Goat Canyon Trestle Hike

16.5 miles - Hard Effort
6-8 Hours (Total)
1,200 Total Feet of Climbing
Max Elevation of 2,720 feet
Leashed Dogs Allowed

The Goat Canyon Trestle hike is iconic: a meandering trail along what is dubbed "the impossible railroad," through the spectacular Carrizo Canyon, and finally to the world's largest wooden trestle bridge, hidden miles away from civilization. Although not offering any big mountain climb, it is a strenuous hike through a harsh desert environment, with over 16 miles of distance to cover.

In this Guide:

Video and Turn-by-Turn Directions to Goat Canyon Trestle
Where to Park for the Goat Canyon Trestle Hike
Navigating the Tunnels & Bridges
Insider Tips and Recommendations for the Hike

Quick Links: Private Property by Anza Borego State Park - NOAA Weather Report - Top Gear Picks (Sep 2023)

When planning, always check the park website and social media to make sure the trails are open. Similarly, check the weather and road conditions.

The hike described in this guide is on private property, which you may not be authorized to use. Please hike safely and obey all laws and guidelines set out by the property owners and law enforcement. If you are not allowed to be on this private property, the information presented here is for entertainment purposes only.

How to Get to the Goat Canyon Trestle

There are several routes to reach the Goat Canyon Trestle, all of which involve walking or biking, and all accessing private property at some point. This route to Goat Canyon Trestle starts in Jacumba Hot Springs, and is generally considered the most popular way to access the trestle, whether by hikers or by mountain bikes. You'll be parking just over 2 miles north of the Mexico-US border.

Use this trailhead address:
1800 Carrizo Gorge Rd, Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934

There are no bathrooms or water fills at the trailhead.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 9 — Once you exit I-8 and pass the gas station, the road to the trailhead is sand and is doable by 2wd and low-clearance vehicles.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 10 — Look for the small parking area on the right, just before the "End County Maintained Road" sign.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 11 — There are parking areas past the county road warning sign, but I've heard of people being ticketed here. The land past the sign is private property, part of the De Anza Springs Resort.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 12 — You can also go straight and park in the "clothing-free" De Anza Springs Resort, which charges a small fee. Freedom isn't free.

Gear For the Hike

As you'd imagine, at 16 miles, this is a "hike hike", even if there's not a lot of elevation change. The conditions are harsh, and aside from the tunnels, there is no protection from the elements.

When it's hot out, don't do this hike. The winter offers mild and even cool temperatures in the region and is a great time to visit.
Bring lots of sun protection and at least 3L water.
A satellite communicator is great if you have it. Although the hike is popular, I've been here plenty of times without seeing anyone, so you can't count on passing hikers for help.
Bring layers in case it's cooler or in case you have to overnight because of an emergency.
You'll benefit from a headlamp or flashlight in the tunnels.

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Goat Canyon Trestle Trail Map

Aside from a few stretches of trail, you'll be hiking along the railroad tracks for most of the way, so it's very straightforward. I've included lots of waypoints in the map and GPX file below so that you know what to expect. And remember that your GPS won't work in the tunnels.

Some of the tracks, bridges, and tunnels on the hike are over 100 years old. The area is prone to rockfalls and seismic activity. Extreme care needs to be taken when navigating this hike.

Explore Map on CalTopo View a Printable PDF Hike Map Download the Hike GPX File

Best Smartphone Apps to Navigate: AllTrails | GaiaGPS | OnX

Elevation Profile

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Elevation — Overall the hike heads downhill to Goat Canyon Trestle. The good news is that, aside from the detours, the path is graded for a train, which means no steep hills and an imperceptible maximum incline of under 2.2% the whole way. The sharp elevation peaks you see on this graph are incorrect - those are tunnels. The GPS can't get an elevation from inside the tunnel, so it plots the elevation from the earth's surface.

3D Map

This Hike Is On Private Property

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Private Property 2 — The sliver of private property up the middle of the map is where the hike is. The railroad is on private property, while all around it is a mix of BLM and State Park land.

Let me reiterate, this hike is on private property and there are numerous "no trespassing" signs, so you should only be on the land here if you have permission. Depending on what is happening at the time with the railroad (more below in the hike brief), there may be railroad personnel along the route. If you are caught and the owners decide to press charges, you could be ticketed, fined, etc. However, there are many times that hikers pass along the route without seeing any officials and without any problem.

