Scheduled Events

Trip Overview:

This trip includes a diverse range of desert terrain within the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The park’s name is derived from Juan Bautista de Anza, the Spanish captain of the epic 1776 San Francisco colonial expedition, and the Spanish word for big horn sheep, Borrego. The name Anza-Borrego captures the intertwined human and natural history of the park. On this two day adventure we will be exploring four trails, South Coyote Canyon, Fish Creek (with a possible side excursion to Sandstone Canyon), Arroyo Seco del Diablo, and Vallecito Wash. There are no fees for park use or camping. This trip is family friendly and members are encouraged to bring their kids for a fun campout at Fish Creek.

Rendezvous Points

Day One—Coyote Canyon Run Meeting Place One—Temecula @ 7:20am

We will be heading to Borrego Springs thru Temecula, meeting at the Carl’s Jr. parking lot just east of the 15 freeway on Hwy 79 south at 7:20. We are leaving at 7:30 sharp for any who wish to caravan from this point. Exit the 15 freeway at highway 79 south (this exit is on the south end of Temecula---NOT Winchester rd.). Turn onto 79 south heading east and look for the Carl’s Jr. on the right.

Map Quest link: http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Temecula&state=CA

Coordinates: Latitude 33.4792 N –Longitude 117.1384 W

Meeting Place Two—Borrego Springs @ 9:30am

We will meet at Avenida Nordeste off of Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs at 9:30 am.

Map Quest link: http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Borrego+Springs&state=CA

Coordinates: Latitude 33.2571 N—Longitude 116.3577 W

Day Two--Fish Creek Run--9:30 am For those who are just joining us for day two, we will rendezvous at the trail head of Fish Creek off of Split Mountain Rd. From highway 78 (Ocotillo Wells) take Split Mountain Rd. aproximately 8 miles south to Fish Creek Trail. You will see a big brown sign on your right. GPS N33 02.38' W116 05.76'

Day one—South Coyote Canyon

South Coyote Canyon is a beautiful desert area with a wealth of animal and plant life, as well as extensive archeological, cultural, and historical features. This trail is closed from June 1st thru September 30 to protect the watering areas of the rare peninsular big horn sheep that inhabit the canyon. The trail begins north of Borrego Springs and crosses Coyote Creek several times, including two fun water crossings. The first is about six inches deep, while the second is 18-24 inches in depth (Our stock D1 made it and didn’t even leak). Another challenge along this trail is fondly referred to as Boulder Alley. Boulder Alley is the moderately challenging ascent to Collins Valley. It is a steep, rocky “pinch” that consists of loose rocks and embedded boulders (Once again, our stock D1 with all-terrain tires had little problem). Once in Collins Valley, the trail follows the Coyote Creek Wash, which offers a variety of minor rock crawling opportunities. The trail ends at Middle Willows, where the area between North and South Coyote Canyons is closed to vehicular traffic. Here, we will take a short lunch break next to the creek before heading back out of the canyon. The trip should take about 5-6 hours, after which we will go fuel up in Borrego Springs and go set up camp at Fish Creek. The campground is approximately 30 minutes from Borrego Springs.

 Fish Creek Campground

 Fish Creek Campground is a first come first serve primitive camping area with vault toilets and metal fire rings. The sites are a bit rocky and I would recommend bringing an air mattress or other comfort-enhancing device if you are sleeping on the ground. We are required to bring our own firewood, as collection of firewood is not permitted in the park. The campground does not have trash service so you must pack out what you pack in. There is no water in the campground. There are a wide variety of beautiful rocks, minerals, fossils, and petrified wood to be found in the area, but please remember that we cannot remove anything from the park. Please respect the park rules to help assure access to these trails in the future.

Coordinates: Latitude 33.0238 N—Longitude 116.1100 W

Day Two---Fish Creek, Arroyo Seco del Diablo, and Vallecito Wash

The trails we will be taking on day two take us through some beautiful canyons. The Fish Creek trail cuts through the Spit Mountain Fault Zone, where fossils of ancient marine reefs, oyster shells, and fish are embedded in the darker layers of the canyon. We begin in Fish Creek Canyon traveling through Split Mountain along the fault zone in a sandy wash. We then continue to Sand Stone Canyon for a short side excursion through a narrow canyon with steep walls. Next, we head to Arroyo Seco del Diablo trail where we move from an easy to a moderate level of difficulty with off camber situations and challenging terrain. The most challenging element of this trail is near the beginning, the infamous Devils Drop-Off. The Devils Drop-Off is a moderate to difficult challenge consisting of two separate drop-offs that we will be ascending (as opposed to dropping off from the other direction). After ascending, we will proceed through an ocotillo forest, and then go on to the Vallecito Wash trail, which ends at S2. Plan for approximately 5 hours on the trail.

Vehicle Requirements and Trip Difficulty

These trails will be challenging, but doable, for stock Land Rovers. Air dams and running boards may not survive. Some rock scraping is likely on certain parts of the trails, and all terrain tires are a plus. The trails we are taking range from 3 to 6 on the difficulty scale according to Back Country Adventures. Our stock D1 with all terrain tires handled all of these trails with little difficulty. All participants are advised that there is potential to incur damage due to large rocks that you will drive over, around, and through as we negotiate the trail. All vehicles must have recovery points, and airing down is highly recommended.

What to Bring

FRS radio

Plenty of water (no water available at the campground)

Recovery gear Gas available in Borrego Springs

Sunscreen

 Camera—as the canyons are beautiful If you are camping with us:

Your camping gear Firewood (collecting firewood is prohibited in the park)

Warm jammies, as the desert is cold at night

Something to put your trash in—as you must pack it out

Dress in layers, as the temperature can vary a great deal in one day in the desert

Food--as you just might get hungry. Potluck Satuday night?