Trail Overview
Diving straight into a wash from Highway 78, this route has lost its original entrance to recent flooding that erased the former start point. Sand and gravel make up the wash bed as you navigate downstream. Overgrown trees press in from both sides alongside desert bushes and scattered blooming wildflowers, creating tight quarters in sections. Steps punctuate the wash floor frequently, though they max out at 12 inches, keeping things manageable if relentless. You're operating in the limited-use side of the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, so established trails only.
Difficulty
The lots of steps under 12 inches create a bumpy rhythm, but nothing stops forward progress with decent clearance. That flood-altered entrance means finding the start takes extra attention since the original access vanished. The overgrown vegetation narrows your line choices in spots. High clearance helps with the constant stepping, and four wheel drive keeps you moving through the sandy wash bottom.