Road to Rancho El Coyote in a stock cherokee?

Quote: Originally posted by motoged

Take her car....discourage her from attending....send her a postcard from Ensenada....

Quote: Originally posted by WideAngleWandering

That sounds like the route I successfully followed a few years back. When I get home in a couple days I'll try and post the map/gps tracks I captured. I would be careful out there as the first time I tried it I got stuck on a rock and foolishly thrashed a birfield joint.

Thank you... a map with the newer routes mentioned by bajatrailrider would clear things up!

Here is a map with mileages along the route I took through Mike's Sky Rancho about ten years ago...



The larger area, on the Auto Club map of 1978 ('Concepcion' is Dark Skys Inn):

Here are the trails around Mike's from Google Earth. The green line is the 2013 Baja 1000 race course. Note in the lower left the green line bypasses the white trail line because the road was washed out.

Lower right is where it goes to Mike and Pam's place and on to the Observatory Rd.

Larry where else is it washed out from the rains.

Quote: Originally posted by bajatrailrider

TMW can you show road better,to Mike and Pam.To see if shows new road bypass there locked gate.

Here is a GE image of their locked gate at the Observatory Rd. I don’t see any trails or road around it.


Here is a GE image with a trail from about half way between CO1B and ECJ. It is the blue line and it goes to a ranch north of the gate, but still inside the gate.


Here is a close up image of the turnoff at ECJ


This image is near El Coyote where SCORE did a bypass route. I followed the white line (regular road) about 3-4 years ago and where it shows Rd out the road had about a 5-6 foot drop off on the north side but the south side was OK to drive up. A crew with shovels could probably fix it in no time. About 30-40 feet before the drop off there is a steep embankment dropping down about 25 feet. At the bottom are large boulders and just enough space for my Tacoma to turn with a few back and forth’s. At the time I took a chance and went down it because I saw car tracks up the other side and had talked to a motorcycle guy at Mike’s the night before. I don’t know if I could have went up it because at the top is a tree and I would have had to make a sharp 90 degree turn. I had to backup and go forward several times just to put my truck in position to go down.


Mike and Pam's place is about half way between ECJ and the locked gate.





[Edited on 2-24-2016 by TMW]

Quote: Originally posted by PaulW

Last October 2 of the three roads were drive-able in your van. One easier that the other. Stand by and I will drive them and report back. Maybe next week?

That would be mighty kind of you to do some scouting I'm actually planning on passing through that area (or bypassing and just going over to Ensenada) in about a week from now, so it might be too late for me.

I'm starting with Laguna Hanson and heading south, as I've never explored there either.

Speaking of gates in the San Pedro Martir park (and I know this is off topic a bit) but does anyone know offhand if I can drive off the main road, such as going east from where I have marked "access26" to up to where I have marked "San Pedro Martir view"?



I see on Google Earth there is a nice looking road, but I don't know about rules & gates.

-- Geoff

Quote: Originally posted by geoffff

Speaking of gates in the San Pedro Martir park (and I know this is off topic a bit) but does anyone know offhand if I can drive off the main road, such as going east from where I have marked "access26" to up to where I have marked "San Pedro Martir view"? I see on Google Earth there is a nice looking road, but I don't know about rules & gates. -- Geoff

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Thats a hiking trail. Vehicles not permitted. Its an eAsy hike.

Quote: Originally posted by David K

You are doing great Tom! If the gate is locked at the observatory highway, they sure must not seek uninvited guests at their motel or B&B? When I posted it seemed they closed up business, I got a bit of flak as if I didn't want them open. Quite the opposite, but just trying to be real not wishful.

Quote: Originally posted by bajatrailrider

Ok Tom I don't see new road. The new road goes from Mikes to (Now I remember) Rancho La Joya. Could you pull up Rancho La Joya. It is west of Pam's place. If you turned in from Observatory road. You go in few miles, then road to Rt goes to Pam's place. Slight to left Rancho La Joya. Then from there rancho,you see new road they built. To go up it very hard. Much easier to go down from Mikes. I Think My Nissan 4x4 would make it down. There is lots of brush,over growth. The turn real tight,I would think in LWB van. Be tuff. I have been up and down,New way. Many times on dirt bike, Even on dirt bike.Its not for novice rider. Mike that lives at Coyote,said he will. Ride the routes and report back for us. Im reporting from last week.

Here is a GE image showing R. La Joya and Dark Skies, Mike and Pam's place. There looks to be a trail from Mike's to the Rancho but when I follow it close it dead ends unless it is in the wash and covered by trees.

It is the only other facility I saw off the road to Mike and Pam's place.


A closer look.

Here are a few more GE images. I traced the trail from Mike and Pam's to Rancho La Joya but I didn't see a complete trail as shown in the first two images.


A closer look.


Here is where the road to Rancho La Joya starts near the gate at the Park Hwy.


Here is the other end between ECJ and CO1B.

Photos from bajatrailrider

Larry sent me these three photos to share:

New route Mikes to Coyote Driven 3/2/16

New route Mikes to Coyote Driven 3/2/16
On the GPS screen shot image
I left TWs WPs on my screen shot and attached tracks.
The keep right when road leaving Mikes at the bottom of the first downhill. Then find several difficult places after that, IMO, a rig needs 33” tires to pass over and around the large rocks. Then traveling on arrive at the Simpson ranch turnoff. Based on input from Mike at Coyote he said one can drive to the ranch but the road after the ranch is gone and there is no go around the river washout. ( WP “SIMTO”).
At TWs WP “CO2A” do not turn W (RT) as the road west leads to a ranch and locked fence gates.
Proceed to WP “New Y” and turn right and follow the road that Coyote made to bypass the traditional roads that are now washed out. The road is pretty easy and is freshly maintained and will work for an SUV. It goes to Coyote thru the horse pasture at a fence gate. Mike has made new colorful signs to give us good directions.
The traditional roads are twofold. The washed out one with pictures that David posted for Larry on this thread were taken by Mike. (Not the Sky ranch Mike but the Coyote Mike who lives at Coyote). We had a long discussion with Mike and he confirmed that road is not likely to be repaired any time soon. He said the other road I labeled “Moto Only” may be possible for a moto, but not a Jeep due to the bad condition after the 5 days of rain.
The attached .USR file can be loaded by the reader into Google earth and from there one can pick off coordinates as desired. The GPX file I made is to big so the reader will have to convert the .USR file. FYI, my GPS file also shows the track to the PMEX at Valley Trinidad, the track from Coyote to the paved road, to Rancho Meling, and to part of the observatory road.


Attachment: USR New M2C.usr (104kB)
This file has been downloaded 274 times

Quote: Originally posted by WideAngleWandering

I think I'll skip san Pedro martir - we could be comfortable for the night but I'm not equipped for any winter survival situations if anything went wrong and its a wee bit chilly up there. As for coyote ... Very tempting but probably not worth it on this trip if I'm not continuing up to the park. Maybe later this summer.