Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2007: Henry Coe State Park Mountain-Bike Camping / Day 7: A short day hike from Pacheco Camp up Pacheco Creek, then returning via Pacheco Ridge; about six miles round-trip. 26
There are a lot of interesting possibilities for a day hike or mountain bike ride from centrally located Pacheco Camp, especially since this is my first visit to this corner of the Park.
It's another hot day of course. I choose a simple route that goes up Pacheco Creek canyon to reach 2000 feet, then climbs steeply up to Pacheco Ridge on the Canteen Trail for 3/4 mile, and returns via a two-mile walk along Pacheco Ridge (high point at about 2400 feet). The final descent down Coit Road to Pacheco Camp at 1689 feet is about 3/4 mile long.
An old outbuilding along Pacheco Creek Trail not too far from Pacheco Camp.
Half a mile up Pacheco Creek Trail, the singletrack Rose Dam Trail veers off and rises eventually to Hoover Lake.
Gnarled oak on Pacheco Creek Trail at a (dry) creek crossing.
Almost two miles up Pacheco Creek Trail, I see the sign ahead for the trail to Rose Spring.
The trail to Rose Spring obviously doesn't get a whole lot of use.
Looking for Rose Spring, it should be here somewhere.
The dry creek bed near Rose Spring.
Further up Pacheco Creek Trail, a grader parked alongside the trail bakes in the hot sun, with nobody inside.
A yellow-flowered buckwheat-like plant.
A canteen hangs on the sign indicating Canteen Trail.
The lower part of Canteen Trail, near the spring.
Canteen Spring is full but not flowing.
A downed pine tree blocks the first rise on the Canteen Trail.
A little higher up Canteen Trail, the basin of the Canteen Spring is still visible in the centre of the photo as a white blotch.
Canteen Trail keeps heading upward.
Looking back down the Canteen Trail to take in the view.
Higher up the Canteen Trail toward the top.
The top of Canteen Trail ends at Pacheco Ridge Road.
One of a series of ups and down on Pacheco Ridge Road. Awesome views up here.
Heading up one of the rollers on Pacheco Ridge Road.
Heading down the other side of the hill on Pacheco Ridge Road that I just came up.
Enjoying the views up on Pacheco Ridge Road in the hot sun. My cell phone works here!
Deer near Pacheco Ridge Road.
Descending Coit Road back into the canyon to my campsite at Pacheco Camp.
A family of deer visit Pacheco Camp to get a drink from the "horse spring."
95 degrees in the shade at Pacheco Camp at 19h.