Carrizo Mountain

Hiked: 4/21/2026
Distance: 12.1 miles round trip cross country, dirt road, and use trail
Summit Elevation: 2409'
Prominence: 1250'
Elevation Gain: 3043'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 2.4
Round trip time: 6 hours 30 minutes
Recommended water: 92 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Fossil Canyon Road
Difficulty: Strenuous

I took I-8 east to Imperial Highway (S2), then went north on Shell Canyon Road. The road turned to dirt and went by a shooting range. I missed the final turn that would have taken me to the 4WD parking area and ended up at the mouth of Fossil Canyon. It was close enough. I hiked about a quarter mile before reaching the 4WD parking area, then continued up the canyon. The geology was interesting: mud towers and shells embedded in the walls. The main route ascent gully looked loose, so I continued up the main canyon to the next gully that was narrow, but easy class 2 on solid boulders. A half mile later, I realized the gullies did not converge. I had to climb out of the one I was in and drop into the adjacent one. Descending loose scree tweaked my left knee, which has become a theme this year, and made me consider turning back. Carrizo was still a long way off, but I knew the cross country section was almost over. I climbed up one more steep gully, then spotted the dirt road that would guide me the rest of the way. Carrizo Mountain was not visible until I crested the final gully.

Memorial set up just off the road

First look at Carrizo Mountain
The southern face of Carrizo Mountain was marked by cliffs and badlands. Painful if not impossible for a direct assault. However, the road veered away from it, looping to ascend the more gentle east ridge. Road walking caused no discomfort, so I continued my quest. Once out of the gullies, the wind blew steadily at 20-25mph with stiff gusts. The road ended near the summit and a use trail took over. The summit had two benchmarks and great 360 views to the Salton Sea and Mexico. A couple of register were in a plastic jar, the oldest from 1998. There were entries as recent as the previous week. I spent about 20 minutes resting on the summit, then started down. I decided to take the standard route back and dropped down the loose gully I avoided on the way up. I'm not sure it was easier than my ascent route. I relaxed once I was back in the main canyon and coasted back to the truck.

Start of the use trail

Salton Sea to the north

Looking back on the way out