David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64489
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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El Camino Real from Gonzaga Side Up towards Santa Maria
The following are just the trail details that were included in my trip report posted on the General Baja Discussion board.
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The first step is to get to the point where the El Camino Real leaves the Santa Maria arroyo, just east of the canyon.
Arroyo Santa Maria is about 5 miles south of Rancho Grande (big dip) and you can drive up to the canyon in it. However, the sand is deep and using the
Las Palmitas road is better.
Go 7.4 miles south of Rancho Grande and turn west (right) on a single track road. In 3 miles, the road drops down into the Santa Maria arroyo basin
via a steep grade. At mile 3.2 this road turns south/left to enter a side canyon and goes 1.5 miles to Las Palmitas oasis. Continue west/straight at
mi. 3.2 on the faint track and go to mile 4.0. Here is a good parking spot next to a huge boulder. Tracks drop into the white sand arroyo, but rocks
and plants prevent cars from getting much further upstream. A hike of about a mile brings you to palms and pools of water as seen in my first trip web
page http://davidksbaja.com/missionsm and in BajaMur's web page of our May, '99 trip http://bajamur.homestead.com .
Head across the arroyo (from the parking spot) to the north side to find the El Camino Real where it climbs out of the arroyo, to Waypoint #1 (see
below).
Chris (almost 15) and I go to the parking spot near the mouth of the canyon (see directions, above). We take turns wearing the back pack which has 6
pints of water and two medium bottles of Gatoraide, plus first aid, matches, energy bars, snacks, our sweaters, aerial photos from my 1999 fly over
with Doooglas and BajaMur, and two GPS receivers (one I wear)
10 am and we are a foot in Baja!
Waypoint 1: north edge of Arroyo Santa Maria where the El Camino Real heads up, to the northwest N29?41.733'/ W114?28.175' (NAD27 Mexico) elev. 609'.
The trail goes northwest and over to the left to climb up from the river valley, note ocotillos.
At the top, you will continue northwest in a small side valley, along the valley's left side. The trail is a cattle path, here.
Soon, you will find the wooden sign with 'Mission Santa Maria' painted on it, laying on the ground. We prop it up, against a bush for photos... like I
did last year http://davidksbaja.com/1102/page6.html
Waypoint 2: 29?42.374'/ 114?28.566' elev. 741'. This is where I turned back last year. The trail is still a narrow path but that fades away. The
valley's left side curves to form a 'V' to the south. I follow the curve, but later discover the trail is straight ahead, so short cut across the wide
side of the 'V'. If you are using a GPS (highly recommended), you will avoid the excess walking I did to follow the side of the valley.
A SIGN!!!! The Camino Real climbs out of the little valley to the left. Somebody used silver paint and painted a 'mission' (house with cross on it)
and an arrow. Here is the start of a switchback up. Big rocks were moved to each side, and 230 years of erosion has washed the soil deeply away
exposing lighter colored rock below. This is excellent! About halfway up, I make another waypoint:
Waypoint 3: 29?42.669'/ 114?28.937', elev. 906'. The trail continues to the top of a ridge where it briefly disappears. We scout around and just walk
in the logical direction (west northwest) and find it, again.
Waypoint 4: 29?42.671'/ 114?29.425', elev. 1,308'.
At this point I realize we are staying close to the north rim of Santa Maria canyon and not heading around the mountain that is north of the mission,
as I had thought.
Waypoint 5: 29?42.748'/ 114?29.482', elev. 1,391'
The Camino Real goes from ridge to ridge and the huge Santa Maria canyon is visible to the south (left). At one point we can see to the the bottom and
the beautiful palms that fill the canyon.
Waypoint 6: 29?43.008'/ 114?29.967', elev. 1,477'. Rock cairns (marking piles) or silver painted marks help spot the Camino where the Franciscan and
Dominican padres work is not obvious.
The Jesuits who founded Mision Santa Maria used the canyon and the 'Indian Trail' that climbs out of the canyon. Franciscan Junipero Serra ordered
better roads, including a cargo trail to Gonzaga Bay that is more direct than either of the El Camino Real routes.
This Camino Real route that Chris and I are hiking on was used by Harry Crosby. Crosby believed Serra had it constructed as the canyon route was too
dangerous.
Waypoint 7: The next waypoint on the Camino Real is 29?43.074'/ 114?30.128', elev. 1,610' That's over 1,000 feet higher than where we started in
Arroyo Santa Maria.
