• COVID-19 Park and Trail Closures
  • Learn about the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge
  • Shop
  •  

SoCal Hiker

  • Find a Hiking Trail
    • All Areas
    • Arizona
    • Colorado
    • Los Angeles
    • Orange County
    • Oregon
    • San Francisco Bay
    • Washington
  • Trail Guides
  • Six-Pack of Peaks
    • Colorado Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Bergen Peak
      • Rocky Mountain
      • Birthday Peak
      • Horseshoe Mountain
      • Grays Peak
    • New England Six-Pack of Peaks
    • NorCal Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Mount Umunhum
      • Mount Saint Helena
      • Mount Tamalpais
      • Mount Diablo
      • Mount Sizer
      • Rose Peak
    • Oregon Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Tumalo Mountain
      • Black Butte
      • Black Crater
      • Maiden Peak
      • Mount Bachelor
      • South Sister
    • SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Mt. Wilson
      • Cucamonga Peak
      • Mt. San Antonio (Mt Baldy)
      • San Bernardino Peak
      • San Jacinto Peak
      • San Gorgonio
  • Backpacking
    • High Sierra Trail
    • John Muir Trail
      • Overview of the John Muir Trail
      • Training
      • Day-by-Day Itinerary
      • Resupply Addresses
      • JMT Discussion Forum
    • Lost Coast Trail
    • North/South Lake Loop
    • Rae Lakes Loop
    • Red Peak Pass Loop
    • Theodore Solomons Trail
    • Trans-Catalina Trail
    • Wonderland Trail
  • Gear
  • Forums
    • Latest Topics
    • Ask a Question
    • Campfire
    • Trails
    • Trail Reports
    • Gear Wisdom
    • Classifieds
  • Login

Whale Peak in Anza Borrego

May 2, 2013 By Jeff Hester 9 Comments

A view of Anza Borrego desert

There are hikes, and then there are adventures. This hike up Whale Peak in the Anza Borrego State Park was a bit of both. This trail guide is one part throw-back (the hike was over two years ago), and one part a cautionary tale of what happens when three experienced hikers venture out into the Anza Borrego desert to bag the 5,348′ Whale Peak.

Trail Details
Distance: 9.5 miles
Time: 6 hours
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation gain: 3,250 ft
Dogs: No
When to go: Fall to Spring
The story of this hike begins in the Spring of 2011. A group of hiking bloggers (blogging hikers?) from Southern California had been discussing the possibility of doing a hike together. There were a bunch interested, including Casey (ModernHiker), Kolby “Condor” Kirk (TheHikeGuy), and Campfire Kam (Campfire Chic). In the end, Kolby had a career change and decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (an epic story of it’s own). Casey and Kam had schedule conflicts. That left just three of us for the first ever SoCal Hiking Blogger Summit: Derek (100Peaks), Peter (East-West Hike) and myself (SoCalHiker).

The plan proposed by Derek was a San Diego-based hike, since most of us hadn’t really explored that area. He suggested a 4-mile trip up Whale Peak, and then a car ride to a second hike up Vulcan Peak near Julian. Being the 100Peaks guy and our resident San Diego area expert, we differed to his wisdom.

We met up down in San Diego in the early morning hours and carpooled out to Anza Borrego. Our trailhead was off a rugged dirt road, passable by a car, but only with caution. The Xterra might have been a better choice in this case.

We found a place to park, and headed on foot down the road until we found what we believed to be the wash leading to the trailhead. No signage, but a quick check of our map and it appeared to be the right spot. I had my Garmin Trek GPS, mainly for tracking our journey. Derek also had a GPS and topo map, and it seemed we were starting off from the right point.

The “trail” was difficult to follow. Pretty quickly it disappeared entirely. We realized that the actual trailhead we were looking for was further down the dirt road, but figured we could go cross-country and meetup with the intended trail.

Let's take this spur to the trailhead

This we did, going up and down over several ridges, dodging cholla and clambering over boulders.

Cholla

Finally we found our trail and headed to Whale Peak.The peak itself is more broad than angular, and the high point only found by climbing the big boulder to the USGS benchmark. The 360-degree views of Anza Borrego were phenomenal.

Western Panorama from the saddle below Whale Peak

Panorama from Whale Peak

The hike back should’ve been a piece of cake, but even that didn’t go smoothly. Peter was having some pain in his knees, and lagged behind. One minute, he was within sight. Next minute, he was out of sight. Wrong turn down a false trail, and a ~30 minute detour.

