The Goat Canyon Trestle is the world’s longest, curved, wooden train trestle. It’s also one of the world’s tallest trestles. It’s located smack-dab in the middle of nowhere, but there is a small trail there if you’re willing to brave the bouldering, bugs, and cacti to get out there. We were, so we did.
Many sites list the trestle as abandoned and no longer in use - but that’s no longer true. I don’t know how often trains come out that way, but they do still run on the line that crosses the Goat Canyon Trestle. Yesterday, Tom and I headed out to Anza Borrego to find the trail and hike out to the trestle. From I-8, you have to drive out consecutively smaller roads until you turn off onto an unmarked dirt/sand road. Several twists and turns - and about 15 miles - later, you end up at Mortero Palms. Morteros are small divots in the rock that local indians used to use to grind grains. There’s a large rock (that I didn’t get a picture of) that has four basketball-sized morteros in it a quarter mile up the canyon. A couple hundred yards past the morteros is a grove of palm trees. Seeing those sites early in the hike made me feel like we were making headway. But that was only about 45 minutes into a 3-hour tour. Three hour tour.
It was a beautiful day and I got lots of great pictures of the desert flora. We had to be back in San Diego by 7pm, so we didn’t have time to hike all the way to the trestle, but we stopped and took some photos as soon as it was visible down the canyon. On the way back, a rock broke off under me and I slid down the face of a boulder which caused some nasty bleeding. But other than that, it was an awesome day. I posted pictures on Flickr here. (Direct link to the slideshow here.
Thanx for the cool pictures on the flickr site. … My friend and I are going to be heading to the trestle a couple times. Once soon, we will head out there November 2006, and we will be returning in the spring, after the rains.
Nice picture of the Goat Canyon Trestle. Thanks. Please be aware that the Carrizo Gorge Railway uses this track to haul sand up from the desert to TJ. Technically it is illegal to trespass on the railroad Right of Way, and they are prosecuting trespassers.
Also, I think ‘mortero’ means ‘mortar’ or ‘grout’ in Spanish. Metate is the word for the dimples in the rocks that were used to grind grains and acorns: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metate
Hello,
I made the trek to the trestle on a Honda XR 400 a couple weeks ago, it was the toughest, scariest trail I have ever been on. (I have been on bikes for 35 years) I rode by and in the tracks from the east end of the line. Through the tunnels and across the smaller trestles to goat canyon.
The dirt trail roads are marked, take #109 off S3 to #158
to the tracks drive east can’t miss it.
I reccomend the hiking there from the dirt road trail head. It is a long way as I logged 43 miles on the bike that day. the actual distance from the trail head to the trestle is about 5-6 miles it is an easy hike by foot. Plus you can see all the sights. On the bike I was so worried about crashing down the canyon and getting hurt or stuck I didn’t see all I should have. I rode through about 5 tunnells, crossed 8 or 9 smaller trestles and finnally got there! It is one of the most remarkable and just plain cool things I have ever seen, amazing that they even built this railroad in the middle of nowwhere!! Yes it is out in the middle of the mountians I didn’t see anyone on the way there all day! this was on the weekend too..Sunday.
Go see it and be carefull yes the railroad is in operation.
Pete H, San Diego resident.
How the heck do I get to the trailhead. Ive been dying to get to the trestle but have no idea where to start.
Here is a link to a Google Earth post about the trestle:
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Number/449407
i enjoyed you story about the goat canyon trail. I am planning a trip in december. Do you have any gps coordinates for the trailhead. From what i heard, finding the trail is tough. Please let me know. Thank you for your time.
Dan