Anza Borrego State Park

Rabbit Peak basecamp

Rabbit Peak

COYOTE CANYON INDIAN VILLAGE LOOP - drive east a short way from Borrego Springs to Di Giorgio Rd and go north to the end of pavement. Keep going on easy 4wd to the signed third crossing where the road turns ugly. Hike upstream on a trail on the right bank. In a fifth mile the trail comes to a beach then goes left and soon crosses the stream twice. Those crossings can be bypassed by using the old trail on the right bank but it's a little more work. Either way, the trails merge and just keep going on the trail and then about about 1.4 air miles from the start there is a sign showing the trail going left. Stay on it and it meets the road where you go left. Leave the road at a gap in brush reading N33 22248, W116 26652. One grinding hole is nearby at 22304, 26687 and another is 75 feet east. Walk downstream from there along the rim to a historical monument then go past that to a low rock wall at 22360, 26371 on a smooth bench. Then keep going on an Indian trail on the bench for about .14 mile to a boulder with a metal post. Down below that is a bench with more grinding holes. The trail keeps going until the bench fizzles. You could go back to the monument and walk the road back or do like I did and walk off the end of the bench then up a little then down to the trail in the bottoms then it's a short stroll back to the start. 3 hours, easy. Posted 2016.

• PALM BENCHMARK el 2700 has a crude hiker trail up the south ridge. Take S22 to the Calcite Mine jeep road at mp 38.1. Drive that for nearly 2 miles to the mine el 1200, or as close as possible as it gets worse as it goes. Get on the trail next to the mine at N33 17983, W116 06675 el 1200 and follow  it up the ridge all the way up to the reg at 18472, 07570. The ridge has a few dips, the deepest one being 100 feet. Return the same way. The canyons on either side of the ridge have falls. 3 hours, nearly 2000 gain from the mine. A class 2 hike. Posted 2016.
• RABBIT PEAK el 6600 via SW ridge - Take S22 to Rockhouse Rd at mp 26.3. Go north about 6 miles on easy 4wd. I walked directly to the SW ridge, but the base is defended by rock fields. The smooth wash along the west side of the ridge is better.  Hike across the smooth flats for a mile and a third to a gargantic ocotillo reading N33 23281, W116 18480. Keep going up the main wash for .15 mile to a tricky fork. Stay right to waypoint 23434, 18187 then 23651, 17984 and from there it's easy to follow the main channel. Go up to a good basecamp near point 1546 on the left bank at 24194, 17034 el 1400. Day trippers have to exit along here up to the east rim, but backpackers have the option to continue in the wash that gets rockier and goes around a gooseneck to el 2000 and camp then climb up to a saddle at 24685, 16584 el 2200. That saddle is NE of point 2270. Either way, just keep going up the ridge to the 3800 level where a boulder field is in the way. Move right into a broad drainage and go up to 25427, 15687 el 4350 where you can easily go back up to the top of the ridge el 4550. Now another boulder field is in the way which is peak 4637. It's easy to go left around that then down to a saddle el 4450 then up a sheep route at 25890, 15236 el 4800. This is the steepest part. It tops out at el 6000 then go south to the reg at 25997, 14344. This part above 6000 has light brush. The whole hike is about 14 miles round trip and took 12 and a half hours with nothing harder than class 2. The round trip gain from the wash is about 5600 feet. The hike for me from the upper basecamp would be 8 or 9 hours, and an hour longer than that from the lower camp.There is little sign of humanity and no need to change that by building cairns. GPS is all you need. There is no water but there are plenty of barrel cacti. I've always heard that those are full of cold beer. Posted 2016.
