Printable Peak Guide

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK

30H

Rosa Point

5083'

Location: Riverside County, about 13 miles northeast of Borrego Springs, 182 miles from Los Angeles

Maps

Auto Club	Riverside County, San Diego County
USGS Topo	Fonts Point 7½
Official HPS Maps	TPO file - Save to your computer then open with National Geographic TOPO!
	Viewable PDF file - Approximately 5 megs
	GPX file or Google Earth KML file to download to GPS units and other map software (How to use GPX and KML files)
	Routes as shown on CalTopo using the above files (How to use CalTopo)

Nearby Peaks: Villager Peak

ROUTE 1

Distance: 12 miles round trip cross-country
Gain: 5500' total, 4800' out plus 700' on return
Time: 10-11 hours round trip
Rating: Class 1, very strenuous
Navigation: Difficult
Leader Rating: "I", normal conditions
Route: All cross-country desert terrain with some steep portions infested with cholla
Original: Paul A. Lipsohn, December 1973

DRIVING ROUTE 1

Drive east on I-10 to the 86S expressway in Indio.
Drive south toward El Centro on SR 86S Expressway for about 35.5 miles to Salton City.
Turn west on the Borrego-Salton Seaway (S22).
Continue 14.8 miles to a parking area on the right (just past the 32 mile marker) and a dirt road on the left (south). Park in this area on either side of the road. The road on the south of S22 is signed "Thimble Trail". This is a good car camping spot.
It is also possible to reach the trailhead by driving east on S22 from Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs for about 13.1 miles.

HIKING ROUTE 1

From the parking area (960'), hike northeast toward the rounded hill visible just west of the mouth of Palo Verde Canyon.
Ascend the hill on a use trail and cross a shallow saddle (still heading northeast).
Then go generally north up the ridge to a flat area at 3520'. From here, 3 peaks can be seen on the north skyline; the left (west) peak has several bands of white rock below its summit. The right (east) peak is Rosa Point.
From the flat area at 3520', head northeast on a faint trail down to cross Palo Verde Canyon at 3240'.
Then climb east up a ridge and follow a faint trail on the north side of elevation 3800'+ to get into the saddle (3600'+) on the prominent ridge going north from elevation 3800'.
Ascend this ridge north to the summit of Rosa, which has a great view of the Salton Sea.

ALTERNATE ROUTE

It is possible (even scenic) to hike northeast up Palo Verde Canyon, leaving the canyon to the left (west) up a cholla-infested hillside at about 1850' (the canyon takes a bend from north to northwest here), attaining the ridge at the 2200' contour).

NOTES

When returning, DO NOT descend Palo Verde Canyon (above 2200') or Rattlesnake Canyon. Stay on the ridge you ascended and watch for "Jumping Cholla".