EXPLORING SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND BEYOND BY LENS
  • Exploring San Diego
  • Day Trips
    • Campo >
      • The Campo Stone Store
      • Campo Pioneer Burial Plots
      • Mystery Rock
      • Rail Road Trestle HWY 94
      • Southern Terminus PCT
      • WWII Pow Chapel
      • Incinerator Camp Lockett
    • Cuyamaca Forest >
      • The Airplane Monument
    • Old Hwy 80 >
      • Boulevard >
        • Masonic Hall Ruins
    • Carlsbad >
      • Mount Calavera
    • Descanso >
      • Ellis Wayside Rest
    • Downtown San Diego >
      • The Old San Diego Jail Cells
    • Escondido >
      • Lake Hodges Dam
    • Jacumba >
      • Mica Gem Mine
      • Carrizo Creek Area
      • Goat Canyon Trestle
      • Happy's Place
      • Jacume
      • Round Mountain
      • Table Mountain
      • Union 76 Sign
      • Valley of The Moon and Vicinity >
        • Border Marker 231
        • Cabin Ruins
        • The Carpet Cave
        • Elliott Mine
        • Smugglers Cave
        • The Antenna Ruins
    • Jamul >
      • Jamul Cement Works
      • Mt. McGinty
    • La Jolla >
      • Kayaking La Jolla
      • Photos La Jolla
      • Sunny Jim Cave
    • Julian >
      • The Warlock Mine
    • Mission Trails Regional Park >
      • Flooding Mission Trails
      • Tree Frogs Season
    • Mountain Springs >
      • Devils Canyon
      • Happy's Camps
      • The Sheep Pens
    • Mount Laguna Area >
      • Pine Valley >
        • Secret Canyon Trail
      • Laguna Meadows >
        • The Pioneer Cemetery
      • Garnet Peak
      • The Pioneer Mail Trail
      • The Pump House
    • Point Loma >
      • Battery E Control Station
      • Bennington Memorial
      • Sea Caves Point Loma
    • Solana Beach >
      • Annies Canyon Trail
  • Forgotten Places
    • Ruin Rancho San Diego
    • Abandone Builldings Lake Morena
    • Abandoned Homestead Site
    • Abandone Home Stead 2
    • The Hidden Cave
    • Bankhead Springs Ghost Town
    • The Forgotten Tunnels
    • Buckman's Springs
    • Old Mines Various
    • Pirates Tower
    • Ghost Signs
    • Manhattan AZ Set
    • School Mine
  • Local WaterFalls
    • Mildred Falls
    • Kitchen Creek Falls
    • Orinoco Creek Falls
    • Three Sisters
    • Storm Canyon Waterfall
    • The Devils Jumpoff
    • Cold Stream Falls
    • Cedar Creek
    • Miadenhair Falls
    • Lake Hodges Falls
    • Waterfalls of Oak Canyon
    • Waterfalls of Cottonwood Creek
    • Green Valley Falls
    • Waterfalls of Chariot Canyon
    • Pinto Canyon Falls
  • Rock Art
    • Anza Borrego 2 Rock Art
    • Cave with No Name
    • Initiation Cave
    • The Lizard Man Cave
    • Petroglyph Site
    • Pictographs November 2012
    • Strange Petroglyphs in Imperial County
    • Rock Art Northern San Diego 1
    • Rock Art Site 2
    • Rock Art Site 3
    • Rock Art Various
    • Unknown Rock Art San Diego County
    • Vallecitos Rock Art
    • Milling Sites >
      • Cuayamaca Ovals
  • Beyond
    • Arizona >
      • Yuma >
        • Bridge to Nowhere
        • Castle Dome Ghost Town
        • Yuma Territorial Prison
    • Imperial County >
      • Anza Borrego >
        • Andrade Canyon
        • Carrizo Mountain
        • The Domelands
        • The Slot
        • Morteros Palms to Goat Canyon
        • Sunrise Butte
        • Yuha Basin
        • Mud Caves
        • Rock House Valley
        • Upper Myers Valley
      • Salton Sea >
        • Mud Volanoes
        • The Old Health Spa
        • Salvation Mountain
    • San Gabriel Mountains >