Hiking there has always been illegal, but it’s always been overlooked.Reena Deutsch, a UC San Diego professor who gives talks on the history of the railway

There are several other routes to Goat Canyon Trestle, all of which have their challenges. If you want to try the hike with minimizing your time hiking on private property, the route to the trestle via Mortero Palms is your best bet. Most of the hike goes through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, with 0nly the last part of the route being on private property. Know that if you do choose that route, it's a very challenging desert overland hike with boulder scrambles and minimal navigation aids. You can read about that route in Afoot and Afield: San Diego County. I've done that route and didn't feel comfortable recommending it to most hikers.

As you hike, you'll notice lots of railroad gear and equipment. This is all private property. Taking it with you is considered theft.

Walking the Tracks

Goat Canyon Walk Or Tracks — The majority of the hike has a walkway next to the railroad tracks.

The good news is that you don't have to walk down the middle of the railroad tracks for 16 miles, which would probably drive most people insane. The tracks have a smooth walkway alongside where you can walk as normal. Some sections are smaller and rockier, but in general, it's always there.

As of the time that this guide was published, no trains running along this route. If you find that changes, please let me know. Theoretically there could be the odd maintenance train out there, but I believe the last one was in 2012.

Crossing Bridges

There are several bridges of varying lengths before you get to Goat Canyon Trestle. Because of the extreme conditions on this hike, the bridges are susceptible to decay from dry rot and other natural forces. Don't assume that stepping down will be safe. Always think wisely about where you are stepping and don't shift your weight onto a step until you know that it's safe.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 57 — There can be railroad ties (the wood in between the tracks) missing or badly decayed over bridges.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 59 — Some bridges have metal grates on the side catwalk, which can also be bent or have holes in them.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 60 — Wooden catwalks on the side seemed to be the worse of all the options, with dry rot, holes, and broken sections.

Strong Sections Of Bridge At Goat Canyon Trestle — I've found that the strongest sections are the wood running parallel (ladder track) and the ties right over the sides, which have wood underneath (called a stringer).

If you are going to sit on the bridge or crawl around it, I've read reports of wood ticks (also known as dog ticks), so heads up. I've never had a tick on my leg from walking over the bridges.

Navigating the Tunnels

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 4 — Here's what a typical tunnel looks like from the inside.

There are several tunnels along the hike that you'll have to pass through, ranging from 100 feet to 0.5 miles long. While at first, the tunnels may seem unnerving, after one or two, it's fine. Some tunnels are blocked off, in which case I'll show you the detour in the directions below.

Again, no trains are running, so you don't have to worry about getting stuck in a tunnel with one. And because I know people will ask, there are no bats or animals that I've ever seen in these tunnels. They cool, dark, and a nice respite on a hot day.

Goat Canyon In Tunnel — All the tunnels have the same walkway alongside the tracks.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 6 — Some areas have minor rockfalls that you can just walk around.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 2 — Most tunnels are short enough to be illuminated by daylight, but having a headlamp will help in the longer ones.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 5 — You'll notice that every tunnel has a "walk-around" that workers used to transit a tunnel area before it was bored. Some of these side trails are very well-worn and defined (such as the ones around closed tunnels), and some probably haven't been walked on in 100 years. In the following guide I'll point out when to take them and when to not.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 70 — The tunnels are all numbered by the railroad, and you can find the number spray-painted on the entrances. In this guide I'll always refer to a tunnel by its official railroad number, not by the sequential order that they come in (which could change based on the shortcuts you take).

Goat Canyon Trestle on a Mountain Bike

You can do the route described in this guide to Goat Canyon Trestle on a mountain bike without having to carry the bike up over any scrambles or steep sections. That said, there are some extremely narrow sections and stretches that have cacti alongside, with little margin for error. Mainly this is on the detour around Tunnel 8. My advice is to just get off and walk through any really narrow sections and the bridges.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 67 — Here's a section of trail that's probably 8 inches across, with a 150 foot drop down to the right. Do what is comfortable for you based on your experience level, but don't dive-bomb this route on your first try. Some mistakes could lead to a certain bad time.

Hike History

Cariizo Valley Image 2 — When you hike this route today, it looks pretty much the same as how it does in this photo from 1923, four years after the railroad opened. Photo Middlebrook Photographs of San Diego & Arizona Railway Locomotives

There's a lot of history on the Goat Canyon Trestle hike. Let me point out the salient points for this adventure.

