Berdoo Canyon

4.7/5 (53 reviews)
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 a...Read More
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Highlights of Berdoo Canyon

Beginner Category IconBeginner
Camping Category IconCamping
Desert Category IconDesert
Ghost Town Category IconGhost Town
Iconic Category IconIconic
Sand Category IconSand
Scenic Category IconScenic
Wash Category IconWash
Water Category IconWater
Highest Elevation
4288 ft
Shape of Trail
Connector
Typically Open
Year Round
Best Direction
North
Official Trail Name
Berdoo Canyon Road
Nearest Town
Coachella
Nearest Services
Coachella
Management Agency
Joshua Tree National Park Service
District
BLM and United States National Park Service

Overview

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 Guide Overview
11 Waypoints
35 Trail Photos
2 Trail Concerns
53 Community Reviews
1 Video
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