Carrizo Gorge Railway Grade

The old San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway grade cuts through some of Southern California’s most brutal desert terrain, where trains once hauled freight through seventeen tunnels and over impossible wooden trestles. This forgotten railroad bed runs from Dos Cabezas to the Goat Canyon Trestle, passing collapsed tunnel portals and rusted rail hardware scattered across creosote flats. The Goat Canyon Trestle itself—a 600-foot wooden lattice bridge—still spans the gorge like a ghost from railroad’s golden age.

Moderate difficulty demands high-clearance 4WD for the rocky washes and steep grades that broke locomotives a century ago. Best tackled October through April when desert heat won’t cook you in your cab. Bring serious water—this is Anza-Borrego backcountry where summer temps hit 120°F. No permits needed, but tell someone your route. You’ll earn some of the most unique railroad history in the Southwest, plus killer photo ops at the trestle if you hike the final mile.