Anza-Borrego Desert: Rockhouse Loop

Rating *****
length 8.8 mile (the loop) - 4 hour, 35 minutes (the loop). Moderate (Difficult to find your way along the boulders).
Elevation 950 - 1750 feet
Access At mile 48.2 turn to Bow Willow campground, on an excellent dirt road.

A very scenic loop, one of my favorites.

Start hiking north/west towards a yellow marker.
Hike gradually to the west. = follow the rocks on you left hand side.
At the end the canyon bends to the left (point "bend")
Take the wider canyon on your left with sandy washes. (90 Degrees to your left)
Not one wash, but dozens of small washes.
Hike towards the saddle, that is clearly visible from here.
Follow a small sandy wash and look for rock cairns on the right.
The trail is old and faint, but if you look carefully you can follow it up to the saddle.
Once on the saddle, go down and look for the rock-house, a bit to the right.

Take a look at the small rock-house.
Continue south/east, you should see the small wash and the old sandy road shortly.
Follow the road downhill.

Now it gets complicated.
On your left after about 1 mile from the rock-house, you should see a more pointy rock on the left.
Two very rocky canyons are close together (500 feet).
Take the left one and hike the boulders. Try to keep more or less in the wash (sand).
This part is difficult to follow without a GPS.
But the trail is occasionally marked by rock cairns and goes north.
Out of the rocky washes on a rock flats, keep going north and watch for cairns.
On the other side of the flats follow a small sandy wash and a small boulder passage more steeply down.
At that point you should see one palm, that means you almost completed the loop.
How to get there:

At mile 48.2 turn to Bow Willow campground, on an excellent dirt road.
After about 1.7 Mile, park at the end of the campground at the daytime parking, before the brown logs.
There is a daytime parking fee. ($5 in 2018)