We finally made it down to the correct trailhead, out the wash to the dirt road. Then hiked another mile+ hike on said dirt road back to our car. In the end, our four mile hike up Whale Peak turned into 9.5 miles, and we realized we’d have to save Vulcan Peak for another day.

(Mis-)Adventure on Whale Peak

What We Did Right

Being experienced hikers, we knew well enough to bring plenty of water and food for the day. We did have a map (for the group) and GPS as a backup. We stuck together, found our bearings, and got to our trail, and our destination. And we had a good attitude. We were up for the adventure, and flexible with our plans.

What Would I Do Differently?

First off, make sure I know the trail myself. I treated this hike like a tourist–as if I was just along for the ride. Now I make sure I know the planned route, do my own research, and bring my own map. Yes, we had a topo map for the group, but we might’ve had a better start if we shared responsibility for the pre-planning.

Of course, there are three sides to this story, so don’t take my word for it. Be sure to read the perspectives from Derek and Peter as well.

Whale Peak Trail Map

Note that this route is not recommended as-is, as it includes our impromptu cross-country jaunt. Use this to follow the dirt road to where we came back out, and take it from there. You’ll shave about four miles off the trip.

© OpenStreetMap contributors
Download

Photo Gallery

Click on any photo to view a larger version. You can also leave comments on any photo.

Let's take this spur to the trailhead
Cholla
Looking down into the desert
Juniper Berries
IMG_3887
IMG_3888
IMG_3889
IMG_3891
IMG_3892
Whale Peak Benchmark
Lunch break at the summit of Whale Peak
Lunch break at the summit of Whale Peak
Whale Peak summit register
Whale Peak summit register
The Whale Peak sign at the summit
Weathered Whale Peak summit sign
Weathered Whale Peak summit sign
Western Panorama from the saddle below Whale Peak
Panorama from Whale Peak
Jeff, Peter and Derek
Jeff, Peter and Derek
Wildflowers
A pause in scarce shade
Making our way back
A view of Anza Borrego desert
Success!
Pinyon Mountain Road

Whale Peak Resources

  • Getting to the trailhead (the REAL one) via Google Maps – High clearance vehicle recommended
  • Whale Peak – Sometimes Things Don’t Go As Planned – 100Peaks.com (Derek’s perspective)
  • Whale Peak of DOOM! – EastWestHike.com (Peter’s perspective)
  • Whatever happened to Kolby? He hiked the PCT.
  • Anza Borrego State Park – official web site

Anza Borrego Weather Forecast

The location could not be found.

Postscript

In spite of the hiccups on this hike, we had a great time, and no one was hurt. And last year we had an even bigger gathering of SoCal hiking bloggers at Schabarum Regional Park.

Related

Filed Under: State Parks, Trail Guides Tagged With: 8-10 miles, Anza Borrego, Anza Borrego Desert, Anza Borrego State Park, Derek, desert, hike, peak, peakbagging, State Park, strenuous, Throwback Thursday, Whale Peak

Like what you found here at SoCal Hiker? This site is a labor of love. Share your support for the site and help us development of new trail guides and expanded coverage -- make your next outdoor equipment purchase through our advertisers.

You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Jeff H

About Jeff Hester

I'm an avid hiker and backpacker. My wife Joan and I are on the trails every weekend. I started SoCal Hiker to share my passion for outdoor adventure.

Comments

  1. nikkifrankhamilton says

    May 2, 2013 at 6:20 pm

    LOL! As a woman I would have stopped and asked directions! JOKE! What a beautiful day you had, the pictures are outstanding!

    Reply
  2. Oscar Gonzalez says

    May 3, 2013 at 12:40 am

    It sounds like in the end you guys had an okay time. Planning always makes all the difference. So when are you going to do another hikers bloggers summit? I think with a little promotion you might get a good crowd to go next time.

    Reply
  3. Bob B says

    May 3, 2013 at 8:09 am

    Great write up. I have not done that hike yet but everyone I know that has done it seems to love it.

    Reply
  4. Jeff HJeff Hester says

    May 3, 2013 at 1:34 pm

    @nikki, that’s tricky when there is no one to ask! But seriously, we knew what we were doing, and even though we started in the wrong spot, we realized this and found our bearings. Reading a map and navigating is an essential skill when you’re hiking in the wilderness.

    @Oscar, we had a GREAT time! And actually, we did another one last year, with a much larger crowd. But honestly, it’s not about getting a crowd. Sometimes less is more. 😉

    Thanks @Bob. Anza Borrego has given me a whole new appreciation for the desert. I’ve always favored the Sierras and never really thought much of the desert, but after exploring Whale Peak and a few other areas of Anza Borrego, I really enjoy it!

