Class 2 4.8 miles 1400 gain 2-4 hrs Out + Back Oct 27, 2018
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Whale Peak GPX Track

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Whale Peak is a sprawling desert mountain in Anza Borrego Desert State Park. I chose to take the standard route coming in from the north. Reaching the trailhead requires 4WD due to sand, but I made it in my Subaru. Turn off from main road (S2) here (33.0567746,-116.4199211) to reach the trailhead. The hike begins at a cairned gully/canyon with some Class 2 rock-hopping leading to one of many flat sections as the route slowly progresses to the summit. The trail then proceeds to wander through the desert on a much more well-defined trail than I anticipated. The hike doesn't require much elevation gain, but there are a few humps to go up and over. Cairns help through some od the spots where route-finding would otherwise be a little difficult. All the big boulders kind of start to look the same. The last half mile to gain Whale Peak is a bit steeper than the majority of the hike and includes more Class 2 scrambling. The wide views into Anza-Borrego Desert State Park were lovely.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Whale Peak
5349 ft
2700 rise

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A pretty decent dirt road leads to a small parking area. Head up the cairned gully/canyon.
A pretty decent dirt road leads to a small parking area. Head up the cairned gully/canyon.
Class 2 scrambling up the gully.
Class 2 scrambling up the gully.
Looking down the scrambly gully.
Looking down the scrambly gully.
Wide social trail leads through the desert.
Wide social trail leads through the desert.
Image 4 from gallery
Ahead is one of the few false peaks as you navigate to Whale Peak.
Ahead is one of the few false peaks as you navigate to Whale Peak.
Image 6 from gallery
Image 7 from gallery
Image 8 from gallery
Approaching the true Whale Peak.
Approaching the true Whale Peak.
Class 2 scrambling to gain the summit. There are a bunch of social trails here.
Class 2 scrambling to gain the summit. There are a bunch of social trails here.
View into the desert on the way up.
View into the desert on the way up.
Whale Peak summit, looking northwest-ish.
Whale Peak summit, looking northwest-ish.
Whale Peak summit, looking east-ish.
Whale Peak summit, looking east-ish.

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!