      • The Bridge to Nowhere
  • The Spooky Side
    • Dead Man's Point
    • Mount Pisquah
    • Pioneer Park
    • Witches Tower
    • Haunted Locations >
      • Hangar One Miramar
      • Julian Hotel
      • Queen Mary >
        • First Class Swimming Pool
        • Water Tight Door 13
      • Vallecitos Stage Station
    • Graves >
      • Grave of Kate Morgan
      • Graves Under San Diego Ave
      • Lady in White Grave
      • The Lonely Grave of Amos Buckman
      • The Forgotten Grave of John Helm
      • Whaley Grave
      • Yankee Jim
  • Hollywood F
  • New Page

The Valley of The Moon

Picture
The Moon rises over Valley of The Moon
Valley of The moon is Located on the eastern end of Jacumba, There is a Trail Head located on Hwy 80 which parallels Hwy 8. I always park here and walk it in as the road up is very rough even for the best of off road vehicles. As you go up it becomes rougher and you'll see small parts of vehicles littering the road as well as scrape marks on the stone that juts up here and their. The valley itself is quite the jumble of rock, some of it has been sculpted into the most unusual shapes by wind and sand. One should also beware to keep ones bearing, The shear beauty of the area can make one lose track of this.
The area also is home to Smugglers Cave and The Elliot Mine. One of the more beautiful areas is just beyond the Elliott mine, but beware if you have step over a fallen barb wire fence, congrats you just entered Mexico.
Picture
View from atop of the small peak and Elliot Mine. This is The view looking South East of The Valley of The Moon and out over The Anza Borrego Desert far below. A word of caution some advanced experience with outdoor hiking is a must here, look at the picture, you dont want to loose your bearing or direction in this enviroment.
Smugglers Cave
Elliot Mine
Carpet Cave
Cabin Ruins
Upper Valley of The Moon
Climber valley of The Moon, gives a sense of Scale to the size of the Rock Scapes
The area is also rich in cultural materials, Native american pot shards a quartz flakes can be found. Remember though look take photos and do not touch, Down one canyon lies the remains of an old cabin, though not much is left.
There is also a road that leads up to an old abandoned antenna station, and quartz mine. If you are a peak bagger there is Blue Angel Peak though I dont believe there is any trail to the top.
Picture
Picture
The Border before Valley of The Moon

Picture
This Formation is quite near Valley of The Moon.
Picture
This Rock Formation is found down a was that is south of Smugglers Cave.
Picture
This Large Formation is found down a was that is south of Smugglers Cave.
I apologize for not give out directions to most of my trips, trails change and I do not have the time to keep the site always updated. My hikes also span from the easy to the extreme, a lot of places do not even have trails, as well as extreme conditions. Some sites need to be protected as they are fragile and historically sensitive. So if you decide to hike some of these areas, do your research and know your limits, have the proper provisions .Every year many hikers die  from not understanding these Simple Rules. San Diego County and surrounding areas are diverse in climate and terrain. Remember if you do decide to Hike do your research, carry the essentials and do so at your own risk.  An alternative is to join one of the many hiking groups such as meetup or on facebook ,as well as other social sites. Not only is there safety in numbers but a pooling of knowledge. 