• WEST BUTTE and THE SLOT - this loop is a tourist hike. Take SR 78 to mp 87.1 and go north on a crude road for nearly 2 miles to the parking area on the rim of The Slot. Stay left at a fork along the way. Hike north on the old road and then it shrinks to a trail. At N33 11353, W116 12382 there is a fork. The right one goes in 5 minutes to the summit area of West Butte. The map implies the high point to be at 11468, 12241 el 1200 but the reg was a tenth mile south. Back at the fork, keep going on the left fork and it drops down to a jeep road where you go left. For the sake of variety I dropped off the trail to the left at 11381, 12585 and went down a canyon. In a fifth mile I came to a large hole full of water. That was easy to step around then in another 300 feet I came to a small drop. Just before the drop is an easy way to cross over to the left to the next fork and walk that down to the jeep road. The reading at the jeep road is 11874, 13180. You want to follow the jeep road to a fork. The right one climbs out and back to the parking area, but you want to take the left fork that stays in the main wash and ends at the entrance to The Slot. It gets narrow for 5 or 10 minutes then pops you out at the parking area. The whole hike takes less than 3 hours with less than 1000 gain. Posted 2016.
• ROSA BENCHMARK el 5000 has an Indian trail to the 3200 level and a hiker trail the rest of the way. Park along S22 at mp 32.55 where you should be reading N33 17886, W116 11213 el 900. Any farther west means more rocks. An ocotillo exactly on the shoulder berm marks the spot. Walk a tenth mile to a smooth channel at 17973, 11202. Follow that to the west side of a hill and walk the channel along the base. Upon reaching the north side of the hill, move right a little to get in the main channel of Palo Verde Wash where you'll see a million footprints. Go on up the wash thru point 18536, 11111 then on to the start of the trail at 18873, 10748 el 1350. The trail goes up along the rim of a side canyon and be sure not to miss where it crosses to the left side of the creekbed at the 1550 level. It goes on up steeply to the top of the ridge el 2000 then down to the bed of  Smoke Tree Canyon el 1900. This is a good spot for a basecamp. The tanks are 5 or 10 minutes up a minor right fork. Go up the main canyon 400 feet as the crow flies and the trail exits right. It's fuzzy, but be sure to be on it where it levels off  at 19430, 09720 el 2250. It's easy to follow to a creekbed where it vanishes. Go up the bed for 300 feet and it exits left. The reading there is 19838, 09605 el 2500. It goes on to a saddle on the main ridge at 20321, 09622 el 3150. Follow it along the ridge then it gets fuzzy in nearly half a mile. Stay near the center of the ridge to 20743, 10025 el 3650 where the trail goes around the east side of peak 3800 and loses 50 feet to a saddle. Then it's easy to follow the trail the remaining 1400 feet to the BM at 21703, 10114. 8 hours, 4500 gain. I've been to the tanks a half dozen times and they were dry just once. The hike from the tanks would take 5 hours. I couldn't find any sign where the Indians dropped into Wonderstone Wash. They put a lot of work into this trail. There must have been some good looking squaws on the other side. Posted 2016.
• For VILLAGER PEAK el 5700, park at mp 31.9 on S22. Hike north around the right end of a low ridge then the trail angles left to where it starts up the main ridge at N33 19215, W116 11888. It's mostly an easy grade on a spotty trail to the peak at 23304,13152. Just before the peak, keep right near the top a of bump. 8 hrs, 5000 gain. Smooth spots for small parties to set up base camp start at 19943,12169 el 2200  then 20318,12366 el 2700 on the left then 20639,12552 el 3100 then 21301,12715 el 3800 then a rock wall enclosure 21351,12689 el 3850. There's one more a quarter mile further el 4000 then it steepens.
