Anza-Borrego Desert: Pinyon Nolina loop

Rating *****
Length 10.5 mile (return) - 5 Hour, 20 minutes (return trip). Moderate.
Elevation 1520 - 3510 feet
Access Some ground clearance. Exit on Hwy 78 mile 81 on the marked (pinyon) park (dirt) road

A hike for the adventurous hiker.

A lot of different terrain an temperature zones.

Start at a fork of the Pinyon wash. The hiking is easy, firm sand and a few boulders.
Gradually you get more boulders and less sand.

Close to the end of the fork, you need to cross over to the main Pinyon canyon wash. (point Wash)
At this point the hike is easy again, a lot of sand all the way to the saddle.

Down from the saddle is even easier, follow the Borrego trails.

The canyon below is a fork of the Nolina wash and the difference is striking, no boulders but more level granite.

But that's also a problem, because these canyons tend to have steeper falls.
And this one has, but luckily it's easily passable on the right. Or if you are more adventurous, you could even come down in the fall itself. It's actually not even that dangerous, but the bypass is safer.

After that another small fall, easy to slide down this one.

Next are the boulders, but going down has it's advantages in this case.
A lot easier than going up.

Now comes the least interesting part of the hike, the rather long hike back to the car on sand.

As mentioned the hike isn't difficult but long with plenty of boulders.

How to get there:

Exit on Hwy 78 mile 81 on the marked (pinyon) park road.

The road is pretty good for a park road.
Some sand and small rocks and some scrubs that come real close to your car, maybe too close.

After 1.7 mile keep left at the junction and drive for another 2.1 mile.


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