Rainbow Canyon is another great little canyon that is only a mile or so long and great for a quick hike or family exploration opportunity. If you are camping in Blair Valley and have someone who can drop you off at the canyon mouth you can hike in and over to Blair Valley for about a 5 mile easy going but fun hike.
You can see all of the pictures from Cool Cool Canyon here and Rainbow Canyon here
Here is the entrance to Cool Canyon
![Entrance to Cool Canyon Entrance to Cool Canyon](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Cool-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-HRWjDQt/0/M/dsc0180511-08-20v2-M.jpg)
Morteros nearby indicate past Indian occupation in the area
![Morteros in Cool Canyon Morteros in Cool Canyon](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Cool-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-t9XMnDZ/0/M/dsc0180211-08-20v2-M.jpg)
![Morteros in Cool Canyon Morteros in Cool Canyon](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Cool-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-PdbSBNv/0/M/dsc0180311-08-20v2-M.jpg)
Some quality scat entering the canyon
![Probably bobcat scat, there was a lot of this type of scat in the canyon. Probably bobcat scat, there was a lot of this type of scat in the canyon.](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Cool-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-j3W5CXp/0/M/dsc0180611-08-20v2-M.jpg)
This appears to be a Hawk Massacre
![Hawk massacre Hawk massacre](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Cool-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-fD4c2pL/0/M/dsc0180811-08-20v2-M.jpg)
One of many dry falls in the canyon
![One of many dry falls in Cool Canyon One of many dry falls in Cool Canyon](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Cool-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-xCFPgdQ/0/M/dsc0182111-08-20v2-M.jpg)
Another larger dry fall
![Another dry fall further up in Cool Canyon Another dry fall further up in Cool Canyon](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Cool-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-SjRKB9c/0/M/dsc0182211-08-20v2-M.jpg)
Some Honeycomb up in the rocks, this was a great find
![Large Honeycomb up in the rocks. This was a great find. Large Honeycomb up in the rocks. This was a great find.](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Cool-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-7x5v2Wk/0/M/dsc0182711-08-20v2-M.jpg)
My lunch on Peak 4624, you can see Whale Peak straight ahead in the distance
![My lunch on peak 4624, Whale Peak is straight ahead in the far distance My lunch on peak 4624, Whale Peak is straight ahead in the far distance](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Cool-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-k89p7qm/0/M/dsc0183311-08-20v21-M.jpg)
Looking back at Peak 4624 as I descended
![Looking back up towards peak 4642 Looking back up towards peak 4642](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Cool-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-nxpTSJM/0/M/dsc0185111-08-20v2-M.jpg)
After Cool Canyon I headed over to Rainbow Canyon for a quick couple of hours
Here is the entrance to Rainbow Canyon
![Starting up Rainbow Canyon Starting up Rainbow Canyon](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Rainbow-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-DQSsDFB/0/M/dsc0185311-08-20v2-M.jpg)
You will almost immediately see the first dry fall, there are many and they are all fun to climb and easy to get over unless you decide to wear Stilettos on your desert hike...
![The first dry fall in Rainbow Canyon The first dry fall in Rainbow Canyon](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Rainbow-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-9nmpxvG/0/M/dsc0185711-08-20v2-M.jpg)
Lots of marbled rock in this canyon
![The marbling is very cool on the rocks in Rainbow Canyon The marbling is very cool on the rocks in Rainbow Canyon](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Rainbow-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-MPVnFbt/0/M/dsc0186511-08-20v2-M.jpg)
Approaching another dry fall
![Dry fall in Rainbow Canyon Dry fall in Rainbow Canyon](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Rainbow-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-frDF3hK/0/M/dsc0187011-08-20v2-M.jpg)
Looking up thru a section of the canyon
![About half way thru Rainbow Canyon About half way thru Rainbow Canyon](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Rainbow-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-ZDjkW97/0/M/dsc0187611-08-20v2-M.jpg)
Kitty Kat scat
![Kitty Kat Scat, there was a lot of cat scat in the canyon, probably Bobcat Kitty Kat Scat, there was a lot of cat scat in the canyon, probably Bobcat](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Rainbow-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-sQWp4hP/0/M/dsc0188211-08-20v2-M.jpg)
Looking east towards Blair Valley at the saddle area
![Looking east at the top of the saddle in Rainbow Canyon. Blair Valley is just on the other side Looking east at the top of the saddle in Rainbow Canyon. Blair Valley is just on the other side](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Rainbow-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-KtBt99J/0/M/dsc0189311-08-20v2-M.jpg)
Here is a narrow section of the canyon
![One of the narrow slot sections of Rainbow Canyon One of the narrow slot sections of Rainbow Canyon](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Rainbow-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-m3FdD7H/0/M/dsc0189511-08-20v2-M.jpg)
This is looking down probably the largest dry fall, it is actually a "double" dry fall
![Looking down one of the larger dry falls in Rainbow Canyon Looking down one of the larger dry falls in Rainbow Canyon](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Rainbow-Canyon-08-20-2011/i-LmW7XRg/0/M/dsc0189711-08-20v2-M.jpg)
Download a panorama of Earthquake Valley from Peak 4624 here
![View of Earthquake Valley from Peak 4624 near Granite Mtn and Cool Canyon View of Earthquake Valley from Peak 4624 near Granite Mtn and Cool Canyon](http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Panoramas/i-C6cBC3f/0/M/panoramaofearthquakevalleyfrom-M.jpg)
Both of the canyons are great for a quick 2 mile hike and are family and kid friendly
Nice trip! I've been catching up on all your reports here. You have some awesome hiking trips out in ABDSP. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete@Borrego Wrangler, Good to see you back! I noticed you dropped off for awhile on your blog
ReplyDeleteYeah, I guess having a baby puts everything else on the back burner. I did manage to recently update my blog with my latest trips. Hoping to head out a lot more in the coming months. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHey, I was wondering if I could use your photo, "Panorama of Ocotillo from Sombrero Peak" for a calender submission on another site I'm on. I'll credit the picture to you of course.
ReplyDeleteI think using the photo would be fine, use the Contact Me page on my blog and send me some more info about it.
ReplyDelete