Easy Peasy - South to Cohabuzzo Junction, then east to Highway 5, bypassing Tres Pozos which would be slightly south of the route.
I don't have my gps routes or directions easily available but the route is shown on most good Baja maps. I assume you'll be using a GPS for some
routes?
Many on this forum have taken that way and surely someone has the directions ready to share. I'll watch, and dig through my files in the event no one
comes up with the turns, etc.
A cool route off the pavement.
If you tell what map(s) you are using to layout and plan your trip it would help others to see what you can see and help with directions. You can do a
lot more dirt roads to SF but sensing you have destinations and time frames then this dirt portion I've mentioned would fit nicely into your schedule,
not to mention it would probably take more to by returning to Highway 2, Mexicali, then south.
I sent you a "private message" see the U2U on the very top of the Nomad site - next to where it shows your log in status. To reply to the U2U you will
need to see the message, scroll down, to where it says reply, then write your reply there. Sometimes you may find it easier and more productive to
communicate with specific Nomads this way.
Lol. If I had 23 days I would just go and decide where on the fly.
We did something similar early this year and I like this idea and what we did. We found that at some places we thought we'd stay 1 night, we stayed a
week.
Nothing really in San Felipe (IMHO) that warrants 1 night. Go a little further to Shell Beach, but everyone likes different things; we prefer less
crowds.
10 rigs?!! Sounds like the blind leading the blind. Baja is about solitude... Maybe go someplace else.
there is always one in every forum.
I appreciate the suggestions regarding off roading. I am specifically looking for a route from Canyon de Guadalupe south to San Felipe.
(maybe through the playa?)
other suggestions regarding substituting one village for another I will need to consult a map to see if they add significant mileage to the trip. and
re-read to understand the attraction of the alternate destination.
This is an over-landing trip but I don't want to beat up everyone on the dirt roads and lengthen their daily driving mileage significantly and reduce
their amount of evening / camp/ gathering/ dinner/ drinking/ gathering time.
Simple route is down to Cohabuso Jct and over to Tres Pozos and out to Hwy 5 at KM87.
The directions shown are from Hwy 5 to Cohabuso Jct. The green line would be coming from Guadalupe Canyon area.
Lol. If I had 23 days I would just go and decide where on the fly.
x2. But he doesn't have this luxury, it's a caravan-type outing, 10 cars. A lot of stress on the trail boss. Probably some business or a club. Blind
leading the blind - I like this one ...
Agreed with SF - minimize the North part, this time of year.
Also, - skip Sta Rosalia. Nothing (almost) to look at, and no nice hotels or camps on the beach. Well, there is a camp in muddy laguna of "pokito San
Lukito" 15 miles South of Sta Rosa, and you won't lose much if you don't get to see it. The town of Sta Rosa itself isn't really aesthetically
pleasing and is always crowded since re-opening of the copper mine. If it's a must on your list, make 2 hours stop. Just don't drive deep into
downtown, traffic sucks and parking is a nightmare. It's not even a big town, just over-crowded.
If you have to fill up on water and groceries, do it in Guerrero Negro, less stressful.
The loop from BOLA Hwy. 1 through the mission of San Borja to Rosarito back on Hwy 1 has always been a group pleaser. It makes a nice spot to Cook and
camp and tour the Mission and surrounding area. The trip out can be quite pretty when things are blooming.
Mission San Borja and José and family with their palapas and showers at the mission is a win!
Chris, you are a year early but good to start forming ideas! I am happy to give you data but I share all my trips here, so just look at my trip
reports here on Nomad, as well as others. 'geofff' has a 4x4 van and posts some great all-over-Baja reports on Nomad.
I invite you to enjoy this video, with speakers turned on of a 10-day tour I designed and led (except for the Concepcion Peninsula), last September
(2016). A great group with 4 Toyota 4x4s and great talent:
Mexicali-San Felipe (camped 20 miles south on Shell Island)
Shell Island-Mission San Borja via Calamajué Canyon
San Borja-L.A. Bay via Montevideo pictographs
L.A. Bay-San Ignacio via Pancho's and the giant painted cave near El Arco
San Ignacio-Punta Concepcion
Punta Concepcion-La Perla, Bahia Concepcion
La Perla-Bahia Asuncion, at Shari's La Bufadora Inn, Mexican Independence day.
Bahia Asuncion-Las Pintas fossil and petroglyph grotto
Las Pintas to Ron's sea culture project, San Quintin
San Quintin-Tecate, home.
Thanks for the feedback, suggestions, alternate stops.
being a trail leader is a thankless job.(remember , no good deed goes unpunished)
I want all participants to have the experience of down and back.
right number of stops
right number of extended stays
right number of hot springs
right number of good camping
right number of travel days that can be accomplished in 23 days.
with bragging rights that : I went down and back"
If people want to go back down later to visit their "favorite spot" form the trip then I did my job.
don't forget everyone needs passports ( check the expiration dates now ), stop at the border for visas ( fmm ), get auto and other vehicles if being
towed insurance, easy from bajabound and possibly medical travel and evacuation insurance.
i hope this is a fantastic and safe trip for you and your fellow travelers.
if you do run into problems, there are people on this website all over baja that may be of assistance.