• COYOTE MOUNTAIN TRAVERSE el 3200- hiking from near Alcoholic Pass over the summit and south to Pegleg camp area takes 6 hours or less. Take S22 to Henderson Rd at mp 25.8. Go west on the Henderson Rd for about 2/3 mile and leave a car or bike at a mine road. Keep going west on Henderson to a T at Di Giorgio Rd then go north to the end of pavement then another mile on dirt and start hiking up the slope at N33 20644, W116 21872 el 800. Stay near the rim of the rocky gully on the right. It's steep for 700 feet then eases up. Keep going up the obvious ridge to the summit. The last third mile levels off and there are game trails right of center. The reg and BM are at 20605, 19728. Backtrack a third mile then go down a ridge at 20334, 19885 el 3000. Next comes a major saddle el 2300 then a big hill is in the way. It's easy to walk around the west side on game trails and then get back on the crest at 19710, 19320 el 2350. Follow a faint road from there on the crest to a trail on the right at 18222, 18570 el 1200. Take the trail down to a lower road then go 200 feet on that to another trail that shortcuts a bend in the road and keep going down the road and soon the last trail at el 800 comes into view. Go left there down to the Henderson Rd. 5 hours, 2600 gain. Posted 2016. EASY VERSION - the northwest ridge is easier but the shuttle is tougher. I ameliorated the shuttle with a second hike. The Rockhouse road is bumpy for 7 miles to the ridge. The last third needs high clearance. I started up the ridge at 22511, 19621 and just kept going up to the summit then on down the crest the same as the other hike. But at the end I opted to go on to Peg Leg camp but that took a little longer. That took 5 hours, 10 minutes. The next day I rode my Zizzo bike to the Achoholic Pass TH and followed it over to retrieve my cycle. That's a 2 hour hike. I got two good hikes for the price of one shuttle. A car and ebike can do all this. I put a track on peakbagger in 2024.
• COOLIDGE BM el 2200 has a good view of the Salton Sea because it's the closest peak. From Salton City, go north on highway 111 for 8 miles to the Coolidge Springs Rd reading N33 23418, W116 02508. Go west for a third mile to a fork. Go left on a sandy road for 3/4 mile aiming for waypoint 23078, 03460 el100. When the road fizzles, walk a short way to the waypoint at the base of a steep slope. Climb the slope to the ridge top or go left up the canyon to get on the ridge top. I chose the canyon. Soon it makes a right turn then the left bank is easier to walk on. At a gully on the right reading 23061,03692 el 600 I went up to the ridge top then just followed the ridge all the way to the reg at 22936, 04635. 4 hours, 2300 gain. It's not as steep as it looks. A post near the reg has old flashlights attached to it, likely by surveyors. The south side of the mountain and Wonderstone Wash are blocked by the reservation.
• The FISH CREEK MOUNTAINS are near Anza Borrego State Park. For EAGLE BENCHMARK, the high point, I made a good one way hike up the NW canyon (which I call Whit Canyon) then down a mine trail on the NE ridge. Take Split Mtn Road from Ocotillo Wells to the RR tracks at the gypsum mine. Go SE on a sandy 4wd road on the north side of the tracks for about 4 miles to the mouth of the canyon near Whit BM. I left my pack there then went on another 3 miles and parked. I then rode my Zizzo back to my pack and went up canyon. I got on the left bank at N33 01470, W116 02320 and went up to a narrows el 500 about an hour in. A fall blocks the way so I went up the west bank and thru a saddle at 00448, 02134 then dropped down 50 feet to the top of the fall. I went on to the next fall and passed it on the east bank at 00080, 01961. I moved left there into a minor wash and up that thru a saddle then down to the top of the fall. I went on to a main fork el 1100 and the right fork is blocked by a fall. ALL REMAINING COORDINATES ARE W32. So just before the fork I went up a gully to gain the west bank at W32 59384, W116 01273 at the top of the fall. I went on up the right fork and got on the right bank at 59176, 01152 then in nearly a fifth mile passed thru the saddle that leads into Red Rock Canyon. A good sheep trail goes along the creekbed from the saddle. I went up canyon to the north ridge of the peak and dropped my pack. I went up a drainage there at 59078, 00345 then left to get on the ridge and up. It goes parabolic but stable. I returned to my pack and headed for the mine trail at 59224, 00312 and walked to where it starts down at 59510, 00040. Cairns mark the way and near bottom a decoy trail goes sharp right but a faint direct trail goes straight down then right to hit bottom. 6 and a half hours for the hiking part with less than 2000 noticeable gain. Half that is the side trip to the peak which I will skip from now on. The pristine canyon is the highlight for me.I put a track on peakbagger. Posted 2024.
