Anza-Borrego Desert: Pinyon Harper Nolina loop

Rating *****
length 7 Mile - 4 hour 15 minutes (Loop), Moderate (boulders).
Elevation 2250 - 3520 feet
Access 4x4 preferred, see below.

At the parking, hike up the Pinyon wash, where there are two short parts with boulders.
Just following the footsteps will get you past them real quick and without too much effort.

When you reach Harper Flat, keep right (West) in the sandy wash.
Keep going South, head for the opening just ahead, still far away.

At the fence, find the hiker gate and turn (South/West) right along the road (Pinyon Mountain Rd).
The road turns left, out of the wash, we stay in it.

The canyon is rocky with some dry falls and capstones.
Two dams where build by the Harpers, but they filled up with sand real quick.

The first one is the most difficult to get on, try the rocks on the left side.

The barb wire up seems to be an antenna, at least that's what it looks like.

At "Fork 2" take the right fork, up some small boulders, if you came this far, the rest is easier.
At "Saddle 1" go down again until the next fork "Fork 3" now hike up more steeply to "Saddle 2".
Now the route is easy to follow, some boulders and nice stretches of sand.
One more drop, easy to bypass on the right.
One of the tricky parts is where this fork meets the main Pinyon wash. A couple of huge boulders, take your time finding the best route.
This is a dangerous part of the hike, when you make the wrong choice. So again be careful there is always an easy route around a boulder.

How to get here:

At Hwy 78, mile 81, take the signed exit Pinyon Canyon. Keep east (left) at every fork. The dirt road is about 5 miles long.
A higher clearance is needed, sometimes you definitely need a 4x4, because of deep sand.
If you are alone do not enter without a 4x4.
The scrubs along the road, come real (too) close, so it will be a miracle to return without a scratch.

Load the hike in: GPX or KML (Google Earth file) Tip: use the right mouse key and select save.

Click on the button "Photo markers" to show pictures, or in the right upper corner to show full screen.


Our plant list

Missing the film above or to watch full screen, use this link. (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
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(Nov/19/2016) 🌎 (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
(Nov/19/2016) 🌎 (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
Fence, close to the road (Nov/19/2016) 🌎 (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
(Nov/19/2016) 🌎Harper canyon (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
Wright's buckwheat, Eriogonum wrightii nodosum (Nov/19/2016) 🌎 (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
Dry falls (Nov/19/2016) 🌎Green rabbitbrush, Ericameria teretifolia (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
Green rabbitbrush, Ericameria teretifolia (Nov/19/2016) 🌎 (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
First Harper dam (Nov/19/2016) 🌎Second Harper dam (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
(Nov/19/2016) 🌎Boulder blocks the canyon (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
(Nov/19/2016) 🌎Boulder blocks the canyon (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
This is the route (Nov/19/2016) 🌎This is the wrong way (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
(Nov/19/2016) 🌎Looking back, Harper canyon (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
(Nov/19/2016) 🌎Green rabbitbrush, Ericameria teretifolia (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
Matchweed, Gutierrezia sarothrae (Nov/19/2016) 🌎Parry's nolina, Nolina parryi (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
Green rabbitbrush, Ericameria teretifolia (Nov/19/2016) 🌎Split rock (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
(Nov/19/2016) 🌎Desert agave, Agave deserti deserti (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
Green rabbitbrush, Ericameria teretifolia (Nov/19/2016) 🌎Green rabbitbrush, Ericameria teretifolia (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
Green rabbitbrush, Ericameria teretifolia (Nov/19/2016) 🌎Green rabbitbrush, Ericameria teretifolia (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
Green rabbitbrush, Ericameria teretifolia (Nov/19/2016) 🌎 (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
(Nov/19/2016) 🌎 (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
(Nov/19/2016) 🌎Green rabbitbrush, Ericameria teretifolia (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
(Nov/19/2016) 🌎 (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
Green rabbitbrush, Ericameria teretifolia (Nov/19/2016) 🌎 (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
That's easy to hike (Nov/19/2016) 🌎 (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
(Nov/19/2016) 🌎 (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
One boulder stretch along the way (Nov/19/2016) 🌎Fivewing spiderling, Boerhavia triquetra intermedia (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
(Nov/19/2016) 🌎Boulders close to Pinyon canyon (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
Almost there (Nov/19/2016) 🌎 (Nov/19/2016) 🌎
Ocotillo, Fouquieria splendens splendens (Jan/28/2017) 🌎 (Jan/28/2017) 🌎
Sweetbush, Bebbia juncea aspera (Jan/28/2017) 🌎 (Jan/28/2017) 🌎
(Jan/28/2017) 🌎 (Jan/28/2017) 🌎
Green rabbitbrush, Ericameria teretifolia (Jan/28/2017) 🌎Common phacelia, Phacelia distans (Jan/28/2017) 🌎
Chia, Salvia columbariae (Jan/28/2017) 🌎Chaparral dodder, Cuscuta californica papillosa (Jan/28/2017)
Chaparral dodder, Cuscuta californica papillosa (Jan/28/2017) 🌎Chaparral dodder, Cuscuta californica papillosa (Jan/28/2017) 🌎
Chaparral dodder, Cuscuta californica papillosa (Jan/28/2017) 🌎
Date: 2016/11/19
Date: 2017/1/28

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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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