14 Pinyon Mountain

SCENERY:

DIFFICULTY:

TRAIL CONDITION:

SOLITUDE:

CHILDREN:

DISTANCE: 1.2–2 miles round trip

HIKING TIME: 2 hours

OUTSTANDING FEATURES: Rocky, steep trail dotted with sharp yucca leads to sweeping views of Pinyon Valley, the Salton Sea, Whale Peak, and the Santa Rosa Mountains

Beginning at an elevation of nearly 3,900 feet at the center of Pinyon Mountain Valley and climbing to more than 4,400 feet, this hike is a brief burst over rocky terrain to an eagle’s vantage point. The desert and mountain views are worth the effort.

Directions: Where CA 78 meets County Route S2 (the Great Overland Route of 1849), head south on S2. At approximately 4.4 miles, note the large sign on the right marking your entrance into Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. A few feet past this, on the left, a smaller sign reads “Pinyon Mountains” and marks a dirt road (Pinyon Mountain Road). You’ll need a four-wheel drive to get to the trailhead, which is 5.7 miles up this increasingly rutted and rocky road. In a regular automobile, park where you can, adding walking miles to the total distance. In your four-wheel drive, proceed east up the road, ignoring turnoffs. You’ll have reached the road’s crest in Pinyon Mountain Valley at 5.7 miles. Drive 0.2 miles to the turnoff on the left and park at the base of the ridge.

GPS Coordinates		14 PINYON MOUNTAIN
UTM Zone (WGS84)		11S
Easting		562251
Northing		3657168
Latitude–Longitude		N 33º 3’ 4.5549”
		W 116º 19’ 59.6392”

From the trailhead parking, there are two possible routes up to the ridge. The most discernible is off to the right, edging northeast on flat ground, then northwest up an extremely steep and slippery slope. It’s easier, though, on this first quick gain of close to 200 feet, to head straight or slightly to the left, more directly up to the ridge. Find others’ old footholds or make your own (the steep route is less slippery from use this way, which is why I’ve marked the map to show this way up). Once at the ridge, the route levels out some, heading northwest and more slowly gaining the remaining 200 feet to the peak.

On your way up the ridge, you may wonder why this mountain has its name. There are few piñon (also spelled pinyon) pines on this, the southern side. Instead, find interestingly shaped boulders and low-growing yucca, the sharp ends of which your ankles are likely to painfully encounter. High-top hiking boots and long pants are encouraged.

Continue northwest until the ridge widens, giving way to the flattish peak. Here, you can perch on a sun-warmed boulder and enjoy the view. You’ll notice more piñon pines growing on the north slope and spy the vaporous blue strip of the Salton Sea, California’s largest lake, to the northeast. Whale Peak stretches out in plain view to the south from atop Pinyon Mountain.

To head back, either retrace your steps along the ridge and down, or venture north a bit, looping back to the ridge and then down the steeper, more evident (but slippery with loose dirt) path farther east (see map).