Sheep Canyon

Getting to Sheep Canyon requires either a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle capable of navigating the sandy, rocky bed of Coyote Canyon Road or a substantial hike from the lower canyon trailhead. That barrier to entry is also the campground's greatest asset: Sheep Canyon is consistently one of the quietest, most private spots in the entire park.

The five sites each have a picnic table and shade ramada, and there are vault toilets—a step above truly dispersed camping. No water is available, so plan to carry at least a gallon per person per day. The fee is $10 per night collected via iron ranger.

The canyon takes its name from the desert bighorn sheep that depend on this drainage for water and movement through the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains. As a result, the area is closed from June 15 through September 15 to protect lambing and summer range. Outside of those months, campers share the wash with occasional glimpses of bighorn, coyote, and a remarkable diversity of birds attracted to the riparian vegetation in the canyon bottom.

Coyote Canyon itself is historically significant as part of the route Juan Bautista de Anza traveled in 1775–76 while scouting a land route from Sonora to Alta California. The middle canyon contains seasonal stream flow that sustains willows, cottonwoods, and a green ribbon of vegetation visible from the ridgelines above. Plan for an early start on hikes—the canyon bottom heats up quickly once the sun clears the walls.