BajaNomad

Guadalupe Canyon Hot Springs ... with a trailer?

aburruss - 9-10-2022 at 05:02 PM

Hey everyone. We are planning on heading down to somewhere south of San Felipe for Thanksgiving week. On the way down, we may try to stop off at Guadalupe Canyon and camp out for a couple days. We are planning on taking our trailer with our UTV on it. Having never been there I'm wondering if it would be possible to get up into Guadalupe canyon with a trailer. I've watched a couple videos I found on youtube, and right now I'm feeling 50/50.

Does anyone who's been there have any recommendations for me?

And before anyone gets on my case.. no.. we're not going to be using the UTV up there.. just gonna stay on the trailer while we're there camping and relaxing. :)

advrider - 9-10-2022 at 07:15 PM

If it's a standard built US wood framed trailer I'm not sure I would take it. When you say that your RZR will be on it, not in it, I'm guessing it could be the Baja tent trailer style? That I might take, but not any kind of toy hauler. Just my thoughts.

mtgoat666 - 9-10-2022 at 07:42 PM

After the hurricane this week, who knows if it is even passable for any vehicle?

Maderita - 9-10-2022 at 10:25 PM

Quote: Originally posted by aburruss  
Hey everyone. We are planning on heading down to somewhere south of San Felipe for Thanksgiving week. On the way down, we may try to stop off at Guadalupe Canyon and camp out for a couple days. We are planning on taking our trailer with our UTV on it. Having never been there I'm wondering if it would be possible to get up into Guadalupe canyon with a trailer. I've watched a couple videos I found on youtube, and right now I'm feeling 50/50.

Does anyone who's been there have any recommendations for me?

And before anyone gets on my case.. no.. we're not going to be using the UTV up there.. just gonna stay on the trailer while we're there camping and relaxing. :)

Report just in from Cañón de Guadalupe (Ernesto Loya) that there was damage from Hurricane/tropical storm Kay yesterday. Some palms were washed out, damage to the main swimming pool, and entrance road washed out. A ranch on the plateau above the canyon at 5,000' elevation got 12" of rain in one hour yesterday!!! Rancho Sauzalito (Jorge Marquez) reported that this evening, along with photos of his new "lake".

Laguna Salada, a formerly dry lake bed, is now full of water. A friend made it to Ejido Manatou (a couple miles east of Cañón de Guadalupe) just after midnight with a 4x4 truck after getting stuck a couple times on the high (west side of Laguna Salada) road. I don't believe that the fast (eastern) road across Laguna Salada will dry sufficiently by Thanksgiving, and perhaps not until spring. Don't even attempt it unless you have verified conditions. The surface forms a hard dry crust, luring its victims into a minefield of deep, sticky mud underneath the surface.

Things don't tend to get done quickly down there. However, there should be access by October, via the high (west) road. The west road is torn up and rutted now, beyond the normal bad washboard. Rough on trailers due to short stiff springs and no shocks. I'd suggest bringing extra parts: trailer spring, 3 nylon bushings, a pair of shackle straps, 3 bolts, plus the appropriate tools.

Some clearance even in dry seasons is required for the final kilometer. Not much space up the canyon for turning a trailer around. You might have to unhitch and spin the trailer around in order to make a U-turn. I wouldn't want to do that with a loaded tandem-axle trailer. And if you have a low-slung/drop-axle car hauler trailer, it would be more problematic. In any case, I'd unload the UTV below the canyon and drive the last mile.
If you are going to the resort at the left fork side of the canyon, they don't allow dirt bikes past the entrance building; there is parking for motos there.

Maderita - 9-10-2022 at 10:41 PM

Quote: Originally posted by aburruss  

...Does anyone who's been there have any recommendations for me?

And before anyone gets on my case.. no.. we're not going to be using the UTV up there.. just gonna stay on the trailer while we're there camping and relaxing. :)


I just re-read your post and realized that I could put you in contact with my tres amigos (all bilingual) in Ejido Manatou. You might want to leave your trailer and UTV at one of the 3 ranches. I doubt they would mind helping you. It's just 3 or 4 miles east of Cañón de Guadalupe in the desert. Fenced properties. Send a U2U if you like.

Btw, Holidays get booked solid at Guadalupe Canyon, at both resorts. Best to make your plans soon if you are going there.

Maderita - 9-10-2022 at 11:22 PM

Laguna Salada, Hurricane/tropical storm "Kay" 09 sept 2022. Video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82_A00-Gg88

Stuck 4x4 on the high road to the west side of Laguna Salada, 09 sept. 2022


New arroyo among date palms at Ejido Manatou.


Rancho on the 5,000' plateau above Cañón de Guadalupe. 12 inches of rain in one hour on 09 septiembre 2022 !!! (foto from 10 sept 2022)

David K - 9-11-2022 at 06:37 AM

Thank you!

Mulege Canuck - 9-11-2022 at 12:47 PM

I go to the hot springs every year with my Bigfoot camper and an F350.

The last 10% of the drive is on a tough road for that rig. It takes us an hour to go that last bit. It is an amazing place.

Even before Hurricane Kay, I would not advise bringing a trailer in there.

Maderita - 9-11-2022 at 01:45 PM

David K - de nada
Quote: Originally posted by aburruss  

.. we're not going to be using the UTV up there..

Another thought: Why bother to haul the trailer w/ UTV the 30 miles of rough road and back? You could arrange to store it in Progreso, west of Mexicali, while you make the side trip to camp at Cañón de Guadalupe. Progreso is near the junction of Highway 2 and 2D, your turnoff for San Felipe.
http://www.maplandia.com/mexico/baja-california/mexicali/pro...

