Berdoo Canyon

4.6/5 (43 reviews)
Coachella, California (SanBernardino County)
Last Updated: 12/05/2020

Trail Information

Highlights

Berdoo Canyon is home to an old ghost town named Berdoo Camp. Berdoo camp was founded by the water district when California built the Colorado River Aqueduct that still provides water to Southern California. The Camp was built in the early 1930s for the workers and their families to live while the aqueduct was being constructed under the mountain range. The camp was abandoned sometime in 1937 when the project was completed in the area, and the camp was no longer needed. Over the years the camp has been scraped of all the lumber from the roofs of the old concrete buildings. Now all that is left of the old camp are the skeletons of the concrete buildings that once housed the workers and their families. Building the Colorado River Aqueduct was an amazing feat of the time. The workers did not have the type of modern machinery we take for granted in our everyday lives during the construction. Come out and explore the colorful history of the Berdoo Camp as well as Berdoo Canyon. You might even get to see some of the desert wildlife as you head into Joshua Tree, or a ghost or two. Please tread lightly along the trail. I have lived my entire life in this area, and have seen many of these awesome trails closed, due to people making these beautiful desolate trails their personal landfill. Please, if you find trash along the trail, pick it up and help do your part in keeping this trail open for generations to come.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

4.6/5 (43)
300
Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 04/14/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

I did this trail south-to-north in mid April 2023 in a 100 series Land Cruiser with a 2 inch lift. I didn't touch the sliders or skid plate despite the rocky trail, but I didn't take the more technical offshoots since I was traveling alone without a spotter (horrors!). The section following the waypoint 8 back to the paved road was sandy and washboarded. This part dragged on. This YouTube video (not mine) has a nice summary that I found helpful and accurate: https://youtu.be/sz94DrhsX4o
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 03/11/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Did North to South down Canyon, Only hit my sliders once around way point 8. Good conditions, saw about 6 other vehicles.
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 02/19/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

This is a great way to enter JTNP. It starts with some pretty rough-looking (trash, shell casings, pallets, tires, etc.) BLM land, but as soon as you pass the swing gate and enter the NP it is a beautiful drive. There are bypasses for everything but the last waterfall section, which anyone with clearance and good tires can probably get through without incident. Stock Subarus and Cute Utes would probably drag pretty well as they make their way up the waterfall/rocks.
Official Crew
3600
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 01/27/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Fun trail, not too hard, but some fun optional obstacles kept it interesting.
5600
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 01/21/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Fun trail! Extra credits are always fun to do and keep you entertained if you're a seasoned off-roader. Great way to get into ths heart of J-Tree for more exploring

From the Community

Start a free trial and get this level of detail on every trail guide
Start Free Trial