Granite Mountain in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, CA

Hike Granite Mountain Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, CA

Class 2 6.7 miles 3400 gain 3-5 hrs Out + Back Feb 23, 2024
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Granite Mountain GPX Track

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Located in the southwest corner of Anza Borrego State Park in Southern California, Granite Mountain is a prominent summit within a transitional zone, where the brushy and forested terrain above meets the desert landscape below. The peak's granitic features awarded it a super-generic name, but like most Granite Mountains I've hiked, it's a good time. Chris and I chose to hike the standard route from the east, starting within Cool Canyon. A social trail is visible a fair amount of the hike, but its presence isn't enough to consider this steep trek a "trail". To reach the trailhead, leave pavement and head west here (33.05566, -116.42061) along Cool Canyon Road, likely accessible to passenger cars.

We hiked through Cool Canyon, enjoying its winding features and occasional little dryfall scrambles until reaching a junction of various drainages at a spur ridge marked with a cairn. Heading up this spur ridge is the most direct route out of Cool Canyon, and it seemed to make most sense to get to the higher terrain faster rather than stay low within the drainages. There weren't a lot of cairns marking the way at first, but a social trail slowly materialized, presumably as more hikers joined the ridge from various points after emerging from the drainages. Often a bit steep, the spur ridge was easy to follow and overall free of major rock obstacles or tedious cacti.

At around 4000', we approached a granite-filled slope and the social trail etching disappeared. Rather than continue directly through this mess, we determined it made more sense to side-hill around the fringe of these boulders, minimizing our scrambling. This worked out nicely since only a couple hundred feet included any Class 2 of note. Past here the slope continued steeply, but without the boulders. We reached a lump overlooking Granite Mountain to the west, a gorgeous-looking summit still a bit of work away.

We dropped down from the lump on trivial terrain to the western saddle of our peak, locating a social trail that led us to the east ridge. Here is where we encountered the start of the fun, a sea of granite with all sorts of enjoyable Class 2/2+ (and Class 3 if you're off-route too far), even including a couple of rabbit hole crawl-through spaces. It's difficult to describe the route since we weaved in and out of the boulders for well over half a mile, but keeping to the crest seems to be the best course of action, even though cairns often lead in various directions. The trail is defined enough that if you're not seeing previous hikers' footprints, you're likely off-route. It's an enjoyable session of easy route-finding with a wide margin for error. The views down toward the various named valleys below progressively improved, and despite the relative popularity of the peak, we were surprised we didn't see another party on the mountain all day.

We reached a false summit not far away from the top, and past here there's an array of granitic boulders along the crest that are easy to wrap around. The summit of Granite Mountain included a Class 2+ scramble to its top, where we got excellent views in all directions.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Granite Mountain
5633 ft
1953 rise

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Starting up Cool Canyon.
Starting up Cool Canyon.
Some minor dryfalls within Cool Canyon.
Some minor dryfalls within Cool Canyon.
Cool Canyon was pretty, and overall easy to hike through.
Cool Canyon was pretty, and overall easy to hike through.
A junction of drainages, where we headed up a spur ridge seen here.
A junction of drainages, where we headed up a spur ridge seen here.
Along the spur ridge, continuing up toward Granite Mountain. The peak isn't visible yet, but we're headed toward that lump in the center.
Along the spur ridge, continuing up toward Granite Mountain. The peak isn't visible yet, but we're headed toward that lump in the center.
A social trail much of the way up the spur ridge.
A social trail much of the way up the spur ridge.
Steep at times.
Steep at times.
View back down at our progress up the spur ridge, Cool Canyon seen center.
View back down at our progress up the spur ridge, Cool Canyon seen center.
Ahead is a sea of boulders. We kept t the right, ascending around the base.
Ahead is a sea of boulders. We kept t the right, ascending around the base.
View back, avoiding the majority of the boulders. Cool Canyon seen center.
View back, avoiding the majority of the boulders. Cool Canyon seen center.
Side-hilling along the steep slope, avoiding boulders.
Side-hilling along the steep slope, avoiding boulders.
A view of Granite Mountain!
A view of Granite Mountain!
Heading down to Granite Mountain's east saddle.
Heading down to Granite Mountain's east saddle.
And then starting up the fun route-finding up the Class 2/2+ east ridge.
And then starting up the fun route-finding up the Class 2/2+ east ridge.
View back toward the saddle.
View back toward the saddle.
Lots of wrap-around obstacles, cairns helping often.
Lots of wrap-around obstacles, cairns helping often.
The slope looks like this most of the time, but the boulders are generally easy to scramble over or wrap around.
The slope looks like this most of the time, but the boulders are generally easy to scramble over or wrap around.
Just another shot for context.
Just another shot for context.
View back toward the saddle.
View back toward the saddle.
Granite Mountain poking out on the right as the terrain continues to be bouldery, but less steep.
Granite Mountain poking out on the right as the terrain continues to be bouldery, but less steep.
False summit, the last bit to Granite Mountain ahead.
False summit, the last bit to Granite Mountain ahead.
More Class 2 with a nice social trail to help.
More Class 2 with a nice social trail to help.
A crawl-through.
A crawl-through.
Granite Mountain summit ahead.
Granite Mountain summit ahead.
View back as we reach the summit.
View back as we reach the summit.
View west toward Cuyamaca Peak.
View west toward Cuyamaca Peak.
Granite Mountain summit, view north into Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Granite Mountain summit, view north into Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!