Borrego Springs Slot Canyon Hike

Posted By admin On 24.05.21

Slot Canyon Borrego Springs Ca
Borrego Springs Slot Canyon
Anza Borrego Canyons

About Slot Canyon Slot Canyon or “The Slot” is a narrow siltstone canyon located in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Hiking in The Slot is open to the public; visitors can do the 0.8 mile trek through the canyon. While Slot Canyon does get pretty narrow at some points, the opening is always wide enough for a normal-sized human being to pass. A day of discovery. Begin the morning with yoga, then explore the beauty of the Anza Borrego desert during a meditative slot canyon hike. Learn to naturally energize your mind and body during a lunchtime cooking lesson and fuel your spirit during our keynote speaker's exploration of mindfulness. End the day with dinner under the stars. Nov 27, 2019 It is an easy hike with little elevation gain or loss once you are in the canyon (there is a short, steep hike down into the canyon). If you contunie past the parking lot for the slot, here is the very steep down hill drop into the caynon On the right-branching road takes you toward and over a small crest and down to the entrance of Hawk Canyon.

The deepest and narrowest part extends for about a quarter of a mile. The floor is U-shaped in profile, a mix of pebbles and bare rock, as the drainage cuts through angled strata, alternating between conglomerate and more homogenous layers. All the rocks are grey or pale brown, so the narrows are never very colorful. Two chokestones above dryfalls create more significant obstacles, but webbing and a short rope seems usually to be left in place, to assist when climbing up. Some sections have a few tight bends, where the way ahead is apparent only when close-up. An adit penetrates a little way into the cliffs, following a seam of calcite. Soon after this, a tributary on the left provides an easy exit route, leading to the open, gravelly slopes just east of the mine. Beyond the side ravine are a short conglomerate section and another dryfall, above which the canyon is rather less deep, though it continues a lot further, gaining elevation more steeply.

Middle Fork of Palm Wash, South Branch

The track to Calcite Mine is very rough and parts are too rocky and rutted even for some 4WD vehicles so most people make the journey on foot. It is about a mile from the trailhead on S22 to the crossing of the Middle Fork, easily recognizable as the track descends quite steeply to the canyon floor, just below the lower end of the narrows. The rocks here are whitish grey and have the same form and texture as those in the main branch. The passageways are quite sinuous with tight curves and a floor of smooth rock, but this slot like section doesn't extend very far - beyond is a more open stretch then some shallower narrows that end beneath a dryfall. All can be explored in just 30 minutes, from the road.

The Slot Trail - Anza Borrego - Search Nearby - Added by Jason Neitzke

Distance: about one mile (no need to rush). Duration: 1-3 hours, depending on your speed. Short hike, easy access and amazing views. No permit required.

The Slot is an amazing short hike located in the Anza Borrego Desert. Drive east on Hwy 78, and about a mile and a half after Borrego Springs Road, turn left onto Buttes Pass Road. Buttes Pass road is a dirt road and not marked well so look carefully. The road is pretty smooth, about a mile in you will take a left at the fork. From there, you will drive about another mile to a parking lot. Two wheel drive vehicles should be fine unless there was a recent rainstorm.

From the parking lot, you will take the trail into the canyon that is directly in front of you. This will be the hardest and steepest part of the hike. There are no trail markers for the Slot. Do not take the trail to the right of the parking lot or you will miss the Slot. Once you are at the bottom, go left and head to where the canyon starts to narrow. As you enter, the walls start to close in and you are taking your bag off to get through some tight passages. Every turn is exciting, it is constantly changing and you are not sure what is going to be around the next bend. The Slot is made of siltstone and is very brittle so watch your footing if you decide to climb around. At the end of the Slot you hit a dirt road, from there you can either turn around and go back through or follow the road and find some other trails. Further down the road there are some awesome wind caves and arches that are worth checking out.

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