Old Borrego Valley Road - San Felipe Wash - Carrizo Wash
Lead: BorregoWrangler
Tail Gunner: TBD
Difficulty: Easy
Meeting Time: 8:30 am
Meeting Place: Stagecoach Trails Group Campsite
Departure Time: 9:00 am
CB Channel: 23
2M Simplex: 147.510
2M Repeater:
Mileage: 54 miles
Travel Time: 4 hours
Campsite to Trail Head: 16.7 miles, 21 minutes
Trail's End to Campsite: 34.5 miles, 52 minutes
***Please be prepared with a full gas tank before the run.***
Signed Up:
1. BorregoWrangler + 1 Jeep
2. ralphie
3. gzeleniak
4. Voodoo Blue 57 + 1 Jeep
5. The Viz
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Route Description, Points of Interest, & History:
Old Borrego Valley Road marks the beginning of this run, from just east of The Narrows to Ram's Hill. Before County Road S-22 was built, this was the road taken to Borrego Springs after coming from Warner Springs down Grapevine Canyon. An electrical substation on the south side of Hwy 78 marks this turnoff into San Felipe Wash and up into Cactus Valley. This route, which used to be the only access into Borrego Valley, now passes through a quite, serene and little visited portion of the desert. This trail will take us north from the 78 to Borrego Springs Road, through Borrego Sink and onto San Felipe Wash. Much of this route will follow the wide, sandy course of San Felipe and Carrizo Wash so it should be an easy, family-friendly run.
The unique, water-based habitat along San Sebastian Marsh has supplied a permanent, dependable source of water for people and wildlife since ancient times. The marsh was a stopping place for the Spanish explorer de Anza, who named it after his Indian guide Sebastian Tarabel. The marsh is the only designated critical habitat in California for the desert pupfish, an endangered species. Because of its importance in sustaining this unique marshland environment, San Felipe Creek and San Sebastian Marsh is a registered National Natural Landmark. It has also been designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). The area around the creek and marsh are easily damaged and very sensitive. The marsh is closed to vehicle use, with closure of boundaries clearly posted. Please obey all posted signs. San Sebastian Marsh is open to hiking and is a popular area for nature study. Should you encounter archaeological resources, please leave them where you found them.
The Lost Treasure of San Felipe
The opening of the original Julian-Kane Springs Road in 1925 probably spurred the development of the Little Borego townsite, which was laid out in 1926. Several buildings were built on the townsite, including a store, a school, and the 14-room Miracle Hotel. All around the townsite were five and ten acre "farms" offered at low down and easy payments. But the final route of the new highway by-passed the townsite by several miles, and the coming of the Depression marked the end of the project. As the Depression grew on “Doc” Woillard was rumored to be the last man in Little Borrego before he left. Here he is standing in front of the Little Miracle Hotel in what is now Little Borrego off of Split Mountain Road.
The Anza expeditions of 1775 and 1776 marched from Yuha Well and across Coyote Wash in the southern desert, continuing north to San Sebastian Marsh in the central desert. From here they turned northwest along San Felipe Wash to Borrego Spring, and then up the Borrego Valley to Coyote Canyon.
Juan Bautista de Anza
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