Hiking Coyote Mountain: Amazing Vistas and a Dry Lake Bed

Introduction to Anza Borrego State Park

California’s largest state park, Anza Borrego, spans over 600,000 acres of desert terrain, including dramatic badlands, refreshing palm oases, twisting slot canyons, and cacti-studded slopes. The park is enormous, comparable in size to Rhode Island. This rugged landscape was formed largely by the forces of erosion attacking the uplifted mountains. The higher the mountains rise, the more vigorously they are attacked by rain, snow, ice, and wind, as they yield to the constant pull of gravity. The park’s striking landscape is in continual flux from flash floods, seismic action, and erosion.

This desert preserve pairs the name of famed Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza, who crossed the desert in 1774, and the Spanish word for sheep (“borrego”) - referring to the region’s native bighorn sheep. Here is a map to put Anza Borrego SP in perspective with other Southern California locations. I've also pinned Coyote Mountain.

Hike Distance: 5.8 miles

Elevation Gain: 2,618 ft

Prominence: 1,562

TrailsNH Hiking Difficulty Calculator: 174 (Strenuous)

Click here for a review of prominence and its role in mountain topography.

Click here to navigate to the TrailsNH website for an description of the hiking difficulty calculator.

Here is a 3D view from the AllTrails app of the trail to the summit.

Hiking through the Wash

The trailhead is located on the Rockhouse Canyon Road which is unpaved but accessible without needing a 4-wheel drive vehicle. We arrived early on a sunny, cool January morning with outstanding views of the mountain. Coyote Mountain is an 8-mi-long ridge comprised of granitic, gneiss, schist and marble. Although not apparent in this photo, the ridge is dominated by Coyote Mountain (right of center).

Coyote Mountain, with an elevation of 3,192 feet, stands out like a rock island in the valley, marked with an 'X'.

For the first half mile we traversed an alluvial fan. Weathering and erosion slowly wears down the mountain resulting in the accumulation of large amounts of sediment and debris. Flash floods carry these materials to the flats creating the alluvial fan. Looking back toward the trailhead, there was no distinct trail to follow.

Starting the Climb

There is minimal horizontal hiking on this trail, once we passed through the lower portion of the fan we began a steady climb.

The grade on this section of the trail often exceeded 20%. Nothing like starting off quickly.

After approximately one mile, we arrived at the ridgeline that would lead us to the summit. Despite its uneven terrain, it provided a welcome break.

It wasn't long before we were back to the 20-30% grades and climbing higher. . In the span from mile one to mile two, we climbed nearly 1,000 vertical feet with minimal breaks.

The one benefit from the elevation gain was that we were getting a great view of Clark Dry Lake. More details and photos of Clark Dry Lake are included at the end of this blog.

One advantage of the increase in elevation was the opportunity to enjoy a magnificent vistas.

The rocks along the trail had a reddish-brown coating known as 'desert varnish' on their exposed surfaces. This varnish is a thin coating, typically 10's of micrometers in thickness, consisting of manganese, iron and clays, typically found on boulders in arid environments.

Researchers believe that it takes as long as 10,000 years for bacteria on rock surfaces to absorb small amounts of manganese and iron from the air and deposit them as a black layer of manganese oxide or reddish iron oxide, forming a complete varnish coating.

We continued climbing without any breaks. The elevation increased by more than 900 feet from mile 2 to the summit.

It seemed that every step we took was like navigating through a minefield of plants each capable of inflicting pain and injury.

Ocotillo are one of easiest plants to identify in the desert. These plants are characterized by their large shrub form, featuring long cane-like unbranched spiny stems that emerge from a short trunk. When sufficient moisture is present, small 2-inch leaves will sprout from the stems. Ocotillo thrive in rocky slopes with well-drained soil.

Their name, meaning 'little torch' in Spanish, perfectly describes them. It's evident how they earned this name when the small, bright crimson flowers bloom at the tips of their branches after rainfall in spring, summer, and sometimes fall. Despite having thorns, Ocotillo shrubs are actually more closely related to the blueberry bush than to cacti.

Another frequently seen plant along the trail is the desert agave, which grows in clumps reaching heights of up to 2 feet and spreading 4-6 feet wide. The leaves have a distinct bluish tinge, and are relatively thick and wide at the base (3 inches across) and can grow up to 27 inches in length. Along the edges and tip of the leaves are sharp teeth measuring a third of an inch in length.

