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Talk about a trip you took out to Anza Borrego

Cool Canyon / Rainbow Canyon

dsefcik

Administrator

Posts: 2609

8/24/2011

dsefcik

Administrator

Posts: 2609

Two of the lesser known and least visited canyons in Anza Borrego Desert State Park are Cool Canyon and Rainbow Canyon. This last weekend I visited both. These canyons are semi slot canyons and reminded me a lot of canyons in Death Valley in that they narrow up and have lots of marbled, swirled types of rock. You can use Cool Canyon as a starting point to climb Granite Mountain, I made a last minute decision to try and get to the top but I stopped at Peak 4624, I just wasn't prepared to go another 1,000' that day.

Rainbow Canyon is another great little canyon that is only a mile or so long and great for a quick hike or family exploration opportunity. If you are camping in Blair Valley and have someone who can drop you off at the canyon mouth you can hike in and over to Blair Valley for about a 5 mile easy going but fun hike.

Full Trip Report on my website here http://www.sefcik.com/2011/08/cool-canyon-rainbow-canyon-abdsp.html

or just pictures here Cool Canyon and Rainbow Canyon

Here are a few pictures, to see more please check out the links above

Morteros in Cool Canyon are signs of past Indian habitation of the area

Entrance to Cool Canyon

First of many dry falls in Cool Canyon

A larger dry fall in Cool Canyon

Honeycomb up in the rocks in Cool Canyon

My lunch on Peak 4624, you can see Whale Peak straight ahead in the distance

In Raibow Canyon you find the first dry fall almost immediately

Great marbled rock in Rainbow Canyon

Heading up thru Rainbow Canyon

Kitty Scat

Up at the saddle looking towards Blair Valley

A narrow section in Rainbow Canyon

Looking down a double dry fall in Rainbow Canyon

I stopped off at Indian Hill on the way home and found a number of pictographs in rock shelters away from the main Blue Sun Cave but will post that as a separate thread. Indian Hill is an amazing area.

Daren

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