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. (Mar/20/2012)
Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa (Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
Chuparosa, Justicia californica (Mar/20/2012)Wallace's woolly daisy, Eriophyllum wallacei wallacei (Mar/20/2012)
California suncup, Eulobus californicus (Mar/20/2012)Desert dandelion, Malacothrix glabrata (Mar/20/2012)
Gander's cholla, Cylindropuntia ganderi (Mar/20/2012)California barrel cactus, Ferocactus cylindraceus (Mar/20/2012)
Gander's cholla, Cylindropuntia ganderi (Mar/20/2012)Gander's cholla, Cylindropuntia ganderi (Mar/20/2012)
Gander's cholla, Cylindropuntia ganderi (Mar/20/2012)Bristly fiddleneck, Amsinckia tessellata tessellata (Mar/20/2012)
Wallace's woolly daisy, Eriophyllum wallacei wallacei (Mar/20/2012)Wallace's woolly daisy, Eriophyllum wallacei wallacei (Mar/20/2012)
Wallace's woolly daisy, Eriophyllum wallacei wallacei (Mar/20/2012)Wallace's woolly daisy, Eriophyllum wallacei wallacei (Mar/20/2012)
Eriophyllum wallacei wallacei / Mimulus bigelovii bigelovii (Mar/20/2012)Eriophyllum wallacei wallacei / Mimulus bigelovii bigelovii (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012)Chuparosa, Justicia californica (Mar/20/2012)
Ocotillo, Fouquieria splendens splendens (Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012)Red gland spurge, Euphorbia melanadenia (Mar/20/2012)
Ocotillo, Fouquieria splendens splendens (Mar/20/2012)Ocotillo, Fouquieria splendens splendens (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012)Fouquieria splendens splendens / Agave deserti deserti (Mar/20/2012)
Engelmann's hedgehog, Echinocereus engelmannii (Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
Desert dandelion, Malacothrix glabrata (Mar/20/2012)Ocotillo, Fouquieria splendens splendens (Mar/20/2012)
Desert dandelion, Malacothrix glabrata (Mar/20/2012)Eriophyllum wallacei wallacei / Mimulus bigelovii bigelovii (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
Wild canterbury bells, Phacelia minor (Mar/20/2012)Chia, Salvia columbariae (Mar/20/2012)
Bigelow's monkey flower, Mimulus bigelovii bigelovii (Mar/20/2012)Annual woolly sunflower, Eriophyllum ambiguum paleaceum (Mar/20/2012)
Wallace's woolly daisy, Eriophyllum wallacei wallacei (Mar/20/2012)Wallace's woolly daisy, Eriophyllum wallacei wallacei (Mar/20/2012)
Wallace's woolly daisy, Eriophyllum wallacei wallacei (Mar/20/2012)Gander's cholla, Cylindropuntia ganderi (Mar/20/2012)
Gander's cholla, Cylindropuntia ganderi (Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
Bigelow's monkey flower, Mimulus bigelovii bigelovii (Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
Engelmann's hedgehog, Echinocereus engelmannii (Mar/20/2012)Fishhook, Mammillaria dioica (Mar/20/2012)
Desert agave, Agave deserti deserti (Mar/20/2012)Desert agave, Agave deserti deserti (Mar/20/2012)
Fishhook, Mammillaria dioica (Mar/20/2012)Fremont's pincushion, Chaenactis fremontii (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012)Desert mistletoe, Phoradendron californicum (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012)Beavertail, Opuntia basilaris basilaris (Mar/20/2012)
Desert agave, Agave deserti deserti (Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
California barrel cactus, Ferocactus cylindraceus (Mar/20/2012)California barrel cactus, Ferocactus cylindraceus (Mar/20/2012)
California trixis, Trixis californica californica (Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012)California fan palm, Washingtonia filifera (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012)California fan palm, Washingtonia filifera (Mar/20/2012)
Bigelow's monkey flower, Mimulus bigelovii bigelovii (Mar/20/2012)Parish's poppy, Eschscholzia parishii (Mar/20/2012)
Wallace's woolly daisy, Eriophyllum wallacei (Mar/9/2015)Purple mat, Nama demissum var. demissum (Mar/9/2015)
California fan palm, Washingtonia filifera (Mar/9/2015) (Mar/9/2015)
White-stemmed blazing star, Mentzelia albicaulis (Mar/9/2015) (Mar/9/2015)
Desert chicory, Rafinesquia neomexicana (Mar/9/2015)Desert chicory, Rafinesquia neomexicana (Mar/9/2015)
Desert mistletoe, Phoradendron californicum (Mar/9/2015)Engelmann's hedgehog cactus, Echinocereus engelmannii (Mar/9/2015)
Engelmann's hedgehog cactus, Echinocereus engelmannii (Mar/9/2015) (Mar/9/2015)
Gander's cholla, Cylindropuntia ganderi (Mar/9/2015) (Mar/9/2015)
(Mar/9/2015) (Mar/9/2015)
California trixis, Trixis californica var. californica (Mar/9/2015)Desert Threadplant, Nemacladus rubescens (Mar/9/2015)
Desert Threadplant, Nemacladus rubescens (Mar/9/2015) (Mar/9/2015)
Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa (Mar/9/2015)Desert dandelion, Malacothrix glabrata (Mar/9/2015)
(Mar/9/2015)Rockhouse (Mar/9/2015)
Yellow-head, Trichoptilium incisum (Mar/9/2015)Annual Woolly Sunflower, Eriophyllum ambiguum var. paleaceum (Mar/9/2015)
(Mar/9/2015)Yellow-head, Trichoptilium incisum (Mar/9/2015)
Wallace's woolly daisy, Eriophyllum wallacei -- Annual Woolly Sunflower, Eriophyllum ambiguum var. paleaceum (Mar/9/2015)Wallace's woolly daisy, Eriophyllum wallacei -- Annual Woolly Sunflower, Eriophyllum ambiguum var. paleaceum (Mar/9/2015)
White sage, Salvia apiana (Mar/9/2015)White sage, Salvia apiana (Mar/9/2015)
Common phacelia, Phacelia distans (Mar/9/2015)Star gilia, Gilia stellata (Mar/9/2015)
Glandular threadplant, Nemacladus glanduliferus (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Desert willow, Chilopsis linearis arcuata (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Desert threadplant, Nemacladus rubescens (Mar/27/2017) 🌎California copperleaf, Acalypha californica (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Pima rhatany, Krameria erecta (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Arrow leaf, Pleurocoronis pluriseta (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Hairy climbing milkweed, Funastrum hirtellum (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Spiny senna, Senna armata (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Wild celery, Apiastrum angustifolium (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Fremont's desert thorn, Lycium fremontii (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Twining snapdragon, Antirrhinum filipes (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Intermediate larkspur, Delphinium parishii subglobosum (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Stylocline .........? (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Stylocline .........? (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
