My daughter and I are driving to Punta Chivato in May. So far we have side trips planned to La Lobera, el Marmol, Catavina Paintings (we are staying
night in Catavina).
Is the road at the bottom of the grade north of Santa Rosalia to Las Tres Virgines interesting and worth the time?
Any other side trip suggestions between Catavina and Palo Verde? I am driving an old lady Acura MDX, so off road is okay but clearance is not the same
as my jeep! Graded roads best.
Thanks!wilderone - 2-23-2018 at 08:36 AM
There are some eco-lodges at Tres Virgines (a relatively recent report on that on this site) you might find interesting. Check out Mision San
Fernando Velicata A drive into Bahia de los Angeles, overnight - a very nice beach-side ambiance and change of pace after driving down the middle of
the peninsula-small museum (hotel, grocery). After Vizcaino, look for a left turn to San Francisco where there are pictographs (signs Pinturas
Repuestres). The drive is winding, but views are great. David K - 2-23-2018 at 09:44 AM
What Wilderone said!
Photos of all those places are in my 2017 TRIP Reports. (#1, #2, #4, #5, I think are the ones covering L.A. Bay sites, Tres Virgenes lodge, San
Fernando mission and petros, San Francisco de la Sierra).RnR - 2-23-2018 at 01:56 PM
So far we have side trips planned to La Lobera, el Marmol, Catavina Paintings (we are staying night in Catavina).
I am driving an old lady Acura MDX, so off road is okay but clearance is not the same as my jeep! Graded roads best.
Thanks!
We attempted La Lobera on Oct 20, 2017.
The road into La Lobera is rough and rutted. We turned around near the bottom of the hill/arroyo crossing about one mile in.
The truck could have handled it. F350 4x4 Diesel. We couldn't.
We had a lot of stuff in the back including two dogs. The rocks and side-to-side rocking were throwing things around in the shell so much that we
were afraid of ruining items destined for the house. (And the dogs were not too happy either.)
I think it is about six miles in to La Lobera. We decided to go see something else after the first mile.
Who knows - maybe the next five miles would have been smooth cruising .....
Give it shot. Maybe the road has been re-graded since Oct.
Good Luck.
Please report back if you choose to go. We may try it again in June or July if the road condition has been improved.
[Edited on 2-23-2018 by RnR]BajaMama - 2-23-2018 at 02:17 PM
Will do RnR, thanks for the input, and I will turn around if my dog is surfing in the back seat!David K - 2-23-2018 at 03:13 PM
RnR, thanks for the La Lobera road update... I was telling the new Nomad that it may be an issue in another thread just now. FWIW, the distance from
Hwy. 1 to La Lobera is 3.0 miles, so just half what it seems like with the rough driving! I drove in last in Selt. 2016, and it was rough with a
detour at the bottom of that gulch, back then.
