Route to San Felipe

[mtkreitz]

Has anyone taken a mostly off-road route to San Felipe?

A buddy and I would like to do a run in late March and we are tossing around ideas. Just don't know a route that isn't all road.

Please let me know if you have any experience with this...

 

[1Louder]

As in Mexico? I don't know if there is a route. South of Mexicali the highway is raised because of the conditions around it. Of course I am no subject matter expert. I have only been down there once.

 

[Pitch]

You can add lots of dirt by traveling west of Mexicali and then south to Guadalupe Canyon. It will cross a playa then, it rejoins MX5 a few miles north of the turnoff to Ensenada.

 

[1Louder]

You can add lots of dirt by traveling west of Mexicali and then south to Guadalupe Canyon. It wilk cross a playa then, it rejoins MX5 a few miles north of the turnoff to Ensenada.

Yes, totally true. That's an area I have never been. Not really a direct route. More of a big < .

 

[Funner]

Mike, I think you are SOL. IIRC Its pretty low sea level traveling to San Felipe with marshy swamp land and questionable salt flats most of the way down there.

 

[mtkreitz]

Well crap...

 

[1Louder]

Are you only staying in San Felipe? Plenty of dirty available south of there.... Especially past Gonzaga Bay around Coco's Corner you can join some of the 2014 Baja 1000 route.

 

[Pitch]

X2 on what Funner said. Most of the route from Mexicali to SF is about 3' above sea level. Tidal sand and salt flats to the east of there.

FWIW, the route through Guadalupe Canyon that I mentioned does have some attractive camping, with private hot springs at ea campsite.

 

[mtkreitz]

Are you only staying in San Felipe? Plenty of dirty available south of there.... Especially past Gonzaga Bay around Coco's Corner you can join some of the 2014 Baja 1000 route.

Just in the planning stages at this point. Wanted to keep the trip duration under a week which is why turning around at San Felipe was proposed..

 

[1Louder]

Here's my 2 cents. Spend the night in Yuma or Calexico the day prior to crossing. The cross the border in Mexicali East early am. Skip on past San Felipe other than for fuel and possibly Pesos and then head down to Gonzaga Bay. Spend the night there. Many options. Punta Final is the most remote I believe. Day 2 head down to Bahia De Los Angeles with a quick stop a Coco's Corner. If you want to do the scenic off-road route plan on the journey taking 6-7 hours. Dirt and pavement more like 4 or less. Stay in B of LA for a few days and take a day trip down to San Rafael Fish Camp or the other bay just south of Bay of LA. The name is escaping me. I'm not a fan of San Felipe. If you are visiting people there or have a place to stay that is entirely different. Don't bother going to the west side unless you plan on going down to Baja South. Nothing in Guerro Negro but you can pick up whale watching trips. I think Pitch can vouch for Bay of LA. It was cool... We stayed at Archelon.

 

[Pitch]

I completely agree with 1Louder. One night in SF is enough. We made it 20mi south of SF in one day, leaving from Flagstaff. "Real Baja" begins at Gonzaga bay and South IMO. San Felipe was fine, but very different from the rest of the Baja experience.

 

[Funner]

Agree 100% with the last two posts. We freeway bombed from Yuma to get past SF and camped just south of SF on the beach. We only stopped in SF to get gas.

 

[Funner]

Salt flats north of SF.

 

[Funner]

First night stayed at a little fishing/offroad camp south of SF. Good little restaurant at the camp served us some very good whitefish sauteed in garlic, butter and lemon.

 

[Funner]

Next night was camping at Bahia and then on to San Francisquito.

 

[Funner]

Between Bahia de los angeles and San Francisquito, pulled these two shirtless Mexican farmers off a rock they were high centered on in a wash driving an Audi A4. Seemed completely legit to me.

 

[Funner]

Near San Ignacio-

 

[Funner]

Mulege--

 

[Funner]

Bahia Concepcion at some fancy digs-

 

[Funner]

Did a U-turn at LaPaz and headed back up the left coast