Ernesto Loya, Sr. - Owner

Maps & Directions

Guadalupe Canyon is located near the City of Mexicali in northern Baja California, Mexico. We are 135 miles southeast of Tijuana and 50 miles southwest of Mexicali off Highway 2. From the US, the most popular routes are through the border towns of Tecate and Mexicali.

California Directions through Tecate

Coming soon!

California Directions through Calexico / Mexicali

This route is the easiest for those who are unfamilar with driving in Mexico and want to take the simplest, most direct route to the Canyon. Recommended for those traveling from or through Los Angeles since traffic is typically better through the southeastern California desert than taking the I-405/I-5 towards San Diego. As an added bonus, this route is free of toll-booth charges like those found on the Tecate route!

From Los Angeles and Northern California

1. Take I-5, I-405, 91 East, 60 East, or 210 East as needed to reach I-10 East.
2. Head towards Palm Springs via the I-10 East.
3. Take the I-10 East a little past the city of Indio, and then head south on Highway 86.
4. Take 86 towards El Centro, and merge onto I-8 East for 3 miles to Highway 111 South.
5. Take Highway 111 South about 11 miles towards Mexicali. Be sure to take a break and get supplies, gas, ice, grub etc. in Calexico before crossing the border.
6. Border crossing from the US through Mexicali is usually very quick, but can be busy at times. On your return trip, when entering the US from Mexicali, expect long wait times at this crossing (can be up to one hour or more). This crossing is open 24 hours a day.
7. Scroll down to Directions for Mexicali to Guadalupe Canyon for the remaining driving steps within Mexico.

From Orange County and San Diego County
The Tecate route may be more direct from your location, but as mentioned above, this route minimizes Mexico driving and toll-charges.

1. Take I-5, I-15, or I-805 as needed to reach I-8 East
2. Take I-8 East about 120 miles to Highway 111 South.
3. Follow the Los Angeles directions above starting from Step 4.

Directions for Mexicali to Guadalupe Canyon

Click Map to see larger view with eastern "Dry Lake Route" highlighted

1. Once you cross the border at Mexicali, head south towards Mexico Highway 2 by taking Calle Guadalajara about 5 miles south.
2. Take the Mexico Highway 2 West about 20 miles to the first CAÑON DE GUADALUPE junction. This is the entrance to the eastern dirt road that leads south to Guadalupe Canyon. This junction can only be entered from the east lane, so once you pass the overhead sign, circle-back using the first available U-turn lane.
   ~ OR ~
   You may take a different dirt road(western) by continuing west on Mexico Highway 2 another 2.7 miles and taking the next CAÑON DE GUADALUPE exit from the east.

Wait a minute, there are two dirt roads...?!

Yep, there are two dirt roads that lead generally south to Guadalupe Canyon and deciding which to take will depend on your comfort level with driving offroad, your familiarity with the area, and your sense of adventure. Please reference the map above.

Dry Lake Route(eastern): The eastern dirt road is usually the smoother and faster of the two, but travels through the dry lakebed of Laguna Salada and can be muddy in places if there have been recent rains in the area. Generally, we prefer this road if conditions permit, but please be wary of the possibility of getting stuck in the mud. Best advice is not to slow down too much thorough the muddy patches. Please note that you may see multiple "lanes" or tracks along this road and get nervous that you're on the wrong road. Fear not, Adventurers... just pick the best available lane, head southernly and slightly west, and keep an eye out for the occasional CAÑON DE GUADALUPE sign designed to keep you on track. In our last, slightly muddy trip in February 2004, we cruised a swift 50-60 mph in the Land Cruiser, and this road felt amazingly smooth, like a highway, *most* of the time. Remember that all roads eventually lead toward Guadalupe Canyon, so you should be fine if you relax and stay vigilant. (Ummm, yeah, probably not a good idea driving through here at night unless you know what your doing.)

Official Graded Dirt Road(western): The western dirt road that leads south is the more "official" road to Guadalupe Canyon, and is slightly higher elevation, but suffers from patches of bumpy washboard and therefore is slower and less comfortable overall than the dry lake route. While it's not subject to the sometimes serious muddy problems like it's eastern cousin, this road does have patches of sand and some rough areas that should be avoided or driven briskly through. This road is generally the safer, surer route if the eastern route is likely muddy. Of course, your mileage may vary!

The Last Leg...or So Close, but So Far.

The two dirt roads eventually merge and this last segment begins with 7 miles of mostly good but increasingly winding dirt road, and ends with about a half a mile of tough, rocky, bouldery, dirt road. This where you'll be glad you drove your SUV or truck with good ground clearance, however any two-wheel drive vehicle with good ground clearance can make it. Just be sure to drive over the larger rocks properly to avoid punctured tires, blown shocks, or oil pan damage. There is also a small creek to cross that is about 12 inches deep.

At mile 7, after the "INFORMATION" sign, bear left at the fork and follow the signs to "CAMPO #3." The Guadalupe Canyon Oasis main office is here and Ernesto Loya and family will be glad to meet you and check you in.

Click here to see a map of the El Palmar Campground. You will be arriving on the Dirt Road shown on the bottom-right of the map.