The day is beautiful, the air is cool and breezy. It was a perfect day for this hike. However, I am concerned we didn't get an early start and the sun
is dropping fast.
The old trail goes across a steep slope of a tributary canyon and I understand some of what Baja Bucko reported when she rode a mule here a few years
ago. I cannot imagine riding a motorcyle on this even though it has been done.
Waypoint 8: Final waypoint on the Camino Real today is 29?43.141'/ 114?30.189', elev. 1,702'. Soon signs of the trail disappear (again) and Chris and
I walk up and down the steep slope for a sign (muestra) of the mission road. Chris even climbs to the top of a peak to try and find it... nada.
It is 2 pm, we have been hiking four hours and it gets dark in less than three. I tell Chris we need to head back. He is disappointed as he really
wanted to see the Santa Maria mission. His sister got to see it (last April) http://davidksbaja.com/403
I am thrilled when Chris tells me he would be willing to sleep out to continue the next day (we had matches but no sleeping bags). Could it be that my
son has 'Baja Fever'???!!!
The GPS is a great help in getting back to my truck. We can follow the track back on the GPS screen where the El Camino Real disappears so less time
searching for it was needed.
We get back to the truck as it is getting really dark.
The hike was great because my son and I did it together and he had just as much enthusiasm as I. We saw mission era road construction from 230 years
ago. The weather was perfect and the amount of water we carried was just right.
I had believed this trail went north of the mountain north of the mission. I was surprised that it stayed just above the north rim of the canyon. The
mystery now is WHERE does this trail end up in the mission valley? The far east end of the valley is where the Gonzaga road building attempt by Rancho
Santa Ynez ended and where the 'Indian Trail' continues east, dropping down to the canyon bottom. That waypoint (end of bulldozed road) is 29?43.033'/
114?31.556', elev. 1,615'. I walked a thousand feet down the Indian Trail and all the way back to the mission last April. I saw no other trail...
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The mystery is mostly solved as to where the Camino Real enters the Santa Maria mission valley. Last night (Friday, 12-5) I was the Discover Baja
Christmas Party. Graham Mackintosh and Harry Crosby were both there, both experts on the Camino Real...
It seems the Camino Real goes up the mountain from the bulldozed road, about 200 yards before the end of the road (east of the mission). Graham tells
me you can see the Camino Real after hiking up a ways, as the part where it is near the bulldozed road is nearly invisible. I guess that is why I
didn't see it, last April. The bottom aerial photo at http://davidksbaja.com/missionsm/page6.html shows this location.
Hope you enjoyed the details of our Thanksgiving. I will eventually get around to developing our photos. I hope I got some good ones of the El Camino
Real. Naturally, I will make a web page so you all can see them!
BajaMur has many aerial and canyon photos from when we were there in '99.
He has labled the photos to help you find that road that goes to the mouth of the Santa Maria Canyon (just west of the Las Palmitas side canyon),
south of Rancho Grande (7.4 mi.), then 4 miles west.
Some of Mur's photos I used in my web site, but there are more in Mur's site. Mur's Santa Maria URL is http://bajamur.homestead.com ...and to see the canyon pools and aerial pics, click on 'Gonzaga to Sta. Maria' at the top of the page. In that
first page (Santa Ynez to Sta. Maria), BajaMur has a wonderful 360? panorama taken at the mission (large and small scale). It will almost make you
think you are there!!!! You may notice a happy David K dancing for joy in the panorama, too!
Going to Santa Maria is NOT for everybody... it is a very difficult road. See my April trip with Chicagoross and Fishuntr. The place is very special,
almost magical. For those who love the exotic desert, geology, or history of Baja, then Baja Mur and my web sites can give you a little bit of what
you may never otherwise get to see in person.
Here are the photos! http://VivaBaja.com/1103
Three weeks later, Don Jorge continued on up to the mission and back down in the canyon. See photos, GPS, map: http://www.southcoastfarms.com/gonzaga_to_mission_santa_mari...
[Edited on 6-14-2004 by David K]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64489
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Just updated this post to include Don Jorge's web site. This was a great hiking trail, for sure. The longer days in summer make it doable before
darkness falls, but the hotter weather makes it hazardous and would require more water than one could probably carry without a mule or burro.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64489
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Here's Chris at the sign along the Camino Real just up from the climb out of the Arroyo Santa Maria valley.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64489
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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...and here's Chris' dad having a great time on El Camino Real, a great way to see Baja!
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