White stemmed blazing star, Mentzelia albicaulis (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Engelmann's hedgehog, Echinocereus engelmannii (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
San Felipe dogweed, Adenophyllum porophylloides (Mar/27/2017) 🌎California buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum polifolium (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Rock hibiscus, Hibiscus denudatus (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Desert woolly star, Eriastrum eremicum eremicum (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Kidney leaf buckwheat, Eriogonum reniforme (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Kidney leaf buckwheat, Eriogonum reniforme (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Annual woolly sunflower, Eriophyllum ambiguum paleaceum (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Bajada lupine, Lupinus concinnus (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Bajada lupine, Lupinus concinnus (Mar/27/2017) 🌎White sage, Salvia apiana (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Apricot mallow, Sphaeralcea ambigua ambigua (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Wallace's woolly daisy, Eriophyllum wallacei wallacei (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Jimson weed, Datura wrightii (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Scarlet spiderling, Boerhavia coccinea (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Smoothleaf yerba santa, Eriodictyon trichocalyx lanatum (Mar/27/2017) 🌎California trixis, Trixis californica californica (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Glandular threadplant, Nemacladus glanduliferus (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Desert lavender, Condea emoryi (Jan/18/2018) 🌎
Desert tobacco, Nicotiana obtusifolia (Jan/18/2018) 🌎White stemmed milkweed, Asclepias albicans (Jan/18/2018) 🌎
Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa (Jan/18/2018) 🌎California copperleaf, Acalypha californica (Jan/18/2018) 🌎
Chuparosa, Justicia californica (Jan/18/2018) 🌎California trixis, Trixis californica californica (Jan/18/2018) 🌎
Spiny senna, Senna armata (Jan/18/2018) 🌎California trixis, Trixis californica californica (Jan/18/2018) 🌎
Desert lotus, Acmispon rigidus (Jan/18/2018) 🌎Desert lotus, Acmispon rigidus (Jan/18/2018) 🌎
Slender lobed four o'clock, Mirabilis tenuiloba (Jan/18/2018) 🌎California trixis, Trixis californica californica (Jan/18/2018) 🌎
(Jan/18/2018) 🌎Desert spike moss, Selaginella eremophila (Jan/18/2018) 🌎
(Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012) (Mar/20/2012)
(Mar/20/2012)Spiny senna, Senna armata (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Spiny senna, Senna armata (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Senna armata / Encelia farinosa (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Odora, Porophyllum gracile (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
(Mar/27/2017) 🌎Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
(Mar/27/2017) 🌎Desert dandelion, Malacothrix glabrata (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Indigo bush, Psorothamnus schottii (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Indigo bush, Psorothamnus schottii (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Engelmann's hedgehog, Echinocereus engelmannii (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Gander's cholla, Cylindropuntia ganderi (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
(Mar/27/2017) 🌎 (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Ocotillo, Fouquieria splendens splendens (Mar/27/2017) 🌎Bigelow's monkey flower, Mimulus bigelovii bigelovii (Mar/27/2017) 🌎
Desert thorn apple, Datura discolor (Jan/18/2018) 🌎California copperleaf, Acalypha californica (Jan/18/2018) 🌎
Chuparosa, Justicia californica (Jan/18/2018) 🌎Trixis californica californica , California trixis (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
Phacelia pedicellata , Specter phacelia (Apr/15/2024) 🌎Nemacladus rubescens , Desert threadplant (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
Diplacus bigelovii bigelovii , Bigelow's monkey flower (Apr/15/2024) 🌎Eriophyllum wallacei wallacei , Wallace's woolly daisy (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
Senna armata , Spiny senna (Apr/15/2024) 🌎Diplacus bigelovii bigelovii , Bigelow's monkey flower (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
Nama demissa demissa , Purplemat (Apr/15/2024) 🌎Senna armata , Spiny senna (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
(Apr/15/2024) 🌎Krameria erecta , Pima rhatany (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
(Apr/15/2024) 🌎Echinocereus engelmannii engelmannii , Engelmann's hedgehog (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
Cylindropuntia ganderi , Gander's cholla (Apr/15/2024) 🌎Malacothrix glabrata , Desert dandelion (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
Encelia farinosa farinosa , Brittlebush (Apr/15/2024) 🌎Eriophyllum wallacei wallacei , Wallace's woolly daisy (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
Diplacus bigelovii bigelovii , Bigelow's monkey flower (Apr/15/2024) 🌎 (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
Phacelia minor , Wild canterbury bells (Apr/15/2024) 🌎Emmenanthe penduliflora penduliflora , Whispering bells (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
Eriophyllum ambiguum paleaceum , Annual woolly sunflower (Apr/15/2024) 🌎Trichoptilium incisum , Yellow head (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
Opuntia basilaris basilaris , Beavertail (Apr/15/2024) 🌎Salvia apiana , White sage (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
Salvia apiana , White sage (Apr/15/2024) 🌎Cylindropuntia ganderi ganderi , Gander's cholla (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
Nemacladus rubescens , Desert threadplant (Apr/15/2024) 🌎Cylindropuntia ganderi ganderi , Gander's cholla (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
Datura wrightii , Jimson weed (Apr/15/2024) 🌎Phacelia cicutaria hispida , Caterpillar phacelia (Apr/15/2024) 🌎
Date: 2017/3/27
Date: 2018/1/18
Date: 2017/3/27
Date: 2018/1/18
Date: 2024/4/15

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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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