    Reply
  5. Jon says

    June 29, 2014 at 11:57 pm

    I did Whale Peak as a Boy Scout and even though I have hiked over 1400 miles in all kinds of terrain I still had the most fun bouldering up and down there!

    Reply
    • Jeff HJeff Hester says

      July 1, 2014 at 11:58 am

      Thanks for the comment, Jon. It’s a great place to go if you want to avoid crowds. We saw only a few other people all day.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Jeff Hester

I created SoCal Hiker while preparing to thru-hike the John Muir Trail. My goal? Create guides for the best hiking trails throughout Southern California--and occasionally beyond. I personally hike each trail to create these guides, sharing practical advice on gear and outdoor skills. Read more...

Connect with SoCal Hiker

  • 22,109 Fans
  • 11,612 Followers
  • 21,640 Followers
  • 1,674 Followers
  • 5,420 Subscribers
  • 328 Subscribers

Get the SoCal Hiker Newsletter

Sign up to get your weekly trail recommendation and the latest updates from SoCal Hiker.

SoCalHiker was selected one of USA TODAY's 10 Best Hiking and Outdoor Blogs
Get our day-by-day guide to thru-hiking the John Muir Trail
Get up-to-day wildfire status throughout California

Products

  • Mt San Antonio (Mt Baldy) Benchmark Mt Baldy (Mt San Antonio) Benchmark $39.95
  • San Gorgonio T-Shirt $23.00 – $25.00
  • Mt Whitney Replica Benchmark Mt Whitney Benchmark $39.95
  • 2017 Six-Pack of Peaks Patch 2017 Six-Pack of Peaks Patch
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $6.00

Sponsors

Sponsor SoCalHiker and see your banner here

Featured Posts

Hiking Camelback Mountain via the Echo Canyon Trail

Camelback Mountain is the most popular mountain to hike in the Phoenix area for good … [Read More...]

Hiking to High Point on Palomar Mountain in the Cleveland National Forest

Appropriately named High Point is the highest peak in the Palomar Ranger District of … [Read More...]

Hiking Hot Springs Mountain on the Los Coyotes Reservation

Hot Springs Mountain in the Los Coyotes Reservation is the highest peak in San Diego … [Read More...]

Lastest Comments

  • Ramesh on Haskell Canyon Open Space
  • Jeff H on Hiking the Tumalo Falls Loop
  • GGreco on Hiking the Tumalo Falls Loop
  • Allan Hoskins on Kintla Lake Hike in Glacier National Park
  • Elizabeth Dawson on Rae Lakes Loop via Kearsarge Pass
Get your SoCalHiker stickers now

Get your SoCalHiker stickers!

Latest Posts

  • Hiking Camelback Mountain via the Echo Canyon Trail December 9, 2020
  • Hiking to High Point on Palomar Mountain in the Cleveland National Forest December 4, 2020
  • Hiking Hot Springs Mountain on the Los Coyotes Reservation November 19, 2020
  • New Day Hiking Permit Requirements for Wilderness Areas in the San Bernardino National Forest August 31, 2020
  • Interview: John Soares, author of ‘Camp for Free: Dispersed Camping & Boondocking on America’s Public Lands’ July 30, 2020

Recent Forum Topics

  • 1st overnight backing trip
  • Recommendations for trips for me and my dog
  • log hikes
  • My Baldy
  • Cactus to Clouds v. Iron Mountain

The Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge Series

Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge SeriesThe Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge gives you an opportunity to explore your world while supporting a great cause.

Flex your adventure muscles!

Learn more here.

 

Search

Tags

3-6 miles 6-8 miles 8-10 miles 11+ miles Arizona Backpacking coastal dog-friendly easy family-friendly High Sierra Trail hiking Hiking The John Muir Trail hipster inspiration JMT John Muir John Muir Trail Kings Canyon National Park LA County moderate Mount Rainier National Park Muir Monday National Forest National Park Orange County Oregon out of bounds Pacific Crest Trail peak peakbagging quote scenic Sierra Nevada Six-Pack of Peaks State Park strenuous Thru-hiking Utah vista Washington waterfall wilderness Wonderland Trail Yosemite

Copyright © 2021 SoCalHiker.net · Metro Theme on Genesis Framework with WPEngine Hosting · Contact SoCal Hiker · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Metro Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in