Be sure to take the coast road from Bahia Asuncion to La Bocana and stop by to say hi to me (Blanca) and husband Les!
I think La Bocana warrants a night - we are so remote and you can either stay at the cabins right on the entrance to the lagoon (more rustic) or
with us in our B&B (www.labocanahotel.com) where Les will make you his famous Polish Eggs for breakfast!
23 days should be great fun. Do not miss San Ignacio - so much history with a beautiful town square in front of a mission built by Indians with
massively thick walls. For reasonable accommodations there is LA HUERTA hotel - go past the mission church and it will be on the right, inset from
the street. Plenty of parking. For more ritzy verrrrry cool accomodations, stay at the yurts (www.ignaciosprings.com)
I must admit, I do not envy you this journey with 10 vehicles !!
The beaches south of Mulege are some of the most spectacular
I must admit, I do not envy you this journey with 10 vehicles
Caravan bosses are not in it for pleasure - or for pleasure only. Keeping the group happy with minimum stress for leader is the goal.
Though it's not very often that they come here to ask for help with planning.
I was total pleasure for me. Baja has been a part of me most of my life. Maybe that's why it is different for me? I led my first group Baja trip in
1975, when I was 17!
I love introducing people to the wonders of Baja.
I only do it because its part of my character.
and there is safety in numbers. I usually lead off road adventures in Death valley, Black rock desert, the sierras, or in Moab occasionally.
not everyone is happy after a trail run but if the majority is then I'm happy.
I don't mind following either if someone is more knowledgeable(military training)
This is not a for profit adventure. only a group of off roaders who wish to visit Baja California. And I very much appreciate all the advice and even
offers of accommodation or dining locations.
some times it's nice to eat at a restaurant or event planners location after a day of driving( I know this all to well after 8k miles to Alaska and
back 2 weeks ago)
I think 2+ years from now is adequate time to plan a good event and to have all participants happy . I am in the process of revising the "spreadsheet"
in favor of some suggestions and will re post it when adjusted.
thanks also for the short cut route across the playa to highway 5 on the way to San Felipe. that is exactly what I was looking for .
So you have a group of XTerras with offroad and camping cabability - and yet you'll only be offroading to Guadalupe Hotsprings and Pto San
Francisquito? Is your objective to drive the length of the peninsula or to have fun at the off-the beaten-path locales? To make the most of your
effort, expenditure and capability, you should consider many of the suggestions on this forum. Personally, I'd skip Cabo, per se - maybe get as far
as Cabo Pulmo. Check out the hotsprings at Santiago? Definitely get up to the San Javier mission west of Loreto - lots of good camping en route.
The Bahia Asuncion-La Bocana route is perfect for your group. One night in San Felipe to wash off the dust would be OK. The road to Scammons Lagoon
will be open for whale watching, though it will be a tad early in the season for arriving whales; nevertheless the camping there is wonderful if it
fits in your day's schedule. Camping at San Fernando mission or El Marmol is free and interesting. What else besides driving from Point A to Point B
would you want to include? Keep in mind that your days will be short - sunset around 5:30 pm. So start early to make the most of your day. Make a
rough itinerary, but have more than one option in case your day-to-day destinations don't pan out.
The Nomad membership has given superb suggestions.
As one who lives here and has spent bookoos of years driving North and South Baja, that is a fairly optimistic spread sheet. Sheet happens once down
here, and to be stuck to a schedule would put a large burden on your travels.
Cabo is a tourist city, and the most you can see there are the marina and Cabo Wabo. Maybe do some shopping at the markets behind Cabo Wabo. If you
want to spend the night there, the Hotel Mar De Cortez has Nomad friendly prices.
If on a tight schedule, the must see places in Baja Sur are: Bahia Asunción, San Ignacio, Santa Rosalia, Mulege, Todos Santos, La Paz (don't forget
to drive to Tecolote Beach, where you can camp) and get a panga to take you to the East of the island for a snorkel trip with the local sea life plus
they provide a beach picnic on the island.
like wilderone said....camping in the lagoon would be perfect for your group as it is a pretty drive in..only half an hour off the highway and there
is a restaurant where you can all eat nice fresh seafood too...not to mention see baby whales and mating!
More than one! Someone who knows little about a big place, Baja, leading 10 rigs? Asking questions on a forum. A commercial venture? I 'm with
BooJum ! During season a group of more than two rigs will be difficult to get a Welcome. Look at DK's travel advice.
I think leading 10 vehicles is like herding cats, ask Ken Cooke.
Are you sure they will go to Baja. A couple of years ago I was asked to lead a group from San Diego on an off road trip to Baja and it turned out that
only the leader would go. Everyone else was afraid.
"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen.
The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back
if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes
"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others
cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn
"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law
Thankyou to Baja Bound
Mexico InsuranceServices for your long-term support of the BajaNomad.com Forums site.
Emergency Baja Contacts Include:
Desert Hawks;
El Rosario-based ambulance transport; Emergency #: (616) 103-0262