Anza-Borrego Desert: Indian valley - Torote canyon loop

Rating *****
Length 8.7 mile (return) - 5 Hour (return trip). Moderate/Hard.
Elevation 1550 - 2520 feet
Access 4x4 preferred. On Hwy S2 close to Mile 46, exit Indian Gorge. Drive for 2.5 mile. Take the right fork and drive another 1.8 mile up to point park.

Hike south west up to the saddle.
Not a big obstacle, but the jumping cholla are.

Over the saddle go down into the more sandy wash, a fork of the Canebrake Wash.
Take the small wash up to the right (West).
Over the saddle, again entering a fork of the Canebrake Wash, the hiking is actually pretty easy as this hike alternates easy sandy washes with boulders.

After some larger boulders, turn right (East) in a small canyon and go up, short but steep, with some small boulders.

Easy again, until the canyon goes steeply downhill and of course boulders.
Don't go too far down, go more level South/East and end up in a fork of the Torote Canyon.

Go down in a small wash and take the wide fork on the right (North/West), a fork of the Torote Canyon.
Not that steep a canyon, sand with some boulders.

One more obstacle, the canyon on the right is completely blocked by boulders.
Bypass on the left, but be careful.

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

At the next saddle go down steeply in a wash with enough boulders to make the steep descent safe.

Warning:

Make sure you have tweezers with you to remove the jumping cholla.

How to get there:

On Hwy S2 close to Mile 46, exit Indian Gorge. Drive for 2.5 mile. Take the right fork and drive another 1.8 mile up to point park.

This is a good dirt road with some small rocks at the start.
After you pass Torote Canyon the road gets way better.

It's a risk going in without a 4x4, you may make it, but you can just as easily get stuck in the soft sand.

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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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