• SPLIT MOUNTAIN EAST el 1690 is what hikers call the peak on the east rim of Fish Creek gorge. A hiker trail goes up then a good sheep trail runs the crest to peak 2121. The TH is the Wind Caves trail at the upper end of the gorge reading N32 59593, W116 07102. I walked that to the caves which are boring then the hiker trail runs up along the left and follows the rim of a canyon up. At el 1240 I leveled off to the left for 300 feet to a mine road at 59657, 06127. That goes down into the canyon and ends at a slide which is easy to go down then the hiker trail goes up the other side into the south saddle then up the ridge to the summit. A mine road is in view from the summit which I walked to peak 1668. It goes down there and would make for a shorter loop but I stayed level on the south side of the peak using a sheep trail at 59566, 05469. It goes all the way to peak 1704 but fades on the way up and then resumes at the summit and goes down to a saddle el 1250 at the base of peak 2121. I went up a bedrock gully at 58554, 04086 to a saddle el 1550 at the top and could see the summit. I dropped a little and followed high ground up to a drainage at 58319, 03735 el 1750 and then took a direct route to the summit. An obvious drainage on the left of the summit block is class 2. I retraced back to the bedrock drainage and kept going downstream but it's tedious. It's bound to be better to walk back on the crest and take the west rim of that canyon down then on to a mine road at 58417, 04952. That bends to a major wash at 58414, 05326 that winds thru gorgeous badlands back to the start. Along the way I cut a gooseneck at 58684, 06744. 8 hours, 2900 gain, 13 miles. I put a track on peakbagger. The road thru the gorge to the TH is easy 4wd just sandy. Posted 2024.
• GOAT CANYON TRESTLE is popular destination at the south end of the park. It's on private land but seems to be in " don't ask, don't tell " status as many have gone in there for years. The easiest hiking route is a sandy jeep road running north of Indian Hill. It's closed to vehicles but jeeps get around the barriers as usual. Walking that road to the tracks then to the trestle is 11 miles round trip and 4 hours. I made it more interesting by going in up an easy ridge to the saddle el 2850 south of the J on the topo. It's less miles but takes longer. The road in from point 920 on S2 is easy 4wd and I could have rode an ebike in that day. It's a bit over 5 miles to the jeep road NW of Dos Cabezas. I walked under a tiny trestle there then up the wash to a side canyon. I got on the right bank of it at N32 45082, W116 10159. I stayed low and let the easy terrain take me up to the rim on the right. I kept going up to a flat at 44796, 10019 then on to a saddle at 44668, 10355 el 2650. I leveled off to 44652, 10425 then down to the creekbed, That is soon cluttered so I got on the easy right bank then on to a wall of boulders. I went up on the right to 44535, 10611 then left to weave thru then dropped back to the creekbed and on to the last wall of boulders before the main saddle. I went right around those then had smooth ground to 44420, 10723 where I could drop down thru a few boulders then level off to the rim where the tracks were in view. I walked down to the right on the rim and hit an ancient road at el 2550. It's clogged with cholla so I went down a drainage at 44342, 10986 el 2500 and hit the tracks then on to the trestle. I returned to the start on the tracks and jeep road. I walked the trestles between the rails and to one side. Those outer catwalks will be the first to collapse. It took 2.5 hours and 3.5 miles to get to the trestle. Gain is 800 but all easy and rarely any boulder issues. Coming back took 2 hours and 5.5 miles.  All the tunnels and trestles were good except the last tunnel at Goat Canyon is collapsed but has a road around it. MOUNTAIN BIKE VERSION - riders are starting at the end of the legal road and it's about 6 miles to the trestle. The first third mile is soft then it firms up. A fat tire ebike might do it all. I would walk the trestles. Posted 2024.