DEVILS CANYON CURRENT LAND ISSUES

Canyon now is open by Permit! Only big issue now is the insurance required to get the permit. So more or less its still out of bounds to most wheelers.

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro.html

BLM Break.............August 2010

Description of Mitigation Measures

The BLM will impose the following mitigation measures:

1. A request for a Special Recreation Permit (SRP) is made for use of the Devils Canyon trail prior to use and that all stipulations listed within the SRP are adhered to.
2. Vehicle use in Devil’s Canyon will be authorizes one weekend per month from October through April (7 months). A weekend is defined as Saturday and Sunday.
3. A maximum of 15 off-road vehicles will be allowed to traverse Devil’s Canyon on each day of the weekend.
4. No vehicles are to traverse Devil’s Canyon for three weeks following a use weekend.

This three week period is intended to facilitate continued bighorn sheep use of the area by providing an extended length of time in which humans and vehicles are not using the floor of the canyon.

Stay tuned in the following weeks to find out how to apply for your vehicle access to be attached to the permit.

This will be a club sponsored canyon and permits will handled by this club. The club will register and assign the vehicle(s) to the group of 15 vehicles. There will be a fee ( covers the permit handling).

April 16, 2010

Latest information from the DAC meeting in El Centro BLM 3/26 - 3/27. John Stewart (Natural Resource Consultant CA4WC) provided this information to CA4WC

The topic of Devil’s Canyon is still in contention.As of the December 2009 Desert Advisory Council meeting, Devil’s Canyon is an unresolved issue to be addressed at the next DAC meeting.Due to leadership changes within the El Centro Field Office and the BLM Desert District Office, the topic was dropped from the March 2010 DAC meeting.

However, as public comment is allowed on items not on the agenda, I was able to convince the Council to place it on the agenda for discussion.The outcome resulted in TWO agenda items for the next DAC meeting.

Item 1 requires the BLM El Centro Office to return with a solution to access to Devil’s Canyon that does not place an undo financial burden on small groups wishing to run the trail.

Item 2 is more complex in that it tasks the BLM to review their procedures to allow permitted access into other areas of the Desert District where access can be allowed within an administrative permit action.

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TRAIL INFORMATION (TRAIL CLOSED)

Devils Canyon has long been a transportation route for freight and wagon trains heading west. The trail was opened in the 1860s as a toll road. San Diego then was a small community and all trail lead to either Los Angles or San Francisco and needed a direct trail.

More information can be found at the San Diego Historical Society. Theres plenty of good information on this trail there.

S Article 2I was researching the Yuma trail but kept getting information on "Fort Yuma to San Diego turnpike". After doing some research from the San Diego Historical Society I found information on the trail. Devils canyon is only a small section of the trail but the most fun.

Early 2004 I hiked in and did some photography. After hundreds of shots I matched up some photographs taken by Ralph Stineman an early 1900 photographer. I had the start of the trail and the end of the trail through Devils canyon. Some old shots of devils below below.

Theres even a book wrote including Devils canyon "The Winning of Barbara Worth"

A friend of mine wanted know if it could be wheeled. I informed him yes but it would take some work to do it. This canyon was washed completely out during a storm of 1976.

In 2006 we desided to run it. After checking with the BLM twice we were told to stay on the trail. The trail 150 starts in the desert and ends at Mountain Springs. Interesting BLM WECO articles links below.

WECO Article 1 WECO Article 2 WECO Article 3 NEPA Completed

Running the canyon Trail break in 2006

Breaking the trail 2006, Slides 1 -6. THe 2006 running of Devils. For about a year this canyon became a very popular place to run. BLM closed it shortly after.

Slide 1 Slide 2 Slide 3 Slide 4 Slide 5 Slide 6

Devils Canyon Trail Run May 2006

Peterson's 4Wheel Drive Article 

 Jeepaholics-MJR run   Seven in and 4 finished   TDS  run 4.27.2014 HERE

The BLM will impose the following mitigation measures:

1. A request for a Special Recreation Permit (SRP) is made for use of the Devils Canyon trail prior to use and that all stipulations listed within the SRP are adhered to.
2. Vehicle use in Devil’s Canyon will be authorizes one weekend per month from October through April (7 months). A weekend is defined as Saturday and Sunday.
3. A maximum of 15 off-road vehicles will be allowed to traverse Devil’s Canyon on each day of the weekend.
4. No vehicles are to traverse Devil’s Canyon for three weeks following a use weekend.

This three week period is intended to facilitate continued bighorn sheep use of the area by providing an extended length of time in which humans and vehicles are not using the floor of the canyon.