2,638 miles (from Mexico to Canada). Junction
with Lost Valley Tail and side trip to Bucksnort
Mountain and Combs Peak.

The Pacific Crest Trail stretches from the Mexican border near Campo in San Diego County to Manning Provincial Park on the Canadian border--2,638 miles through seven national parks, six state parks, and 24 national forests. The average trip along the entire trail takes about six months. For our purposes, we’ll only be looking at the first few miles of the trail north and south of the Lost Valley Road.

The Pacific Crest Trail was first proposed in 1934, but it was not designated as a National Scenic Trail until 1968 and the final stretch of the trail was not completed until 1993. While the trail was under construction, various parts of existing trails were used. Construction of the stretch crossing the Lost Valley Road began in 1978 when the final alignment was surveyed and tagged. The actual work began early in 1979 and was completed that fall as far north as the Riverside County line.

Several of the members of the Lost Valley Staff worked on the trail after the summer season was over. Jim Wright was one of them. “It was very dusty, very dirty, and very hard work,” he says. Crews of five to ten people worked “like a chain gang” along the trail, dynamiting rock outcroppings, cutting brush, and clearing the debris. Jack hammers, chain saws, and even a tiny “Bob-cat” tractor were used, but still “probably 80% of the work was done by hand,” According to Wright. “Rattlesnakes and solid rock were our biggest problems,” he adds.

The construction crews had to adhere to a strict set of standards in building the trail. It had to be a certain width, fairly level, and not too steep. When finished, each new section of the trail had to be inspected and approved by the U.S. Forest Service. The result is a trail that is easy follow--so little directional information is necessary here.

The trailhead (for our purposes) is located 5.3 miles out the Lost Valley Road. From here the trail leads north towards Anza or south towards Warner Springs.

14 miles to Highway 79
Junction with the Lost
Valley Trail.

0.0 Trailhead (signed).

0.05 Below you, to your right, you can see the Lost Valley Road, which will be in view for several miles. Below it, a stretch of Ray Bergman’s road is still visible. The best preserved portion is now known as the Old Road.

0.4 Above you are the power lines which serve Lost Valley. Just over the rise to your left is the Lost Valley Road. Crossing a creek, you continue up the opposite side of the canyon. To the right, several ranges away, are the Santa Rosa Mountains, which divide the Anza-Borrego Desert from the Coachella Valley.

0.9 As you climb out of this small valley, your view is towards Chihuahua Valley, with Palomar Mountain rising to your left.

1.0 The trail climbs up over a ridge. To your right, the Lost Valley Road can still be seen. The hills along the trail are covered mostly with manzanita and red shank, with a few yucca poking their heads up above the chaparral. In the spring, wildflowers can also be found alongside the trail. Notice that the brush is thicker on the south facing slopes which receive more sunlight. In some places, the chaparral is almost thick enough to walk on top, but you’ll want to stick to the trail.

1.3 A small grove of trees makes for a good rest spot. Sitting or climbing on the rocks may be comfortable, or improve your view, but remember to watch for snakes.

2.3 As you curve along the hillsides, the view has not changed much, but the plantlife has. With just a little rise in elevation you come into oaks and pines among the rocks. This area makes for another good rest spot. You hike through the trees for a few hundred feet, then the trail (which was very carefully built through here) turns to the left and climbs over the ridge into the next valley. Now all the landmarks you’ve been hiking with have changed. The Lost Valley Road, Chihuahua Valley, and Bucksnort Mountain (where the northern stretch of the trail runs) are all out of sight. Ahead of you is Hot Springs Mountain with its abandoned Forest Service fire lookout, and far to the left is Mt. Birkenstock.

2.8 The trail drops into a small bowl just as you reach the junction with the Lost Valley Trail. This can be a tough spot to find from the Pacific Crest Trail, unless the junction has been recently tagged.

3.2 Two holes in a rock to your right bear witness to the blasting that was done by the trail crew to build through here. At times, seepage is visible along this stretch of the trail, coming out of the hillside to your right. As dry as this country may seem, there can be water just below the surface.

4.0 The four-mile mark is a large boulder looming over the trail. As you cut around it, or rest in its shade, you might start thinking about heading back--four miles out means four miles back.

4.2 Looking across a small saddle to your left, the Santa Rosa Mountains are again visible.

4.22 You can get a better view of the area from the rocks above this corner, but for the best view you should continue to....

4.4 The last high point before the trail begins its descent towards Highway 79 and Warner Springs. Lost Valley lies over the ridge to the left. Some 2,000 feet below you, the broad grazing lands of the Warner Ranch are visible. This 1840’s Mexican rancho is still used for raising cattle. Unless you have made plans to be picked up at the highway, this is probably the best place to turn around. Going back, you’ll find that the trail goes a little easier once you cross the main ridge about two miles back. The trail to Warners drops down into Agua Caliente Canyon, and finally reaches the highway.

