Anza-Borrego Desert: Oyster Shell wash - Fish creek overlook

Rating *****
Length 4.2 mile (return) - 3 Hour (return trip). Moderate.
Elevation 520 - 1380 feet
Access Fish Creek, see below, an AWD is recommended.

One of my favorite areas for a hike.
Nice rock formations, great views and flowers.

Hike into the Oyster wash and take the first canyon right.
As soon as you see a slick rock wall at a 30 degree angle.
Start hiking up the slick rock. Stay between the 2 washes. The left one is the one we will enter eventually, but just above a dry fall.
Look for faint Borrego trails and droppings.

You should end up just above the wash, scramble down into the wash.
Follow the wash all the way up to a saddle. The wash is mostly slick rock, some sand and of course some small boulders.

Over the saddle the descent is a bit more slippery but still fairly easy.
Follow the wash downhill, but be careful as you come closer to the fish creek canyon.
The end of the wash is really steep, so don't go too far.

The view over the fish creek is really good.

You can go back the same way you came, or scramble up to the left (west), just to the right of the peak.

There is one awkward rock, that involves a little bit of climbing, but nothing to worry about.
But be careful as the rocks are not always completely stable.

Once over the top descent over the slick-rock into the wash below and hike back the same way as you came in.

How to get here:

Exit the split mountain road at the marked exit Fish Creek.
The road is changing year by year, sometimes it's easy to drive sometime very hard.
So a 4x4 is recommended, but sometimes even street cars make it to the wind caves.

On the crossing with the signed wind caves turn right into the first canyon.
Park as you meet a canyon on the right (Oyster wash)

Disclaimer: Read this first before you start your hike. Contact: info/at/borregohiking/./com (leave out the /)
Hiking the Borrego Springs Area (Anza-Borrego Desert SP, Cuyamaca Rancho SP, Imperial Sand Dunes (Algodones Dunes), Jacumba, Laguna Mountain, Warner Springs) California, Hike with gps, gpx and kml (Google Earth).

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