Anza-Borrego Desert: Salvador Canyon Palms. aka one thousand palms (1000 palms)

Rating *****
Length 11.8 mile (return) - 5 hour, 15 minutes (Return trip). Moderate (don't underestimate this longer day hike).
Elevation 1140 - 2120 feet
Access Take the dirt road into Coyote Canyon and park at the gate, or drive a bit further to the 3th crossing. AWD recommended.

One of the best palm canyons.

The Salvador Canyon aka one thousand palms (1000 palms).

Hike towards 3e crossing.
If it's dry you can follow the road over the crossing, otherwise hike a bit further north and hike parallel to the road.

The most scenic and best way to the Salvador Canyon is through the lower willows.

Take the lower willows trail on the rigt side of the canyon. Once in a while lower willows is closed (too much water), in that case hike on the road.

Once out of the willows, look for the Salvador Canyon, a bit to the left (north/west).
This is the only point in the hike towards the canyon, where you can actually see the palms.

Follow the wash for a while, but keep on going for the canyon (north/west).
That means you have to go cross country. The terrain is mostly sand and the only real obstacle are the century plants.

Close to the canyon, you hit the dirt road.

Don't go in the main canyon wash, yet.
The best way in is following the dirt road up to the end.
Follow the wash and very soon follow the faint dirt road that runs on the right side of canyon.
Keep on the right side of the canyon and eventually go into the main canyon wash on the left.

The wash is rocky and filled with some small boulders.

No palms in sight yet, but suddenly you notice palms in the left fork (south fork).
Don't go there, but keep in the main canyon wash.

Around the bend, there they are, that's where you can see why it's originally called one thousand palms.

The palm clusters are easy accessible, and there is a very small stream running along it.
Notice that there are palms is nearly ever fork.
Some palms live higher up the canyon wall close to the many seeps in the canyon.

If you hiked all the way, the second palm oasis is easy to reach and a nice turn around point.

How to get here:

Take the dirt road into Coyote Canyon, second crossing generally has a small pool of water or a small stream.
Park at the summer gate before 3th Crossing. You generally need some clearance, from first Crossing on (check at the visitor center in Borrego Springs).

High clearance vehicles can make it all the way to the Salvador Canyon entrance, using the bypass road (boulder alley).
Keep left at the first crossing (Sheep Canyon) and keep right at the next 2 crossings and follow the sign Salvador on 4 th crossroad.
The bypass road is generally a small boulder road, so don't even try it, before you have checked out the road.

In summer the road is closed at the gate before third crossing.

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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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