Baja's Parque Nacional Sierra de San Pedro Martir...

Close your eyes and think about beautiful Baja California... What visions come to your mind? Maybe white, sandy beaches, with azure blue water, with brown, cactus-covered mountains rising in the background? Or perhaps the tawdry Adelita's bar in Tijuana's red light district, the Zona Norte? Or the recently-completed Malecon in Ensenada? Brush and cactus covered hills with cattle peacefully grazing in a fertile valley? Yes, these are true-to-life images of Baja California, but there is a whole lot more to Baja California then beaches and honky tonks, and a visit to Parque Nacional Sierra De San Pedro Martir will alter your thoughts of Baja forever.

Photo: The ranger station, at km 84, where you pay your entrance fee. Just beyond the ranger station, a sign directs you to the right to the main campground in the park, Torre De Piedra.

Parque Nacional Sierra De San Pedro Martir... Whew! That's a long name, I'll just refer to it as Parque Nacional most of the time, is tucked high up in the San Pedro Martir mountains in the northwest portion of the state, a couple of hundred air-miles south of the U.S. border. In 1974, about 250 square miles of lovely alpine scenery was set aside to become the Parque Nacional, and in 1975 the National Observatory of Mexico was moved to the top of a 9200 foot high peak within the park. Parque Nacional offers the visitor a unique view of Mexico not often seen, or even imagined by most people, including snow covered mountains, pine forests, colorful aspen trees, high mountain meadows, and sparkling mountain streams. The park teems with wildlife, including black tailed deer, bighorn sheep, and many species of birds, including a few nesting pairs of California Condors. The park offers spectacular, mountain scenery, that rivals parts of California's fabled Sierra Nevada for sheer beauty.

Photo: Business is slow, so the park rangers are catching up on the daily news. Note "La Corona" in the background.

Activities at the park include star-gazing from on of the cleanest, most non-light-polluted locations in the world, wildlife viewing, backpacking, hiking, camping in designated campgrounds, and just getting away from it all. Actually, the park isn't very well known by tourists, and receives relatively few visitors from north of the border. Its also not visited by hordes of Mexican citizens either, as many don't have the means to make the journey to the park's remote location. The Mexican visitors who do make the trip travel in the S.U.V.s, just like their American counterparts, but you won't see any motor homes, as it would be challenging to maneuver a motor home on some of the park's narrow, mountain roads.

Photo: I think I'm in Yosemite! Granite boulders, red firs and Jeffery pines grow near the ranger station.

Contrary to popular belief and some web sites, the road to the park is paved up to the entrance of the park, where the main ranger station is located. Please refer to the article that I wrote about the drive up to the park. From the ranger station to the end of the road at the observatory, the main road is hard-packed decomposed granite, and I had no difficulty in driving up to the observatory in my 1996 Camry in a thunderstorm. There are several side roads that lead to places such as Torre De Piedra, Tasajera, La Botella Azul or Mirador El Altar that should only be driven by a four-wheel drive vehicle, even in dry weather. Since I was driving the Camry, I didn't have the opportunity to visit any of the back country, accessible only to hikers and four wheelers.

Photo: Beautiful fall colors on the aspens, near km 88.

You'll know that you're visiting a national park, if nothing else by the sheer beauty of the scenery. The Federal Government does an outstanding job in preserving the pristine environment, as the place is very clean, and the modest infrastructure is very well-maintained. If anything, Parque Nacional Sierra De San Pedro Martir is cleaner than most U.S. National parks, but the staff has a much easier job in that regard, as the park receives a mere fraction of visitors than fabled parks such as Yosemite or Yellowstone. As you enter the park, you pull over at the ranger station, and pay the fee of MEX $40.00 per person, which is good for a 7-day visit. There is no additional fee charged for camping, as camping, if so desired, is included with the price of admission. The rangers are very friendly and helpful, and they're glad to answer any questions that you may have, and they'll give you a map of the park, and brochure informing the visitor about the evils of forest fires and dumping trash.

Photo: Another beautiful aspen grove, near km 88.

Camping, except for backpacking, is permitted only in designated campgrounds, and all of them are located near the ranger station, at the west end of the park. By American standards, camping is very primitive, as each site contains a picnic table, a fire ring, a barbecue stand, and a locker to store food out of reach of the many hungry blue jays and squirrels. Porta-potties are strategically located, and to my surprise, they are very clean. There are no hookups, no running water, and there are absolutely no services, such as repair facilities or grocery stores. When you visit the park, you must be completely self-sufficient, and you must bring everything that you need, including drinking water. To me, that's part of the fun of the whole experience.

Photo: I'm parked near km 90, on the main road, about 10 km west of the observatory. That's my 1996 Toyota Camry, and I didn't encounter any problems on the main road.

Due to the fact that most of the park lies above the 8000 foot level, the rangers close the park to visitor after the first snowfall, generally in early November, and the park stays closed until the snow melts, usually by mid-May. There is employee housing a few miles west of the park, at a lower elevation that's usually snow free, and supplies are brought in by snow cat to the scientists and astronomers who live and work in the observatory all year long.

Photo: Wild flowers grow everywhere along the main road.

I wasn't planning on camping in the park, as I was staying at Meling Ranch, located 20 miles or so west of the park, and I was only visiting the park for the day.

Photo: The creek is dry, but its flanked by ponderosa and sugar pines. Am I really in Baja California?

You know you're in a national park, and Parque Nacional has rustic signs that label landmarks to visitors, except they're in Spanish! Since Spanish is the language of Mexico, that shouldn't come as a surprise, but if definitely shatters all stereotypes the first time you read these signs. I was also surprised by the military operations taking place, although all of the soldiers were very courteous and not at all intimidating, despite the fact that they carried full combat gear.

Photo: Looking into beautiful Vallencitos meadow, with the main road near the left center of the photo. The main road through the park is composed of packed, decomposed granite.

It's about a 10-mile drive from the ranger station to the observatory, where the road ends. As stated earlier, I didn't have any problem on the main road in a passenger sedan, even during a thunderstorm, although the road is rough in some places, quite steep, with sharp curves and switchbacks. On the way to the observatory, you'll pass through aspen groves, Jeffery and lodgepole pine forests, cross several small creeks, and you'll be treated to some of the most beautiful scenery to be found in Mexico. I especially liked Vallecitos Meadow, as it reminded me of some of the more open meadows in California's Sierra Nevada Meadows.

Photo: Looking at the Observatory, which is the end of the road.

If you're shy of crowds and you're a lover of beautiful scenery, a visit to Parque Nacional Sierra De San Pedro Martir should be included in your next Baja California visit. You'll absolutely love the place!

Web page design has been created by eRench Productions, Inc., custom photography for any occasion...