Calcite Mine Trail

If you first don't succeed, try, try, and try like 50 more times to make this trail. I wanted to get out to this trail to see the changes. 5 different anza trips happened over the last year, and each was supposed to have this trail on it. Finally, I was able to see the trail in its current condition. I was able to get new photos and will be updating the trail. The trail is now super easy, like 2wd land. Sad :( . But with that said, they didn't bulldoze the obstacle; they just put dirt over them, so maybe one day this could be a fun trail yet again. Update coming .

Great, quick trail with awesome views at the top. Very easy--softroader capable, but knobby or A/T tires will make the drive more comfortable and will give you confidence over several rocky sections. I agree that 2WD vehicles can make it, but you'll be happier with a little extra clearance an SUV will give you. Regarding the Calcite "Mine" at the top--it is indeed a surface strip mine--there are several large gouges in the earth above the parking area and there are crystals everywhere underfoot: your kids will be being going bananas collecting rocks.

A nice drive up a shelf road. Nothing too difficult, a few small rocks here and there... a decent hill climb, but not much else to cause concern. You do get decent views of the entire Truckhaven area and beyond from the top. As for the previous reviewer talking about no "mine"... this is not a type of mining that required digging of shafts... it was more like strip mining they did. Their efforts at mining this helped us beat the Nazi's, and left the hills with weird little ribbons. A cool spot that you pretty much have to see if you head out this way.

Easy Trail, no longer a difficult drive. Nice Views at Mine Area. No could not find a mine shaft opening.

I can conform the road has been graded. Even 2WD with moderate clearance would be perfectly fine for this trail. Calcite is everywhere up there. Nice views and hiking options.

I love this little route. Mostly because of the history of the World War II effort and this mine. Anza Borrego park and World War II So how does World War II war effort factor into Anza Borrego Desert? Literally within 5 miles of where our RV is located we found an interesting 4 x 4 route. The route is called the calcite mine trail. Earlier investigation didn’t intrigue me so it wasn’t on my list. As I started to research calcite and what calcite was used for that’s why and it peaked my interest. This calcite mine was developed during World War II, general Patton‘s troops built the original road that leads north from here to the former calcite mine. This was the top producing calcite mine in North America. It was important to the war effort, because calcite is a form of calcium carbonate. When you strike calcite Kristal, it will break into pieces that have exact angles and clear flat sides that provide double refraction properties. The Polaroid company processed these into optical ring sites for the military. Gunners and torpedo bomber’s depended on calcite Ring sites for the most accurate aim available. Today you can wander around the area and you’ll find honeycombs of the calcite veins and lots of empty pockets where the minors have been. Initial thought was they look like slot canyons, but they are actually where the minors were following the veins of calcite. I should also add that the road has been repaired so there are no obstacles on this road. Four-wheel-drive is recommended but I do think you could do this trip in a 2 Wheel Drive.

It has been flattened to a dirt road. I saw a Subaru driving it. I was disappointed. The area is still very interesting. I saw the slot canyon, hiked a trail to a lookout point, and there was more hiking I could have done.

Just visited this trail over the weekend. It is now a flat graded road all the way to the mine. I could drive my moms Buick on this road. It is no longer at 4 out of 4 trail rated. I will say there is an obstacle at the mine parking area on the left that is fun. Otherwise not much of a technical trail anymore. Rob

Ran this for first time with group. The guys I was with were saying that it was unfortunately graded. Maybe it was because I dont remember the v notch and large hole?? The scariest part was close to the top were the trail narrows with a washout off camber. All our trucks made it including the widest wheelbase hummer h3. Coming down in my 5th gen 4runner, my back slipped sideways on that section. Yikes! The mine was no what I expected, but very cool. Interesting history. The calcite was used in b17 bombers for bomb sights during ww2. It was only 2 places (the other in montana) that was supplied by Polaroid once it was determined that domestic sources were needed. A few years later, synthetic calcite with almost identical optical properties was invented and used. Calcite veins are mostly exposed and 2-20 something guys chiselled and hammered the rock on both sides of these veins to extract the optical grade calcite with least amount of damage as possible. Good specimens needed to be at least 0.5x2.0 inches in size. I've read that the men did this on volunteer basis in summer heat!! I dont know if they did this for war effort?

Was more challenging and technical than expected! Super fun trail! Everyone in the group loved it! We had one 2wd in the group try it but had to park it due to even some of the 4wd having trouble lol! We had a Suburban and Power wagon in the group which struggled a little bit due to the wide body and long wheel base, but managed just fine without any body damage. Highly recommended trail!

Love this place. Tons of fun. This was the first trip on my new Falken tires and I was impressed... They gripped so great, I climbed an obstacle I have never been able to do and never slipped a tire. Recently someone went through the trail trying to make it easier but left a few off camber areas with some small ledges.

In the past few weeks the weather has started to changed drastically fast, from the sweltering Summer heat and warm Summer nights to cool Fall days, and even colder nights out here in the desert.This past weekend we were able to get out and explorer one of my favorite places Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Anza-Borrego offers all kinds of fun and exciting wheeling for every skill level! We ventured out to find the Calcite Mine Trail. The Calcite Mine Trail is located just off of State Route 22/ Borrego Salton Sea Way the trail is fairly easy to miss if you are not paying attention as the turn out is not clearly marked. We had to double back ourselves to find the trailhead, we reached the turn out we were greeted with a nice landing big enough to stage a few rigs. We grabbed a bottle of water, shifted our jeeps into 4 Wheel drive and started the short descent into the wash below. As soon as you reach the wash you come to a fork in the road, continue straight the trail is clearly marked, Calcite Mine with a small metal street sign. This is also the first of a few obstacles along the way, the first being a small hill climb once your crest the hill, you will see a well traveled trail that twists its way down to the mine. There is a few rough patches along the way that can, and will give a 2 wheel drive rig some trouble, and the last hill climb will surely give a 2 wheel drive some grief. That is if it can even make it past the first few rough and rutted patches of the trail. The journey to the Calcite Mine does not take very long, but it is sketchy in a few spots as the recent rains have washed out a few sections of the trail. Once you reach the Calcite Mine you might scratch you head at first, as it is not the typical mine you might expect with an opening leading into the mountain. This mine has deep trenches that scatter the adjacent landscape keep your eyes open so you do not fall into one. The trenches range from 5 feet deep and 30 feet long, to others being 30 feet deep and 10 to 15 feet long. Take some time to enjoy the beautiful views from the adjacent hills that paint out the beautifully twisted, deeply rutted, and carved out landscape that is Ocotillo Wells, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and the Salton Sea.