You'll be hiking up the Carrizo Gorge, along a stretch of the "Desert Route" of the San Diego & Arizona Railway, also known as the "Impossible Railroad" because no one thought a rail line could be built there. The Carrizo Gorge section of the line was considered an engineering marvel when it opened in 1919, and is featured on the companies advertising (and you can even get your own poster here!) This section of rail alone cost $4m in 1919, about $60m in today's money.
The original railroad connected Tijuana and San Diego with Yuma, Arizona. Before that, travelers would have to take a train to LA to travel east. The line was considered so important that it was the only railroad allowed to continue construction during World War 1. Today it runs east to Plaster City (yup, that's a place).
This hike is on the North-South section of the green "Desert Line" from Jacumba shown here on the map. The rail line is unique in that it spans the Mexico-US border.
Although the railroad started operation in 1919, the Goat Canyon Trestle wasn't built until 1933 after the old tunnel was washed away in a rock slide. At 633 feet long and 185 high, it's been labeled as "the world's largest curved, all-wood trestle" and I think that's accurate.
Steel cannot withstand the desert's temperature extremes without excessive fatigue, so the trestle was instead built with redwood timber and no nails. Since a wood bridge in the dry desert can easily catch fire from an ember falling out of a steam locomotive, they had to keep water nearby. Today you can see a tank car on the cliff above the bridge, which is filled with water in case of a fire.
The line effectively stopped running in the 1970s with the advent of interstates and the high costs to maintain it through this rugged environment. Repairs were made and intermittent service occurred since then, including tourist trains run by the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum. The last official train hit the rails here in 2008, with only sporadic maintenance runs since then. Over the years various plans have been made to reopen this stretch of track, but so far nothing has come to fruition and the line remains unused. It's estimated that the Desert Line needs at least $100m of repairs to get it up and running again
Want to see the trestle without doing the hike? Head over to the San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park to see a beautiful replica.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions

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Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 14 — Follow the trail alongside of the tracks for an easier hike.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 15 — Avoid any side trails. If you parked at the resort, you'll join the tracks from one of these side trails.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 16 — Cross your first baby-bridge. This is the first of many to come.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 17 — There's a cross with the number 143 written out in stones down to the left. Why 143? 143 is shorthand for "I Love You" and I'm guessing it's a way to remember whoever the memorial is for. A big thanks to Cindy S for decoding the 143!

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 18 — Okay, now a bigger bridge or two to warm up on as you make your way to Goat Canyon Trestle.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 19 — If you look along the sides you'll see the property fence that separates this sliver of private property from the BLM and parkland surrounding it.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 20 — You'll see the double-decker grafitti-covered cars at Dubber Spur ahead. The hike continues straight down the tracks, but go ahead and check out the cars before you continue.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 21 — The cars are a more popular attraction than the trestle, since they're less than a mile from the parking area.

These are unique double-decker "gallery" cars where the middle section of the interior is open. They are still used by METRA, a small commuter service from Chicago, and the only passenger trains run by Warren Buffet's BSNF railroad. Eleven of these cars were sold to the railroad here in 2007 to run the Tren Turístico Tijuana Tecate on the Mexican side of the line. A commuter train between Tecate and Tijuana was also floated but never implemented.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 22 — You can poke around the cars if you'd like, but be careful. There's lots of broken glass, holes in the floor, etc.

Goat Canyon Trestle Detour Turnoff — Continue hiking and after about 1.25 miles, look for this trail to the right. This is the detour that we'll take around Tunnel #5.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 23 — You can also walk a minute or two up to Tunnel #5, which is blocked off. Some people climb up to the left and over the tunnel, but I find the detour from the last photo preferable.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 25 — The detour climbs up the hill and is a nice break from walking along the rails.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 26 — When you get to the intersection, hike to the left.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 27 — There's usually a piece of wreckage or a pile of rocks to mark this intersection.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 28 — Lots of art all over.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 29 — When you come back around toward the tracks, look for a turn down to the right and toward the track, as marked here by the piece of metal.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 30 — Once you make that turn you'll see the tracks stretch down below, hike down and rejoin them.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 31 — You'll also notice this mini-trestle in the distance.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 32 — Go ahead and cross over the trestle.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 33 — And then another bridge.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 34 — The hike gets exciting as you enter the Carrizo Gorge proper. Look ahead for the tunnels that you'll be going through later.

