4 min
Overview
A trip up to the summit of Blue Angels Peak accomplishes a number of things. Peak-baggers seeking out notable high points get to bag the highest point in Imperial County. For fans of high desert vegetation, including pinyon-juniper woodlands, you get to enjoy some fine specimens of pinyon pines, California juniper, and nolina. For history buffs, there’s an historic marker indicating the location of the Mexico-United States Border AND an old cave formerly used as a hideout for smugglers and bandits hopscotching the border during wilder times. And for all people, there are spectacular desert views and a wonderful sense of solitude in this remote pocket of BLM land just east of the San Diego County Line. Owing to the fact that much of the route follows old dirt mining roads with a brief stretch of cross-country travel, this is not a bad place to hone some cross-country desert travel skills. You will still benefit from the ability to successfully use a map and compass (the GPS track is intended for reference only; do not attempt to rely on it solely for navigation), but the navigation is straight-forward enough to begin building your confidence for some of the more complicated desert excursions in San Diego County. From your starting point, follow the road uphill on a deteriorating paved road as it climbs up to a saddle at 0.75 mile. Just beyond the saddle, you reach an unmarked side path that drops into a ravine and then heads downhill to reach Smugglers Cave. The fire-blacked cave is not really much to look at anymore, and it does shelter occasional migrant traffic, but it is still a great optional side trip for those who want to project their imaginations back to a time of horse thieves, bandits, and lawmen. From here, retrace your steps back to the saddle. This side trip adds an additional 0.6 mile of distance to the overall route. Back at the saddle, continue south to a second junction at 0.9 mile with a road heading southeast into the Valley of the Moon (itself a worthy hike that can be combined to Blue Angel
Trail Stats
8.6 km
426 m
1385 m
1013 m
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