Agaves flower on tall, branched or unbranched stalks that grow from the center of the leaf rosette. After ten to twenty years, it develops a flower stalk that grows ten feet tall with bright yellow, funnel-shaped blossoms. In all but a few species the rosette dies after flowering and fruiting, having spent all of its life energy to produce a huge quantity of seeds. The plants literally flower themselves to death. In the photo below you can see a flowering stalk in the background.

These Gander cholla have stems that typically grow 4-12 inches in length and are covered in spines.

This teddy-bear cactus is less than 12 inches tall and has a soft appearance due to its solid mass of very formidable 1-inch long spines that completely cover the stems. Cylindrical stem segments of the cactus detach readily and cling with astonishing tenacity to whomever or whatever brushed up against them. They take root where they fall off, usually far enough from the original plant so they’re not competing with it for water, sun, or nutrients. Mature teddy-bear cactus are around 5 feet tall and are usually surrounded by a ring of discarded spines, pads and flowers.

This low, spreading Beavertail cactus can grow up to 6-12 inches high and up to 6 feet wide. The gray-green, jointed stems are wide and flat resembling the tail of a beaver. Oval in shape, the stems are 1 to 6 inches wide and 2 to 13 inches long. The stems grow in clumps with flowers from the top edge of the joints. Unlike most cactus, the beavertail cactus doesn't usually have any spines but they do have small barbed bristles called glochids, which can easily enter the skin.

Most hikers would tell you they prefer getting jabbed by a cholla cactus spine than brush up against a beavertail cactus. While spines draw blood they remain attached to the cholla whereas the glochids of a beavertail cactus easily detach from the pad and embed in your skin. You might not notice them when they first attach, but later they'll cause irritation and are very difficult to remove.

Remember this story if you decide to get a close up photo of a beavertail cactus in bloom and are careless with your footing. This photo was not taken on the trail but is included for your enjoyment.

Almost at the summit and feeling pretty good.

Summit Views

We found the USGS summit marker and captured this photo to mark our successful hike.

Dave logged our hike in the summit register and then we relaxed and had a well-deserved lunch.

It's a broad summit but still provides great vistas of the surrounding desert landscape.

Returning to the Desert Floor

I don't often post photos on the return from an out-and-back hike but Coyote Mountain is the exception. Just after descending from the summit, we came across a few female bighorn sheep on a ridge.

These bighorn sheep that live on the desert slopes of the Peninsular Mountain Ranges are federally listed as an endangered species. They typically inhabit steep, rugged mountainous terrain but can also be found foraging in washes and alluvial fans for food and water. These creatures can not outrun their predators instead they rely on their climbing abilities to escape enemies. This predator evasion behavior is also dependent on the ability to visually detect danger at a distance. Consequently, bighorn sheep tend to choose habitats with good visibility while steering clear of densely vegetated areas.

This photo showcases the vista along the ridge that we followed from the desert floor to the summit. Over 2,600 vertical feet of elevation gain and worth every step.

Taking a short break to appreciate these incredible views.

We returned to the car 6 hours after starting. Another great hike in Anza Borrego State Park.

Exploring Clark Dry Lake Bed

Before heading home we drove a short distance on Rockhouse Canyon Road to reach Clark Dry Lake which we had seen throughout of Coyote Mountain climb. Clark Dry Lake is home to thousands of years of fascinating activity. Just within the last 100 years it has been used as a homestead site for cattle ranchers, a World War II bombing range, and a radio observatory station.

The lake bed was originally a wetland fed by the nearby San Felipe Creek, but over time, the water source dried up and the area became a dry lake bed. Now it's a perfect backdrop for the Santa Rosa Mountains which rise 5000 feet above the lake.

Most of the lake bed is devoid of any plants due to a number of unfavorable conditions. First, the surface is composed of fine clay, which swells when wet and cracks when dry. This movement makes it difficult for plant to establish roots. Additionally, the high salinity of the soil in most areas puts further strain on any potential plant growth.

Nevertheless, beneath the surface of Clark Dry Lake, there is a rich ecosystem thriving! Spade footed toads and three types of brine shrimp patiently await the arrival of rain before becoming active, mating, and witnessing their offspring grow to full maturity in just two weeks, before the water vanishes. The shrimp demonstrate remarkable patience, with reports suggesting they can remain dormant for 10 years or even longer.