Carrizo Gorge Overnight Backpacking Trek | ABDSP

BorregoWrangler

BorregoWrangler

Adventurist
Founding Member
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I've been wanting to explore the depths of Carrizo Gorge for some time now. My treks out to Goat Canyon trestle would always afford me expansive views of the gorge from high above and the boulder-strewn, vegetation-chocked, twisting course has beckoned to my sense of adventure and exploration. So when I found myself with some time available on a weekend to try out some of my new overnight backpacking gear, I made plans to head out and camp somewhere within the gorge. The State Park and California Conservation Corps have been involved in a tamarisk removal project there, clearing out the invasive trees and making it much easier to traverse the canyon.

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There's not a whole lot of information out there about a hiking route down the length of Carrizo Gorge. An earlier edition of Afoot & Afield In San Diego County describes this hike as a long, rugged, difficult, and memorable one, with bushwhacking, boulderhopping, and mud-stomping in abundance. However, most people who head into this area come to hike or bike along the old San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway, built in the early 1900's.

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Click HERE to see more of my adventure into this remarkable part of the beautiful Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
 
BorregoWrangler said:
0222150931_zpslngtsls2.jpg


I've been wanting to explore the depths of Carrizo Gorge for some time now. My treks out to Goat Canyon trestle would always afford me expansive views of the gorge from high above and the boulder-strewn, vegetation-chocked, twisting course has beckoned to my sense of adventure and exploration. So when I found myself with some time available on a weekend to try out some of my new overnight backpacking gear, I made plans to head out and camp somewhere within the gorge. The State Park and California Conservation Corps have been involved in a tamarisk removal project there, clearing out the invasive trees and making it much easier to traverse the canyon.

0222150844_zpsggjy4q3q.jpg


105_7571_zpsff6b66e9.jpg


There's not a whole lot of information out there about a hiking route down the length of Carrizo Gorge. An earlier edition of Afoot & Afield In San Diego County describes this hike as a long, rugged, difficult, and memorable one, with bushwhacking, boulderhopping, and mud-stomping in abundance. However, most people who head into this area come to hike or bike along the old San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway, built in the early 1900's.

105_7564_zps6e9e4705.jpg


105_7535_zps30a94dfb.jpg


Click HERE to see more of my adventure into this remarkable part of the beautiful Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Click to expand...

Is that black fence looking line in the 3rd picture a snow drift fence or is that a crazy railway line?
 
Very nice report John! I've driven back to the end a couple of times. Back in '06 with a Norcal 80's group trip we hiked back as far as we could and could see the trestles from below (same canyon - your 3rd pic above of the trestle is as far as we could get). The entire bottom was choked with vegetation making it very hard to hike any further. Is that the tamarisk they are removing?
 
I'll be trekking through this canyon again come November. I always hike out to the Goat Canyon railroad trestle that month from Mortero Palms but this year I'd like to approach it from a different direction. So this year I'll be hiking up to it from the depths of the gorge, then back down to traverse the full length of the canyon. It should make for a long, challenging, and memorable hike.
 
Thanks for posting this. I've always wanted to do this. Every time I drove through this area heading to San Diego from Yuma, I had daydreams of hiking the route through the mountains. I even did extensive reasearch. My plan was to start on the train tracks near De Anza springs and make my way down. If I ever live out that way again its happening for sure!
 
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