Anza-Borrego Desert: Chuckwalla Wash Loop

Rating *****
length 7 mile, 4 hour 30 Minutes (Return trip). Moderate.
Elevation 1900 - 3440 feet
Access From Borrego on Highway 78 mile 75, the first dirt road on the left, signed Lizard. Follow the rough road up to the end. You need some ground clearance.

A loop along forks of the Chuckwalla wash.

At the parking, continue into the Lizard Canyon, once at a dry fall, go back and take the first right fork (South/East). At the first opportunity climb over the right wall (South).

Continue heading South - South/East, until you reach the main Chuckwalla wash.
This is the easy part, heading down the Chuckwalla wash and taking a fork to the right (South).
Keep right in the wash and head up the small canyon, that will gradually become steeper and filled with more and more small boulders.
The boulders don't pose much of a problem, but it's a climb. At the end head to the left (South) and after a while the terrain is close to level.

Head South/West cross country, following small sandy washes, while avoiding all sorts of plants.
Eventually turn North towards the main Chuckwalla wash, Agave pose annoying obstacles.
Down a small wash, more scrubs and small trees as you near the Chuckwalla wash.
Head down the main wash and don't forget to cross over to the Lizard canyon.
The last part is avoiding going downhill in to the many small forks, this is where you wished for a stick as it's slightly slippery.

Take a GPS loaded with a topo map with you.

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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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