0.0 Trailhead on the Lost Valley Road (signed). The trail begins up and to the right along the east face of Bucksnort Mountain. To your right, across the valleys and canyons are the Santa Rosa Mountains.

0.1 As you swing wide to make the first of many corners along the flanks of the mountain, you get a sweeping view of the area to the north, east and south. Below, you can see the only private residence between Chihuahua Valley and the camp, which began as a hunting cabin back around 1978.

0.3 As you reach this corner, you begin to be able to look further and further down into Coyote Canyon at the base of the Santa Rosas. This historic canyon is an important route of travel in and out of the desert. Looking back, large stretches of the Lost Valley Road are also visible from this point. The trail here keeps a fairly consistent grade--an example of the construction standards required. Notice also that rocks were spread where the trail crosses the tops of canyons to protect the trail from erosion during the wet seasons.

0.6 From this corner, you can see a surprisingly large grove of pine trees on the hill above you. While it may not appear on the surface, there must be a supply of water there to support them. Notice also that as the hillside gets steeper, the chaparral grows taller.

0.85 After a steady stretch of climbing, the trail levels out a little.

1.1 Climbing up the large boulder to your left on this corner, you can see a wide stretch of the Santa Rosas. The mountains in this area were largely formed by uplift along fault lines. Some of the smaller ranges at the base of the Santa Rosas follow the smaller faults that always accompany the main ones. Rounding the corner brings you to the first trees on the trail, a sign of your steady gain in altitude. They offer a good resting spot. There are even a few small oak trees along the trail.

1.5 A large pile of rocks on your left--some of them obviously blasted away during the construction of the trail--marks the 1.5 mile point. The climb gets a little steeper now, as the trail begins to rise towards the saddle. Looking downhill, you can see how the hillsides grow increasingly more barren as they head down towards the desert floor.

2.0 A short switchback takes you to the top of the ridge. As you reach the top you’ll discover a total change in scenery. The Santa Rosas and Coyote Canyon are still visible to your right, with one small patch of white sand marking the bottom of the canyon, but now Mount San Jacinto has finally come into view, rising to your left. In the foreground is the Anza Valley and the town of Anza. >From here, the trail continues along the ridge to the left to....

2.1 The trail to Combs Peak. Only a few pine trees survive here of what was once a nice little stand of trees. The trailhead is marked by a stone cairn.

Side trip to Combs Peak

0.0 Trailhead. The trail to the peak is everything the Pacific Crest Trail is not -- steep, brushy, and sometimes faint. It winds up the side of the mountain, usually bearing left, and climbs about 600 feet to the summit. It is marked with stone cairns, but if you’re ever in doubt about which way to turn, always choose up.

0.1 A small point of rocks provides a nice overlook back across towards the Lost Valley Road. From here the trail continues to your left along the slope, then turns up to the right.

0.15 The trail scrambles up over a large rock formation which offers another nice panorama for the top. The trail continues on past two pines trees at the top of another rock formation. At this point the brush gets a little lower and the trail is a little easier to follow as it climbs up the shoulder of the peak.

0.35 The uppermost tree on the peak is a short, lonely pine. The trail turns steeply up to the left just above it and the brush closes back in.

0.4 The trail winds to the right around the base of a huge boulder. Just above it, you get a clear view down into Lost Valley.

0.5 Combs Peak -- at 6,193 feet, the highest point in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The view from here is awesome! Standing on the 1939 triangulation point set in the rocks at the very top and looking down into Lost Valley you can clearly see the Irvine Trading Post, the pool, and the stables. Sweeping around clockwise from the valley, you can see the southern stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail, Hot Springs Mountain and the Mesa Grande area beyond, the Vallé de San José and Lake Henshaw, and the full sweep of Palomar Mountain from Aguanga Mountain to the Agua Tibia. Down below are Boden Field and Chihuahua Valley, then the lower ridge of Bucksnort Mountain pointing towards Beauty Mountain. To the north, the San Bernardino Mountains and Mount San Gorgonio are visible, along with the town of Anza, the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains, and the desert mountains off across the Coachella Valley. Down below the Santa Rosas is Coyote Canyon, running down towards Borrego Valley and the desert beyond. The peak was named for Henry Combs, a miner who lived in the Oak Grove area around 1900 during a short-lived gold rush there. He established a camp east of Chihuahua Valley which later became a popular spot with hunters -- which undoubtedly gave us the name Bucksnort Mountain. There is a peak log in a blue can right alongside the triangulation point. Don’t forget to sign in! On your return trip down from the peak, be careful not to slip on the steep slopes, and you’ll still need to keep a sharp eye out for the trail.

End of side trip.

3.1 From this corner, you get a much fuller view of the town of Anza and the San Jacinto Mountains beyond. The trail begins to drop more steeply here, making this a good turn-around spot, unless you have made arrangements to be met at the bottom. The trail continues on to the Riverside County line, then connects with other roads which take it across the Anza Valley then up into the San Jacintos.