Hot spring campground and petroglyph covered boulders in Northern Baja California
25 miles on the dry lakebed of Laguna Salada is the first part of the drive between Hwy. 2 and Guadalupe Canyon.
Arturo’s Campo #1 has several choices of private camp sites with hot tubs and palapas.
A fire had recently burned the palms in the canyon and Arturo’s cantina.
The palm grove across the canyon, burned as well.
The view up Guadalupe Canyon.
Close up of the ‘Virgin of Guadalupe’ rock, on top of the canyon ridge.
The view towards Laguna Salada from camp site ‘El Mirador’.
The large pool is popular with kids when the campground is busy.
The campground west of (above) Arturo’s was burned by the fire.
To La Vibora Canyon Petroglyphs
The Guadalupe Canyon road is pretty rough the last 2 miles into the canyon.
Rocks turn into sand as we continue east towards Laguna Salada. Soon we will leave the main road and head south on a less used desert track.
This is Cañon La Vibora (‘Rattlesnake Canyon’), as seen from the desert road that continues south at the foot of the mountain range.
Right away one sees evidence of ancient Indian activity.
This highly decorated rock is visible from the end of the road.
Our trucks, as seen from the decorated rock.
After examining the first rock, we continue up the canyon over a difficult trail.
Steve shows us the next decorated boulder.
This was on the back side.
We continued climbing over the boulders looking for more petros…
Our friend and guide, Steve… known on the Internet’s Baja Nomad forums as ‘Hotschott’.
As we come back down the canyon, a deep metate is found. Metate is the Spanish word for a grinding pit or mortar.
Steve and Elizabeth chatting about al the Indian activity that happened here some hundred and more years ago.
A high boulder above the parking area is covered in petroglyphs.
Here’s another we saw before driving back to Guadalupe Canyon.
Our hot tub and palapa at campsite ‘La Jolla B’
Elizabeth and David
Another great weekend in Baja at Guadalupe Canyon, this trip with our friends Steve and Val.
Guadalupe Canyon to La Vibora Canyon (8 miles)
- 0.0 Arturo’s Camp, La Paloma & La Jolla road
- 2.2 Take right fork. Left is main road back to highway
- 2.8 Turn sharp right onto track heading south
- 7.5 Take road to right that drops steeply into arroyo
- 8.0 End of road, park for petroglyph and metate hike
- GPS at end of road: 32°6.74′, -115°44.66′ (map datum WGS 84)
- Allow 3 hours for the drive and hike.