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16-Apr-00 Borrego Desert
Cougar Canyon is located in the Borrego Desert about 50
miles east of San Diego. The canyon is 12 miles north-west of
Borrego Springs as the crow flies. For complete instructions on how
to get there, consult the Maps page. You will
find a complete set of road, jeep trail and hiking maps (topographic
and elevation profile) there.
Our day hike crew set out from San Diego about 7AM on an
April Sunday. The drive out takes about 2.5 hrs and, depending on
route chosen, goes from urban coastal environs at sea level, over 5,000 ft
pine forested mountain roads, finally descending to the Borrego Desert
floor, leveling off at 1,500 ft. While the road out is very scenic,
Cougar Canyon decidedly more so. |
| The jeep trail to the mouth of
Cougar Canyon winds north from Borrego Springs, then cuts west arriving
just short of the canyon's mouth at the 9 mi. mark. There are
several wet crossings along the way and some stretches of rocky terrain
that require 4WD.
The hike into Cougar rises steadily some 900 ft over a 1.5 mile
length. However, don't let the short distance fool you into
thinking that it is simple enough that it won't rate on the difficulty
chart. No, the going is slow in spots, requiring some degree of perseverance
and fearlessness. A reasonable amount of hand and toe work is
required to make it to the upper pool.
There is water in Cougar Canyon year round. The volume is
substantial even in the summer months so one does not have to carry much
water as refills are readily available to those |
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packing a filter. As you
will see from the travelogue page, the canyon is interesting from
several points of view. There are ancient Indian artifacts to be
found, interesting rock formations, lots of vegetation, and serene pools
fed by waterfalls, plus a surprise or two. There are two
substantial palm groves that can give refuge from the heat. Bottom line: Cougar Canyon gets a high rating as
an
interesting way to spend a day in the desert. I recommend it to anyone looking
for weekend adventure.
Questions and/or feedback welcome: gary@stowell.org
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Visitors Since Aug-2000
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