California - Borrego Springs - Harper Dams
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 6.69 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,211 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 1,211 ft
- Max elevation
- 3,478 ft
- TrailRank
- 33
- Min elevation
- 2,227 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 3 hours 2 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1140
- Uploaded
- March 11, 2014
- Recorded
- March 2014
near Desert Lodge, California (United States)
Viewed 419 times, downloaded 1 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
More Anza Borrego Hiking
At the parking, hike up the Pinyon wash, where there are two short parts with boulders.
Just following the footsteps will get you past them real quick and without too much effort.
When you reach Harper Flat, keep right (West) in the sandy wash.
Keep going South, head for the opening just ahead, still far away.
At the fence, find the hiker gate and turn (South/West) right along the road (Pinyon Mountain Rd).
The road turns left, out of the wash, we stay in it.
The canyon is rocky with some dry falls and capstones.
Two dams where build by the Harpers, but they filled up with sand real quick.
The first one is the most difficult to get on, try the rocks on the left side.
The barb wire up seems to be an antenna, at least that's what it looks like.
Close to the road a larger fall, but the angle is just right for hiking, a bit slippery, but with enough handholds.
At the road, turn left (South), did I say road, will take something more serious than our SUV.
The Drop-off or heard-attack hill is scary, too steep and slippery to hike down, but a nice wash on the left is a lot better on foot.
Next take a small canyon to the left (South), it has some dry falls and ends down the first dam.
That's where the shack is, easy to miss on the way up.
Hike back towards the car.
More Pictures
How to get here:
A higher clearance is needed, a 4x4 is normally not needed.
At Hwy 78, mile 81, take the signed exit Pinyon Canyon. Keep east (left) at every fork.
Waypoints
Waypoint
1,173 ft
Pinyon
Pinyon
Waypoint
1,484 ft
Pinyon
Pinyon - Nolina
Car park
Waypoint
2,507 ft
Harper F
Harper Flat
Waypoint
2,877 ft
Fence
Fence
Waypoint
2,888 ft
Road
Road
Waypoint
3,062 ft
Fall
Fall
Waypoint
3,097 ft
Dams
Harper Dams
Waypoint
3,347 ft
Fall 2
Fall 2
Waypoint
3,383 ft
Road 2
Road 2
Waypoint
3,390 ft
Dropoff
Dropoff
Waypoint
3,117 ft
Shack
Shack
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