BajaNomad

Road to Animas Bay from BOLA

wilderone - 11-7-2010 at 05:09 PM

Given the storms of last year, has anyone done this road recently? Too sandy for a Subaru?

BajaRat - 11-7-2010 at 05:25 PM

I bet David K knows.

Santiago - 11-7-2010 at 08:12 PM

I believe a group from Gecko (south of the town of BOLA) drove to Animas in two SUV's in late Spring. We were to meet them motoring by boat but the wind came up and didn't make it. The storms of early 2010 did not do much in the midriff area, mostly north Baja.
It is sandy, but the fish camps and ice trucks continually find ways into the bay so just follow their tracks.
Subaru should be no problem.

David K - 11-7-2010 at 09:36 PM

It has been close to 2 years since we visited the mystery walls and bay, but based on the terrain between there and L.A. Bay, and the traffic using that road (including the Baja 1000 in a couple of weeks)... except for the final few miles to the bay off the San Francisquito road... Your Suby should do fine!

Jan. 2009 to Las Animas: http://vivabaja.com/109

Ken Cooke - 11-7-2010 at 10:10 PM

I would do the drive - no worries. Just be aware that tire failures are probably your greatest problem in this area.:!:

Barry A. - 11-7-2010 at 10:47 PM

-----can be some deep soft sand severl miles back from the bay, and very deep silt nearer the bay, depending on just how you go into the bay-----there are at least 2 diff. ways---the more northern route is the better, or at least it was. In any case, a Subaru should have no problems, but watch your clearance over rocks, and like Ken says, you are a long way from any help if you get tire failures.

Los Animas Bay is one of the true "jewels" of Baja-----have a blast, and I am so envious. :yes:

Barry

wilderone - 11-8-2010 at 07:29 AM

ok - I will at least start and see how far I get. Planning to check out the walls, David. On a recent trip to New Mexico, I visited Valles Caldera where there is a huge elk population. In ancient times, their archaeology has proven, the native americans used hunting blinds - walls!. They have found long points near the walls. So I'm going to see if this theory fits for the mystery Baja walls.

David K - 11-8-2010 at 08:11 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by wilderone
ok - I will at least start and see how far I get. Planning to check out the walls, David. On a recent trip to New Mexico, I visited Valles Caldera where there is a huge elk population. In ancient times, their archaeology has proven, the native americans used hunting blinds - walls!. They have found long points near the walls. So I'm going to see if this theory fits for the mystery Baja walls.


That's great... As you near the hill, the road splits... the left branch is the most used, but the right branch passes the dam, palm, and access route to the top of the hill... just beyond, the roads come back together for the remaining 2 miles to Las Animas fish camp.

As always, if you encounter deep sand or want to drive on the beach or in an arroyo, deflate your tires to 10-15 psi... and have a pump to replace the air when you are back on hard ground. We did not encounter any need for deflating in 2009.

Take lots of photos!

[Edited on 11-9-2010 by David K]

shari - 11-8-2010 at 10:32 AM

talking about Los Animos...has anyone been to that wilderness camp there with the yurts??? I think it is baja air adventures.

TMW - 11-8-2010 at 10:54 AM

Was at Animas Bay last Wednesday with Phil on his XR and me in my truck. No problems in or out.

DanO - 11-8-2010 at 12:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
talking about Los Animos...has anyone been to that wilderness camp there with the yurts??? I think it is baja air adventures.


I know someone who did it a couple of years ago. They loved it, but it was expensive. Definitely not camping as we know it.

shari - 11-9-2010 at 07:48 AM

i was just wondering if you can drive there...they advertise it is only accessable by boat.

Tbone - 11-9-2010 at 08:15 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
i was just wondering if you can drive there...they advertise it is only accessable by boat.


We boated in close to the beach with the yerts and it didn't look like there was a road leading in. It looked pretty cool though, they put in solar lights and built 2 huge palapas.

David K - 11-9-2010 at 08:29 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
i was just wondering if you can drive there...they advertise it is only accessable by boat.


There is no road north from Las Animas fish camp to the resort. It and the former La Unica resort could only be reached by boat.

