4 min
Overview
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park’s Carrizo Badlands and Split Mountain regions feature a bewildering maze of canyons cut through the sedimentary remnants of ancient seas, lagoons, deltas, and lakes. Millions of years of aquatic incursions from the Gulf of California and the prehistoric Sea of Cortez combined with periodic flooding of the Colorado River have left a richly varied sedimentary layer cake ringed by granitic mountains. As the land has risen, fallen, and shaken, this layer cake has been thrust up, dragged down, and tilted in countless directions. And as is usually the case where sedimentary rock is concerned, the true artistry comes courtesy of falling and rushing water as it carves out sinuous canyons and washes. Of all of these canyons and washes, Sandstone Canyon on the western reaches of the badlands has earned a reputation as one of the most beautiful and most impressive. The canyon’s towering walls and numerous tributaries provide hours, even days of exploration for desert enthusiasts. Periodic flooding has cut through several layers of sandstone to create the sheer walls and sandy canyon floor. The walls of the canyon contain sandstone composed of sediment deposited over millions of years by the Colorado River as it gouged out the Grand Canyon (yes, the contents of the Grand Canyon had to go somewhere). The floor of the canyon, surprisingly, contains granitic sand composed of new and old granite washed down from mountains to the north and west. The scope of the canyon impresses on a grand scale, while the geologically curious will find many fascinating mysteries embedded in the canyon’s walls. One important consideration for hikers looking to explore the canyon is the question of getting here. The road to Sandstone Canyon is unpaved and suitable only for 4WD vehicles. This puts the hike out of reach for all other passenger vehicles unless you want to take a much longer approach from June Wash. Although non-4WD passenger cars can navigate a ways up the road to June Wash, you will still need to
Trail Stats
11.6 km
243 m
635 m
376 m
—
Photos
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.