Carrizo is a reed used for weaving mats, baskets, and arrows, found at bottom of the canyon. It's also seen spelled as "carisso."

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 35 — Okay, here's your first tunnel, #6.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 36 — The first tunnel isn't that long and is a good way to get used to the experience. The tunnels were built high so that the smoke from the original steam trains would blow out quickly and not envelope the train.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 37 — After you pop out of that tunnel, you get some incredible views down the canyon.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 38 — Just before 4 miles in, you'll see more passenger cars ahead.

These passenger cars are from Montreal's commuter service, STCUM (Société de transport de la Communauté Urbaine de Montréal).

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 39 — Like the last set of rail cars, these are also covered in graffiti and artwork.

These cars have been burned recently, but will probably be covered again in graffiti shortly.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 40 — Soon you'll see tunnel 8 in the distance.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 41 — As you approach Tunnel 8, look back to see the abandoned Tunnel 7, which collapsed.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 42 — Tunnel 8 is closed, so we're going to take the well-worn detour to the left.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 43 — As you hike up, look back and down into the canyon to spot two boxcars. I believe these were from a derailment in 1953 where two boxcars full of Coors beer went over the side of the canyon. Allegedly hikers in the 1980s found some cans of the 1953 beer and said it tasted like fermented wine and dirt.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 68 — In front of you on this section is Mount Tule, located in the nearby Carrizo Gorge Wilderness BLM land. The Carrizo Gorge Wilderness is home to three herds of endangered Peninsular Desert Bighorn Sheep.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 44 — And directly down the gorge, way in the distance, you can see the distinct Whale Peak at 5348 feet.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 45 — This detour has some cacti, be careful not to brush them.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 46 — Soon you'll see the tracks again in front of you as the mile-long detour comes to an end.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 47 — When you rejoin the tracks, look back to see the open end of Tunnel 8. Don't make the mistake of entering the tunnel when you hike back.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 48 — From here until the Goat Canyon Trestle, you'll have a handful of tunnels to hike through, including Tunnels 9&10, seen here, in quick succession.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 49 — From here on out you'll tackle Tunnels 11-13.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 50 — Look for this cool little shelter just past Tunnel 11.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 52 — This is Tunnel 14, the longest one, at almost 0.5 miles long.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 53 — When you finally finish the long Tunnel 14, you'll see the old tunnel that was abandoned to build the Goat Canyon Trestle ahead of you.

Seven Siters Trestles — If you look to the far left as you exit the tunnel, you can also see the "Seven Sisters" trestles in the distance. These are past Goat Canyon Trestle and not on this hike.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 54 — Take the tracks around the abandoned tunnel.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 55 — And hike through the short Tunnel 15.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 56 — And when you're out, you'll see Goat Canyon Trestle directly in front of you. It's not so impressive from this angle, so go ahead and cross over the bridge. Also, notice the tank car on the hill above the bridge in the left of this picture. That's filled with water and is there in case of a fire.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 61 — As you cross, look back to your left to see the abandoned tunnel.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 58 — Take your time and enjoy the views from the bridge.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 64 — When you get to the other side, there's a cool mural on the side of a ballast car.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 65 — Just past the ballast car is an area in a gully where you can see people have overnighted before. It has flat areas for tents and a fire pit with a bench.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 62 — You can also go to the catwalk underneath the tracks.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 63 — I've never walked across the catwalk under the bridge, and I'm not sure how safe it is. But you can take a look.

Goat Canyon Trestle Hike Directions 66 — If you contnue along the other side you'll reach a nice viewpoint where you can grab a photo of the entire bridge span. Otherwise, that's it! Just hike back the way you came from here.

Have a question about the guide or want to see what other people are saying/asking? View the Youtube comments for this video. Leave a comment and I will do my best to respond.

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This Guide Was Written by Cris Hazzard

Cris Hazzard 4 Mile Trail Yosemite
Hi, I'm Cris Hazzard, aka Hiking Guy, a professional outdoors guide, hiking expert, and author based in Southern California. I created this website to share all the great hikes I do with everyone else out there. This site is different because it gives detailed directions that even the beginning hiker can follow. I also share what hiking gear works and doesn't so you don't waste money. I don't do sponsored or promoted content; I share only the gear recommendations, hikes, and tips that I would with my family and friends. If you like the website and YouTube channel, please support these free guides (I couldn't do it without folks like you!).

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