  • Exploring San Diego
  • Day Trips
    • Campo >
      • The Campo Stone Store
      • Campo Pioneer Burial Plots
      • Mystery Rock
      • Rail Road Trestle HWY 94
      • Southern Terminus PCT
      • WWII Pow Chapel
      • Incinerator Camp Lockett
    • Cuyamaca Forest >
      • The Airplane Monument
    • Old Hwy 80 >
      • Boulevard >
        • Masonic Hall Ruins
    • Carlsbad >
      • Mount Calavera
    • Descanso >
      • Ellis Wayside Rest
    • Downtown San Diego >
      • The Old San Diego Jail Cells
    • Escondido >
      • Lake Hodges Dam
    • Jacumba >
      • Mica Gem Mine
      • Carrizo Creek Area
      • Goat Canyon Trestle
      • Happy's Place
      • Jacume
      • Round Mountain
      • Table Mountain
      • Union 76 Sign
      • Valley of The Moon and Vicinity >
        • Border Marker 231
        • Cabin Ruins
        • The Carpet Cave
        • Elliott Mine
        • Smugglers Cave
        • The Antenna Ruins
    • Jamul >
      • Jamul Cement Works
      • Mt. McGinty
    • La Jolla >
      • Kayaking La Jolla
      • Photos La Jolla
      • Sunny Jim Cave
    • Julian >
      • The Warlock Mine
    • Mission Trails Regional Park >
      • Flooding Mission Trails
      • Tree Frogs Season
    • Mountain Springs >
      • Devils Canyon
      • Happy's Camps
      • The Sheep Pens
    • Mount Laguna Area >
      • Pine Valley >
        • Secret Canyon Trail
      • Laguna Meadows >
        • The Pioneer Cemetery
      • Garnet Peak
      • The Pioneer Mail Trail
      • The Pump House
    • Point Loma >
      • Battery E Control Station
      • Bennington Memorial
      • Sea Caves Point Loma
    • Solana Beach >
      • Annies Canyon Trail
  • Forgotten Places
    • Ruin Rancho San Diego
    • Abandone Builldings Lake Morena
    • Abandoned Homestead Site
    • Abandone Home Stead 2
    • The Hidden Cave
    • Bankhead Springs Ghost Town
    • The Forgotten Tunnels
    • Buckman's Springs
    • Old Mines Various
    • Pirates Tower
    • Ghost Signs
    • Manhattan AZ Set
    • School Mine
  • Local WaterFalls
    • Mildred Falls
    • Kitchen Creek Falls
    • Orinoco Creek Falls
    • Three Sisters
    • Storm Canyon Waterfall
    • The Devils Jumpoff
    • Cold Stream Falls
    • Cedar Creek
    • Miadenhair Falls
    • Lake Hodges Falls
    • Waterfalls of Oak Canyon
    • Waterfalls of Cottonwood Creek
    • Green Valley Falls
    • Waterfalls of Chariot Canyon
    • Pinto Canyon Falls
  • Rock Art
    • Anza Borrego 2 Rock Art
    • Cave with No Name
    • Initiation Cave
    • The Lizard Man Cave
    • Petroglyph Site
    • Pictographs November 2012
    • Strange Petroglyphs in Imperial County
    • Rock Art Northern San Diego 1
    • Rock Art Site 2
    • Rock Art Site 3
    • Rock Art Various
    • Unknown Rock Art San Diego County
    • Vallecitos Rock Art
    • Milling Sites >
      • Cuayamaca Ovals
  • Beyond
    • Arizona >
      • Yuma >
        • Bridge to Nowhere
        • Castle Dome Ghost Town
        • Yuma Territorial Prison
    • Imperial County >
      • Anza Borrego >
        • Andrade Canyon
        • Carrizo Mountain
        • The Domelands
        • The Slot
        • Morteros Palms to Goat Canyon
        • Sunrise Butte
        • Yuha Basin
        • Mud Caves
        • Rock House Valley
        • Upper Myers Valley
      • Salton Sea >
        • Mud Volanoes
        • The Old Health Spa
        • Salvation Mountain
    • San Gabriel Mountains >
      • The Bridge to Nowhere
  • The Spooky Side
    • Dead Man's Point
    • Mount Pisquah
    • Pioneer Park
    • Witches Tower
    • Haunted Locations >
      • Hangar One Miramar
      • Julian Hotel
      • Queen Mary >
        • First Class Swimming Pool
        • Water Tight Door 13
      • Vallecitos Stage Station
    • Graves >
      • Grave of Kate Morgan
      • Graves Under San Diego Ave
      • Lady in White Grave
      • The Lonely Grave of Amos Buckman
      • The Forgotten Grave of John Helm
      • Whaley Grave
      • Yankee Jim
  • Hollywood F
  • New Page