Goat Canyon Trestle

There’s just something about hiking in the desert that gives me all the feels. Add in some California history and railroad tracks, and you’ve just described my new favorite trail; the Impossible Railroad to Goat Canyon Trestle. Approximately 750 feet long and nearly 200 feet tall, the trestle is still a marvelous engineering feat and loved by many train enthusiasts and hikers alike. When starting near the US/Mexico border, the trek goes through 10 tunnels and crosses over 7 major trestles and 2 smaller ones.

Let me start by saying, for liability reasons, that I am not going to state exactly where I started from or how to get there. A quick google search will turn up the results for you no problem. The reason is because the route I took is actually illegal as the tracks are on private property. So, I don’t recommend going this route. Instead, if you have a 4×4 vehicle and the knees to do some major boulder hopping and scrambling, I suggest taking the route via Mortero Palms. Modern Hiker has a great trail guide for that route!

 

Ok, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, if you have the opportunity to visit Carrizo Gorge and the Goat Canyon Trestle, I highly recommend you take it. The valley is filled with history around every bend! The “Impossible Railroad,” as it is lovingly called because of the unforgiving terrain and unstable mountain ranges, broke ground in 1907 and officially opened for business back in 1919. The Carrizo Gorge was the last portion of the railroad to be constructed in 1918. Complete with 17 tunnels and 14 sidehill wooden trestles.

But, nature can be a fickle bitch, and doesn’t much like when we tamper with her beauty. On March 27, 1932, tunnel 15 collapsed and started to slide down the hill (Remnants of that tunnel can still be seen from Goat Canyon). Rather than risk another collapse from the deteriorating mountainside, the Goat Canyon Trestle was constructed in 1932. To this day it remains the largest wooden curved trestle in the world!

Operators have tried to restore and re-open the railroad in recent history, but none have been successful. The most recent revival, in the early 2000s, almost saw a passenger train on the rails during the weekends. Sadly, the last train to travel through the gorge was in 2012. And even sadder still, in 2015, some dipshits intentionally sent 2 railcars over the side of the hill and into the gorge below. Most recently, a huge rock slide blocked the Northern entrance of Tunnel 16; just a stones throw from the majestic Goat Canyon Trestle.

If you decide to visit this majestic beauty, please remember to leave it better than you found it! We are responsible for preserving the beauty and history of the land so that more generations can come and see how spectacular the world was when trains ruled transportation. And also, remember to pack your 10 Essentials. This area is very exposed, and no matter which route you take in to the trestle, you will be hiking in the sun. Take more water than you think you’ll need, snacks and a good camera! The Goat Canyon Trestle does not disappoint.

 

Hike safe and see you on the trails.