Anza-Borrego Loop

The Essentials

The 210mi Anza-Borrego Loop elegantly combines two established FKT routes, the Santa Rosa Traverse and the Anza-Borrego Traverse, a section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), a section in the Jacinto Mountains Monument, and a traverse of the Borrego Badlands into one big, fabulous, irresistible, unforgettable 210mi loop. You will simply get to see the very best of the Anza-Borrego desert region.

The Anza-Borrego Loop: 210mi of joy with 47,000ft of elevation pain. For an interactive map, go here.

The Route

The route has a total of about 47,000ft of elevation gain. The high point is Toro peak (8,717ft), the highest peak in the Santa Rosa mountains. The low point, just barely above sea level, is located at the eastmost point of the route in the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area.

The Santa Rosa Traverse alone is considered very difficult, the Anza-Borrego Traverse is no joke either. Part of the difficulty is the lack of water on most of the loop. Besides a bit of raw endurance, one will need a variety of other crucial skills to be successful on this adventure.

Toro Peak

Public access to Toro peak (8,717ft) has waxed and waned over the years, it seems. The peak lies on the Santa Rosa Indian Reservation and is full of telecommunication equipment and cameras. It is not entirely clear what the current public access status is and whether it is enforced or not. You will find many guidebooks and reports that do not mention any public access issues.

[pullquote]”We do this not because it is easy, but because we thought it would be easy.”[/pullquote]

However, Toro has a neighboring peak that is unofficially called Wind Chill Peak (33.524081, -116.4292). It sits quite literally next to Toro’s main peak and tops out at 8,600ft (117ft less than Toro). Toro’s official West peak is a little further away and sits at 8,316ft. The Sierra Club’s Hundred Peak Section website lists the new Toro summit registry location on Toro’s West peak (33.527132, -116.435755).

For this route, I suggest that folks either summit the unofficial Wind Chill Peak (33.524081, -116.4292), or, as an alternative, Toro’s West peak (33.527132, -116.435755). Access to these peaks require off-trail travel, so, despite the slightly lower summit elevations, I argue that this requires a similar effort than climbing Toro peak along the road.

Because Toro’s North Peak is 717ft lower than Toro’s main peak, it should not count for this challenge.

The unofficial Wind Chill Peak sits next to Toro Peak and tops out at 8,600ft (117ft less than Toro). See small route update at the end of this article on how to reach Wind Chill Peak. Following the drainage seems to be the easiest climb.

Anza-Borrego Traverse Section (39mi)

The Anza-Borrego Traverse section doesn’t go all the way to the PCT Sunrise trailhead on Sunrise Highway (CA County Road S1). That shaves off about 5mi from the original traverse. There is no water on that section.

PCT Section (93mi)

That section is more or less self-explanatory. It’s best to use one of the apps to know where trail resources are, e.g., https://faroutguides.com.

Santa Rosa Traverse Section (43mi)

In accordance with the original Santa Rosa Traverse, one needs to summit all 9 major peaks in the range between CA State Route 74 (Pines to Palms Highway) and CA County Road S22:

1. Travelers (Palm)
2. Pyramid
3. Rosa Point
4. Mile High
5. Villager
6. Rabbit
7. Dawn’s Peak (Peak 6582)
8. Toro Peak (see alternative peak described above)
9. Santa Rosa Mtn

There is no prescribed route between these peaks. Most of that section is off-trail and involves significant bushwhacking. There is no water on that section.

Jacinto Section (13mi)

To make resupply easier, the route leads through Pinyon Pines and connects to the Pinyon trail. It would be acceptable to connect to the Pinyon trail by choosing another descent/ascend to/from Santa Rosa Mt. For example, one could take the Santa Rosa road or connect cross-country to Ribbonwood. It would also be acceptable to take the Palm Canyon trail from CA State Route 74 (instead of going through Pinyon Pines), that then connects to the Pinyon trail.

Alternative ways to connect to the Pinyon trail. See small route update (to avoid the road) below if you are taking the Sawmill trail.

Badlands Section (22mi)

That section follows jeep roads and washes. There is no water on that section.

Route updates (Apr 19, 2023)

Based on my 1^st attempt, additional recon, and input from Rob Manley (thanks!), a few minor updates were made to the original route:

• Wind Chill Peak (Toro replacement) is easiest to reach through a drainage. But you can reach the summit in any way you prefer.
• The top of the Sawmill trail was incorrect on the map and initial GPS track.
• A short road section can be avoided in Pinyon Pines by staying on the Pinyon trail.
• The original route through Oak Canyon Spring has some hellish bushwhacking. Rerouted (in parts) to Live Oak Springs Trail 4E03. This trail is also not maintained. Live Oak Spring is reliable.

Route updates, as of Apr 19, 2023. The changes are reflected in the updated GPS track.

I would add sandy, thorny, bushwhacky, rugged, exposed…

Got Questions?

• Q: Where do I start? A: Anywhere!
• Q: Where do I finish? A: Where you started!
• Q: Should I go clock- or counterclockwise? A: Your call!
• Q: Is this loop hard? A: Very hard.
• Q: Can I do this unsupported? A: Only if you can carry water for 210mi.
• Q: Can I do this supported? A: Yes, there are many easy access points.
• Q: What’s the longest stretch without easy access? A: 43-ish miles on the Santa Rosa Traverse section. Stashing water is possible, but requires hiking it in.
• Q: Is this real? A: It is! See https://fastestknowntime.com/route/anza-borrego-loop

GPS Stuff

A GPS track says more than a 1,000 words.

Use this data at your own risk. The GPS track does not indicate a safe route.

Last update: Apr 19, 2023.

Impressions from the Route

Disclaimer

The information provided on this website does not identify possible dangers. When you are attempting this route, you assume responsibility for your own actions and safety.