5 SAN DIEGO & IMPERIAL COUNTY RANGES GUIDE NO. 5.1

INDIANHEAD 3960+ FEET CLASS 2

MILEAGE: 198 miles of paved road.

DRIVE: From the traffic circle in the center of Borrego Springs, CA. drive W on Palm Cany

on Road for 2

miles, make a right and head N to the Borrego Palm Canyon Campground. Follow the road for just over 1.5

miles through the campground to the day-use parking lot located at the NW corner of the grounds.

CLIMB/ROUTE A: Follow the nature trail starting at the day

use parking lot, hiking NW into Borrego Palm

Canyon for approximately 0.75 miles to the mouth of a prominent wash at UTM 535820 on the SE side of

Indianhead. Ascend this wash to the 3650+ foot elevation saddle just E of the summit. Head left (W) from

here up to the top.

NOTE: This is the most direct route up Indianhead from the Borrego Palm Canyon

Cam

pground. It is a steeper clim

b than Route B and has more needle-tipped agave

per square foot than most any other peak described in this guide.

ROUND TRIP STATS/ROUTE A: 3200 feet elevation gain, 4 miles, 5 hours

CLIMB/ROUTE B: Follow the nature trail starting at the day

use parking lot, hiking NW into Borrego Palm

Canyon for 1.5 miles to a large palm oasis. Continue up the canyon another mile on a fair trail to about the

1800 foot level at UTM 520833. Turn right (N), picking your way up to a ridge which is followed to the

3200+ foot elevation saddle on the NW ridge of Indianhead. Turn right (SE), following the ridge 0.5 miles to

the summit.

ROUND TRIP STATS/ROUTE B: 3200 feet elevation gain, 8 miles, 7 hours

SIDELINES

1. The peak can also be climbed from Borrego Palm Cany

on via the prom

inent S ridge which is rated Class 3

to 4. SW face routes from Borrego Palm Canyon are also possible and vary anywhere from Class 3 up to

Class 5, but entail considerable bushwhacking in spots.

2. A day-use fee is collected at the entrance station of the Borrego Palm

Cany

on Campground. Coin operated

hot showers and flush toilets are available at the campground.

Reservations may be made for the campground

in advance. The higher the site number, the closer it is to the trail head.

Revised 12/3/17