Possible new campground at palomar canyon near guadalupe
Hey there
I am hoping for a little feedback on a project that i am about to start in baja.
I have the opportunity to start up a campground south of canyon guadalupe in canyon palomar... i have been going to guadalupe since i was a child and
my family built several of the pools and palapas there over the years. Problem is guadalupe is getting expensive and its hard to get a spot. I have
made a deal with the owner of palomar to get something going there and we will start working on the road in and cleaning up the palm grove soon. I
guess my question for the forum is, if i build it, will they come? It is pretty far off the beaten path. Maybe only for large groups, or guided
tours?? Any input is much appreciated.
OH YES!
Please know you will have as much support online as possible from several of us on Nomad.
I have not been up Palomar Canyon, but Ken Cooke, BAJACAT, Neal Johns, are just a few who have.
Do you know Steve Schott?
Steve (his handle here is 'HotSchott', but hasn't posted since 2011) is a friend since he introduced us to Guadalupe Canyon back in 2001. I am the one
he can blame, for him becoming a landscape contractor!
Here he is in Vibora Canyon, south of Guadalupe Canyon on our last trip (2008) [before Arturo was removed/retired from operating his beautiful Campo
#1].
Welcome to the forum, new viewpoints, and knowledge are a good thing!
You are talking about an area that I would like to explore, do you anticipate being there in the near future?
I hope to be heading south soon, and have no destination in particular. If the road is passable with a decent 4x4, I would like to check out your
planned operation.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
Yes, Cañón Palomar is way off the beaten path. Difficult to guess how many would venture that far and pay for camping.
My good friend runs cattle at Palomar. I don't recall the ownership details. Is it the Dukes family in the Ejido Cordillera Molina?
Be sure to get very clear about ownership, leasing, and whether the ejido has voted agreement and registered with the government to divide/sell
property before investing a dollar in any project.
Tito dukes runs cattle up and around there. He rents from the owner (his nephew) to get water out of there. For now i am just signing up to help the
owner with water works, basic cleanup, and trying to See if we can spark some interest. I figure there has got to be some overflow from gc ready for a
spot that is like gc was 30 years ago.
My latest info about Palomar Canyon was in late January. A Jeeper from San Diego attempted the road in but he was stopped by a boulder field part of
the way in. A flash floods had ravaged the flood plane as you drive in, making the route impassable. It is a breathtaking place to visit. The
difficult road and remoteness keeps people away. This could be good and bad. Good luck to your new venture!
Interesting project. Your idea of inviting groups might work well. There are numerous cuatro por cuatro (4x4) clubs in northern Baja from Tijuana
Tecate and Mexicali. Also, there is an emerging adventure/eco tour market, growing exponentially. They look for those off the beaten path places,
presumably with lower-cost camping. Palomar could become a desirable destination for those groups.
In addition to that, moto and UTV/Razor groups seem to be increasing exponentially on the Sierra de Juárez plateau/Laguna Hanson/Compadre Trail. If
you had a reliable source of gas in barrels, you might attract motos who would otherwise be restricted by fuel range.
Yes, my friend is close with Tito and the Dukes family. Dukes are one of the few big longtime ranching families of the Sierra de Juárez. My burro,
"Cuervito", came from Tito's wild stock in one of the canyons.
I made it through the bouldee field in november. Got all the way to spring in a ram 2500. Had to machete the way thru the palm grove. Nobody been
there in years. The plan is to fix up the roads with a big cat. Cover over the boulders etc.
I am working out of my ranch in the salada so base camp amd gas supply is no problem. I think a couple of guided tours would be a good start too.
I camped several times at the Palomar Canyon palm grove back in the '60's, and again in the mid-'70's, and at the mouth of Palomar after it washed
out. One of the most beautiful canyons on the eastern escarpment.
What a great idea and spot for a campground! Hope it all works out.
I have not seen but a handful of nicely-done low-impact fee-campgrounds in Baja. Probably the only one i am familiar with is SPM, where the camp
spots are widely spaced and natural state remains. Most of the campgrounds in Baja are ruined by too much grading, too many constructed amenities
like palapas - these improvements get junky really quickly, and the extensive grading just leads to weedy mess, or lots of bare dirt.
Leave the canyon in semi-natural state, a couple picnic tables and fire rings, widely-spaced camp sites so people don’t have to hear and see each
other,...
The location is pretty remote, and too hot for half the year,so you’ll get weekend traffic for 6 months. Perhaps 75 to 120 nights per year
occupancy. Figure average of 5 heads per night, $4/head/night. That’s $2,400 per year total sales. You won’t make much money, probably won’t
cover costs, so don’t get hopes up. The cost of a dozer for a week of road work is probably $5,000.
And floods come down canyon every couple years, so plan on average of $2,500/year just for road maintenance.
Good employees (or any employees) are hard to find in the boondocks.
Good luck!
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
"Leave the canyon in semi-natural state, a couple picnic tables and fire rings, widely-spaced camp sites so people don’t have to hear and see each
other,... "
DITTO THAT.
Reasonable fees, not necessary to build fancy tubs, patios. Maintenance of the road essential; and current website with conditions, contact info.
To go that far off road and pay to camp, the attraction must be high. Hot springs that you can soak in would be it. Being far from crowds (Guadalupe
Canyon) is the next attraction. Beauty, such as the palms, canyon, wildlife, another attraction. Facilities are nice and comforting for many, but less
important to attract campers. They include toilets, tables, palapas, trash cans, a store with basic needs and beer.
I wish you success!
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