Slot Canyon Tour San Diego

4.8
  • We will descend into an incredible slot canyon with opportunities for one of a kind photos and breathtaking views of the sparkling Pacific Ocean. We will hike the sands of a secluded beach until we reach the mouth of our canyon where we will climb a short rope into a majestic and beautiful green Grotto with a waterfall.
  • The Slot is an amazing short hike located in the Anza Borrego Desert. Drive east on Hwy 78, and about a mile and a half after Borrego Springs Road, turn left onto Buttes Pass Road. Buttes Pass road is a dirt road and not marked well so look carefully. The road is pretty smooth, about a mile in you.
  • We embarked on the Slot Canyon Hike near San Diego, California. It is officially known as the 'West Butte Borrego Mountain' hike. It is actually located appr.
Diego

Added by Jason Neitzke

Distance: about one mile (no need to rush). Duration: 1-3 hours, depending on your speed. Short hike, easy access and amazing views. No permit required.

The Slot is an amazing short hike located in the Anza Borrego Desert. Drive east on Hwy 78, and about a mile and a half after Borrego Springs Road, turn left onto Buttes Pass Road. Buttes Pass road is a dirt road and not marked well so look carefully. The road is pretty smooth, about a mile in you will take a left at the fork. From there, you will drive about another mile to a parking lot. Two wheel drive vehicles should be fine unless there was a recent rainstorm.

From the parking lot, you will take the trail into the canyon that is directly in front of you. This will be the hardest and steepest part of the hike. There are no trail markers for the Slot. Do not take the trail to the right of the parking lot or you will miss the Slot. Once you are at the bottom, go left and head to where the canyon starts to narrow. As you enter, the walls start to close in and you are taking your bag off to get through some tight passages. Every turn is exciting, it is constantly changing and you are not sure what is going to be around the next bend. The Slot is made of siltstone and is very brittle so watch your footing if you decide to climb around. At the end of the Slot you hit a dirt road, from there you can either turn around and go back through or follow the road and find some other trails. Further down the road there are some awesome wind caves and arches that are worth checking out.

Slot Canyon is an unmaintained trail off a sand road and far from most visitor traffic. Flash floods formed the breathtaking slot canyon. At points, forty-foot high walls arch above a foot-wide canyon floor.

Hiking
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Scenic

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Reviews

Sophia Steen

over 2 years ago

Great short hike

Beautiful sandstone slot canyon. It gets tight in areas. Went of the main trail a bit and did some climbing up! So much fun

5.0

Slot Canyon Tour San Diego

Scott Sichler

🥇Top Contributor

almost 3 years ago

Slots O fun

Canyon

This is a really fun hike. The slot is a little tight in spots but doable by most people. We like to hike out into cliffs beyond the slots for great views of the area.

5.0

Allett Wallets

about 4 years ago

Worth The Stop

This was an entertaining hike. It makes you feel like a kid again. It's a unique experience and a worth while diversion.

4.0

Christine Thompson

almost 5 years ago

Hands Down One Of The Best Adventure

It is simply amazing! Your weaving in and out of the canyon you find yourself going through tunnels . A must see

5.0

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on.

Anza Borrego Domelands: Wind Caves and Slot Canyon Hike

Video of the Hike:

Distance: 9 miles. Elevation Gain: 1266 feet . Time to complete: 5 hours. Difficulty: Moderately Strenuous

Slot Canyon San Diego Beach

Best Time to Visit: Winter Time – December through March

Bathroom Facilities: Lots of Cactus ! Make sure to use the bathroom at the gas station as you get off of Highway 8, its your last chance.

Pets: not really the best trail for dogs. I can’t imagine trying to get my dogs through the slot canyon, and the terrain is pretty rough in areas.

Directions:Domelands Trailhead. Take Highway 8 east from San Diego to the the Imperial Highway exit / Route S2. Turn Left and go under the Freeway and head north on Route S2 for about 7.2 miles. Look for Road 93 on your right hand side. There will be a large sign explaining the history of the area and a large arrow pointing towards the mountains by the roadside. Once you get off the highway take the dirt road until it ends, usually there are a couple of cars already around there, but you will know you you have reached the trail head when you see some metal poles with chain through them and one opening for you to go through and start your hike.

From the trailhead, go through the opening in the chains and head up what used to be an old jeep trail but now seems more like a single track trail. As you heading up look behind you and get a good look at the field of windmills that spreads out on the desert floor. Head along this track for about .82 miles until you get to a wash that heads away from you to the south. At this point you can go clockwise in a loop or counter clock wise in a loop, I’ve tried both and I found to prefer the counter clockwise loop. If you go clockwise by the time you drop down into the wash and make your way back towards the trail head it will be hot and you will have no breeze, while if you go counter clockwise and drop into the wash first in the morning and then make your way back along the ridge during the afternoon, you can take advantage of the desert breeze on your way back.

Looking down into the wash at Domelands

As you head down into the wash, keep an eye open for fossils, we found them everywhere. You will start in the low part of the wash and before you know it you will have towering cliffs over your head. Its interesting to see the landscape and how its eroded over time, exposing sediment layers, fossils, and the evidence for the tectonic forces that created the beautiful landscape.

After about 2 miles of easy hiking through the wash you will come to the steep ridge that will take you up above the wash, take a left, head up the ridge and then when you reach the top keep following the trail until you reach the bottom of the slot canyon.

Looking back down into the wash we just climbed out of

In about 1/2 after coming up the ridge you will reach the bottom of the slot canyon, this is a good place to take a break and enjoy the shade with a snack before you start climbing again.

As you make your way up the slot canyon there are a couple of spots that let in some natural light for some great pictures.

stopping the take pictures in the slot canyon

Also the footing can get a little treacherous so keep an eye on where you are stepping, I had a tough time trying to hold my GoPro, film, and negotiate the terrain at the same time.

treacherous footing while going through the slot canyon

After you come out of the slot canyon, head up through a small wash to the east, this is where it helps to have a GPS track to follow as the trail can get really faint and or disappear at times. Eventually you will come out of the small canyon / wash onto a ridge line with a great view back towards the badlands, Salton Sea, and the mountains to the north and east.

Slot Canyon Tour San Diego Convention Center

Looking back towards the badlands and the mountains to the north and east.

After taking in the view, make your way up the ridge line for another mile until you come to some really cool wind caves. This is a great place to explore and see how erosion and the tectonic forces have shaped the typography.

Slot Canyon Tour San Diego Resorts

When you get done exploring this area head back out onto the trail and make your way north, you will pass another little mountain with some cool wind caves on it, if you want to explore the top you can make your way up the left side of the mountain, just watch your footing.

Slot Canyon Tour San Diego Zoo

More Wind Caves on top of the ridge

Slot Canyon Tour San Diego Gaslamp

After exploring the 2nd set of wind caves, start making your way down the mountain. Once you make your way down to flatter terrain you can either take the trail on the left and head back towards the top of the wash and connect back up with the trail that way, or head to the right and make a wide sweeping left turn to make your way back towards the main trail, but going this way means negotiating a couple of washes along the way.

Slot Canyon Tour San Diego Map

Looking down at all the windmills on the desert floor as we head down to the trailhead