While it is possible to shortcut across the desert, southeast to highway 5, that route is a no-go due to recent flood, towing, and dearth of passersby. You will have to backtrack to Highway 2D before driving on to San Felipe.

If you still want a more relevant opinion about towing into the Cañón de Guadalupe resort, then get specific about the trailer. Single or tandem axle, length, straight vs. drop axles, and clearance at the rear of the trailer? The tow vehicle is another factor. High-clearance 4x4 truck, or something less capable?

I've taken a loaded 16' 4-horse trailer there, but the axles are "flipped" (leaf springs on top) plus additional lift and fitted with 4 KYB shocks. I've also seen full-size passenger buses at the resort on the right-hand side of the canyon. Very skilled drivers. I still don't know how they managed to make the U-turn for departure.

Mulege Canuck's Bigfoot camper likely overhangs the bed of his F-350, and has camper jacks at the rear. The departure angle on a typical overhead camper is hideous. No wonder it took an hour for the final section of road. The departure angle of the trailer is perhaps the main issue with towing on uneven terrain.

Maderita - 9-11-2022 at 03:13 PM

More info today, 11 sept 2022,on the storm damage at Cañón de Guadalupe:
Many palm trees washed into the creek. Boulders and craters covering the entrance to the canyon. Craters in the middle of the canyon. Many palapas destroyed.

I recall talking with the elder José Loya back in the 1970s. Hurricane Kathleen in 1976 dumped significantly more water on the canyon. He reported a raging wall of water 30' high. Somehow managed to survive. Uncanny similarities with these two hurricanes. Kathleen had the same trajectory as Kay, until Kay made a decisive westward turn in northern BC. Also in September, almost to the day. I recall palm trees washed miles out into the desert. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Kathleen

aburruss - 9-12-2022 at 06:54 PM

I want to thank you all for the responses here. I vote these responses to be the most relevant ever on BajaNomad. :)

I'm not taking a trailer to Guadalupe canyon (on this trip), and probably not going to go at all this November, based on what I've heard from the reports here. Maderita, you rock... and I'll be in touch later to discuss meeting up with your amigos at their ranchos at some point!

Maderita - 9-12-2022 at 09:07 PM

aburruss,
There are already plans being made to bring in an excavator. The canyon should be accessible to vehicles within a couple weeks.

But I get the decision to skip it this trip. Perhaps better to wait for the spring season. If you can arrange the time off, mid-week visits are much less crowded. Except around Easter.

Let me know if you need info and/or contacts for ranchos in the Laguna Salada desert or mountains in the Sierra de Juárez above. There are numerous interesting side trips and activities: 4-wheeling, hiking, motos, horseback riding, Native-American pictographs, and rock climbing (w/ ropes or scrambling w/o).

LetsGetLost - 9-26-2022 at 12:38 PM

I just heard from Kally that they won't be able to re-open until December or January.

Anyone have a recommendation of an alternate place to camp in the area?

Maderita - 9-26-2022 at 02:01 PM

Quote: Originally posted by LetsGetLost  
I just heard from Kally that they won't be able to re-open until December or January.

Anyone have a recommendation of an alternate place to camp in the area?


A local said today that they are hoping to have the road open by mid-October. Most of the campsites and tubs are on higher ground and may be relatively intact. My guess is that the two resorts will open, but with some limitations. Such as, the main swimming pool might take a while longer to repair.

Alternate camping depends on what vehicle you have 2WD or 4WD and the type of camping you desire. There are possibilities for primitive camping with 4WD outside the canyon. Follow sandy tracks and small arroyos to the south, before entering Guadalupe Canyon. There are unusual weathered rock formations with niches and small caves in that area.

I do not recommend camping at the canyons to the north, Carrizo or Tajo. Harvest season has probably not finished and there were grows this year. Visitors are not welcome, and it could be hazardous to one's health.

LetsGetLost - 9-26-2022 at 02:13 PM

Thank you, Maderita. I'll cross my fingers they get the road open.

We will be in high clearance 4WD, prefer to disperse camp. Appreciate the heads up about the grow ops.

Time Travel: Guadalupe Canyon Hot Springs

David K - 9-27-2022 at 06:23 AM

A look at some of my trips to the canyon (2001-2008):

2001: https://vivabaja.com/bbbb2/
2005: https://vivabaja.com/p405/
2005: https://vivabaja.com/guadalupe-canyon-entrance-11-05/
2006: https://vivabaja.com/p906/
2008: https://vivabaja.com/p108/
2008: https://vivabaja.com/halloween-2008-at-guadalupe-canyon/

Guadalupe Canyon Hot Springs History: https://www.bajabound.com/bajaadventures/bajatravel/guadalup...

Map of Arturo's Campo #1:





A few photos....

Arturo's swimming pool:



Tub at Campo La Cueva:



Campo El Sol:



Campo El Mirador tub:



Campo San Marcos:



Campo La Jolla-B:



Campo La Jolla-A:



Campo La Paloma:



Tub at Campo La Paloma:



The peak and the Virgen pinnacle:





Mulege Canuck - 9-27-2022 at 06:26 AM

We have been going to the Hotsprings for the last 10 years. The canyon stream and pools was getting plugged up with sediment. Maybe that big rain flushed it out.

Maderita - 9-27-2022 at 12:47 PM

Quote: Originally posted by LetsGetLost  

...Anyone have a recommendation of an alternate place to camp in the area?

I pinned some suggested sites for your group on Google Earth. These sites are not visible from the main road to Guadalupe, and your lights will not be on display at night. 4WD only due to sandy arroyos. Those rock cliffs have interesting weathered features with niches and little caves.


[Edited on 9-27-2022 by BajaNomad]

Aveinthebox - 10-15-2022 at 09:50 AM

Here is the most recent report from Guadalupe
https://youtu.be/0WTvbhxT3bo