Anza-Borrego Desert: Torote Canyon Loop

Rating *****
length 6.5 mile (loop) - 3 hour, 20 minutes (loop). Easy/Moderate (a boulder stretch).
Elevation 1000 - 2200 feet
Access On Hwy S2, mile 46.1, take the exit Indian Gorge and drive for 1.7 mile. Park at the sign Torote canyon.

A scenic loop up Torote canyon and back along the Indian valley.

Start hiking into the canyon on the right (north).
Some boulders but mostly sand.

As the canyon widens, keep in the left wash (north/west).
Soon you get more and more small boulders. Keep close to the wash (sand), that's the easiest place to hike.
Just when you get enough of the boulders the wash levels and gets mostly sand.

Keep in the main wash (widest sand wash).

At point "boulders" hike left of the boulders, out of the wash. This is an easy bypass.
Get back into the wash as soon as possible, as you have past the boulders.

Now the hiking is easy, the main wash less clear. Aim for the dome like mountain (south/west) the Sombrero Mountain.

At the highest point (apex), a small rocky wash goes more steeply down.
I'ts steep, but the granite rocks make a great staircase. Keep in the wash.

Once down, keep left and hike down into the Indian Valley.
Keep away from the road, a real easy hike back to the car.
The rate of descend is just about right and the sand is just firm enough.

How to get here:

On Hwy S2, mile 46.1, take the exit Indian Gorge and drive for 1.7 mile.
Park at the sign Torote canyon.

The road is sand with some rocks. A 4x4 is preferred.
It's a risk going in without a 4x4, you may make it, sometimes without any problems, but you can just as easily get stuck in the soft sand.

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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