Barry A. - 11-9-2010 at 02:56 PM

David is right in that there is no road to the Yurt camp, but there is a very rudimentary road north from the established "fish camp" along the beach until it cliffs out maybe a mile (or less?) up the beach. It is extremely sandy tho, and only suitable for very hi-flotation (sand) vehicles. There are two ways to access that road (1) cross the lagoon at it's mouth at low tide to the old Fish Camp and then north, or (2) there is a very rough & rocky road along the west side of the lagoon and upon clearing the lagoon drive east to the beach thru low dunes and then north on the beach until it cliffs out.

Where it 'cliffs out' it is still a long hike to the Yurt camp, so by boat is the only practical way to get there, and that is normally done from BOLA itself.

There are a series of absolutely beautiful beaches between Animas and BOLA where you can really be by yourself, but you need a boat. Caught many a Yellowtail and Sierra off those beaches in the past, trolling slowly about 100 yards off shore.

Barry

Las Animas Bay Resorts from space...

David K - 11-10-2010 at 08:29 AM

The entire bay:



Close up on the north-west side of the bay, Bahia de los Angeles is on the left:



Now a flyover, northbound... Above the road, just past the hill with mystery walls, 2 miles from the fishcamp...



The fishcamp, beach and lagoon at the end of the road...



Just past the lagoon...









The first resort...



The second resort...

Barry A. - 11-10-2010 at 10:13 AM

Wow, good stuff, David.

From you posted aerial shots, It looks to me that there are traces of veh. tracks even further north than I thought, or have discovered, but I don't see any of them actually reaching the Wilderness Resort Compounds on the two beaches.

As always, your posts are outstanding, and so very helpful----thanks.

In the next few days, now, I would assume that thousands of gringos will be decending on this "secret" place trashing it into oblivion now that we have broken the code of silence and REVEALED this very secret place to the Universe!!!! :rolleyes:

Barry

shari - 11-10-2010 at 10:30 AM

muchas gracias amigos for the info.

Oh for goodness sakes.

Santiago - 11-10-2010 at 02:25 PM

Some of us fish this area a lot so those of you who might want to go check these 'resorts' out and maybe fish along the way, please follow the lines. Don't fish in the RED areas; fish the GREEN areas all you want. Got it? :cool:
[img][/img]

David K - 11-10-2010 at 06:09 PM

Yah, Sarah and I were invited by Sonora Wind to join him fishing on Guillermos Super Panga... back in 2003 I think... We went right along that shore when just the La Unica Resort was there.

wilderone - 11-19-2010 at 10:21 AM

Just an update - I started for Animas Bay and went about 7 miles past Campo Gecko. The road out of town and beyond are all rocky, loose rocks, and I was doing about 12 mph. Hmmm - 21 miles of this? About then, a Baja 1000 race vehicle came screaming past me at 60 mph, with rocks flying. Guess that's how the road got so many loose rocks. The days were short, it was windy - I figured another trip in optimum conditions would be a wiser choice. And I wouldn't become an accidental Baja 1000 participant!! I'll bring the kayak then too.
I really appreciate the advice and geography photos - I've printed them out for future reference.

David K - 11-19-2010 at 11:05 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by wilderone
Just an update - I started for Animas Bay and went about 7 miles past Campo Gecko. The road out of town and beyond are all rocky, loose rocks, and I was doing about 12 mph. Hmmm - 21 miles of this? About then, a Baja 1000 race vehicle came screaming past me at 60 mph, with rocks flying. Guess that's how the road got so many loose rocks. The days were short, it was windy - I figured another trip in optimum conditions would be a wiser choice. And I wouldn't become an accidental Baja 1000 participant!! I'll bring the kayak then too.
I really appreciate the advice and geography photos - I've printed them out for future reference.


It can be pretty scary when you are tooling along on a Baja dirt road, then without warning you get passed by a racing buggy or truck doing 100 mph! Happened to us many years ago south of San Felipe.

Have a fun time when you try again Cindi, and you will enjoy the lost mission mystery walls, if you hike up the mesa and the surrounding area!

[Edited on 11-19-2010 by David K]

David K - 1-2-2011 at 11:05 PM

bump for Marc

Bajaboy - 1-2-2011 at 11:15 PM

Drove down to Playa San Rafael a few days after the Baja 1000....worst I have ever seen the road. Not sure about the road out to Animas, though.

Zac