyon then west on the crest to peak 1619. A one way with an easy bike shuttle is easy. I took highway S2 to road #93 at point 894 on the topo. I went 2 miles up that high clearance road and parked. I then coasted to Ocotillo on my Zizzo bike then up to the mouth of Fossil. The last half mile is soft and not good for skinny tire bikes. I strolled up the canyon to a mine trail at N32 48128, W116 01707. That goes to the SW saddle of peak 1808. The Indian trail goes left there around a knob and fades at the next saddle. I found it again at 48297, 01926 and it goes into a drainage then up the right bank and over to 48284, 02132. It runs low and fades then it might be better to drop to gullies to get to the SW saddle of peak 1830. I saw no clue what they did from there so I took and easy angle to the NE saddle of the peak reading 48366, 02443 el 1750. Then I leveled off and circled to the NW ridge where the trail shows up at 48372, 02633 just below el 1800. I walked it to 48446, 03481 and it goes into a drainage. I went 200 feet or so down that then took the easiest ground to it at 48548, 03663 where it climbs back to center and on past peak 1619 then down to the old road that leads down to road #93. 3 and a half hours for the hiking part from the mouth of Fossil. The app has the gain at 1500 and it's all easy. The ride is a bit over an hour. Posted 2024.
• MINE PEAK INDIAN TRAIL -  I walked this one east to west. It runs the crest for 5 or 6 miles then just under the peak and down to the Sin Nombre road. I parked on that road where it meets S2 at mp 51.3 then coasted on my bike for 6 miles to road #93 at a kiosk el 894. I pedaled 2 miles up that road to a cable at the closure. I walked up the road to where it tops out and went left on the trail. But it's easier to stay on the road then cut left to a dirt ridge at N32 48747, W116 04949. The faint trail goes up the ridge to 48848, 05148 where it's easy to see. It goes into a saddle then left around a bump an then right of center at 48935, 05487 el 1450. It soon fades in a gully. I went up and didn't see it again until 49124, 05706 where it's going left out of a saddle. It fades and I went higher to the top the hill and could see it below. It might be better to just go straight over that hill. It's easy to follow again to 49509, 07121 where it's going right of center. As I got close to the summit the trail dropped down left too far and seemed to split. One trail goes to the mine, the other goes down a gully at 49711, 08012 then across a bigger gully then fades. But likely it goes on up under the south side of the peak at the 1800 level where it's visible again. But I left the trail and took direct ridges to the summit and could see the trail below. It's spotty as it goes down the main ridge to the Sin Nombre road. I walked that road a mile to my XT350. That took 4 and a half hours for the hiking part at nearly 9 miles. The app didn't have an accurate gain but it's pretty easy. It's in pristine condition but for several metal posts. Those eyesores need to be ripped out but they're stuck good. I put a track on peakbagger. Posted 2024.
• RED HILL INDIAN TRAIL - this is on the north rim of a canyon north of Red Hill. I walked up canyon then back on the trail. A quarry is along S2 at mp 54.4. I walked a wash from there to high ground at N32 48006, W116 07689. That took me a fifth mile to the mouth then I strolled up canyon for an air mile then went up to the trail on the rim at 47719, 08734. I followed it along the right side of the rim at first then at 47978, 08094 I leveled off along the left side for a few feet then down a ridge where the trail shows up again at 48095, 08021. It goes to a hill where I lost it but then just dropped back to the quarry. 2 hours, 100 noticeable gain. Best on weekdays to avoid noisy dirt bikes that run the canyon. Posted 2024.
• YOTE  CANYON is what I call the one east of Fossil Canyon. It's north of Yote BM on the south side of peak 1034. The sat image shows easy 4wd roads (ebikeable) departing the Fossil road and skirting the north side of a landfill and on to the mouth. An Indian trail goes into the mouth at N32 47387, W115 59520. It fades and I scooted down to the creekbed and upstream stepping around dozens of waterholes. I came to the deepest and went up left around it then took a trail up onto the right bank to pass the next little fall and deep holes then it opened up. Soon I came to a white fall and dense boulders. I went up a gully on the left at N32 47544, W115 59966 and straight up unimpeded to the rim at the 1100 line. I walked level to a rim at N32 47304, W116 00072 then down it but soon it's rough. So I dropped right to easy ground and merged back to the rim and down to the flats and back. 2 hours, 300 noticeable gain. Interesting geology and waterholes. I could see that above the white fall the walking gets easy again. BEST LOOP -  it's an easy walk up the valley on the north side of the canyon then drop in and come back. A road can be walked from the mouth of Yote running east into the main wash. Or use the jeep road on the topo that branches off the Painted Gorge road. It's easy 4wd and ebikeable. From the end of the road in the main wash there is a gully at N32 47718, W115 59370 with cairns. The cairns lead to the flat north of peak 1034. Then there is a route down the rim at N32 47698, W115 59870. That's a pretty valley.  Posted 2024.
• PEAK 1474 is south of Ocotillo near the border and infested with trails. A good loop goes up the gorge on the north side then down a trail along the west side then over the summint and down the south ridge. Coyoter Number One Road goes in from highway 98 but is closed but that doesn't stop anybody. A legal way is a newer road that goes to the south side. Cars make that. Then walk the east base to a trail that enters the gorge at N32 40601, W115 56762. It leads to a drop but I went on a few feet to a rocky gully that leads down to the main wash. I went on up canyon passing 3 crates of provisions left by volunteers for migrants sneaking in but not many use that route. Once thru the gorge I turned south on a trail at 40236, 57996 with a 4th crate. I stayed on the trail to 39903, 57859 el 1100 then made a hard left up a ridge. Near the top I stayed right around a pointy peak then on to a trail at 39889, 57476. I had to rub my eyes because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Another stash but this one also had new clothes. Migrants aren't going up there. I went on to the summit then down the south ridge on a trail left of center. I dropped too low on a splinter trail and had to come back up. The trail wraps around to the right and meets another trail at 39693, 57016 and goes down the ridge. It fades near bottom and I landed at a deep waterhole. I went past more water then climbed left 50 feet or so to a trail at 39459, 56694 that soon levels off and goes thru a saddle el 1000 then down to 39822, 56689 where it goes onto the right rim and fades. I walked the rim down to the flats. This takes 4 or 5 hours with 500 noticeable gain. Hikers just wanting the peak could take the newer road to a major canyon at peak 1008 then walk a trail on the south rim of that canyon then come down the way I did. Posted 2024.
• MIGRANT CANYON is what I call one 2 miles SW of Ocotillo. I went up an Indian trail on the east rim then back in the canyon. Go south from the Ocotillo exit to highway 98 then go right for .9 mile to BLM road #162. Go half a mile on that as it bends left to a wash. Go up the wash a quarter mile to the mouth. Go up the main wash and the trail is on the left bank at N32 42725, W116 00949. It goes up to 42569, 00948 then tops out and fades on peak 1239. Then drop down a ridge into the canyon and stroll back. A narrow side canyon is on the left but I forgot to check it out. A crate of provisions was in the wash for migrants sneaking into the country but I only saw hiker tracks.  90 minutes, 400 easy gain. Posted 2024.