Laguna Hansen is a piece of mountain paradise in a pine covered mountain setting,
complete with a beautiful lake! The dirt road is usually in pretty good shape so
street vehicles with decent clearance and 4X4's are both welcome. Snow can fall
here in winter and cross country skiing is a recreational option. Welcome to one of
Baja's biggest surprises!
During wet years Laguna Hansen is a nice freshwater alpine lake and a beautiful
place to camp out. Baja explorers in the know have been visiting the pine covered hills
of Laguna Hansen for decades, but tourism has never really taken off in this out-of-the-way
location.
After periods of little rain the lake at Laguna Hansen can dry up to almost nothing.
But even when the lake is low the surrounding are is still very serene and beautiful.
Need a place to stay in this neck of the woods? Try Motel Rancho de las Banditos
about 4.6 miles south of Laguna Hansen. A unique place to stay and get in touch with nature!
Laguna Hansen can be reached most easily off of Baja Highway 3, turning north
at the dirt road just past Ojos Negros.
At the base of the mountains below Laguna Hansen lies another Baja secret, Guadalupe Canyon.
Several elements combine in Guadalupe Canyon to make it a true desert oasis.
A natural river flows down the steep east side of the Sierra de Juarez mountains,
forming waterfalls and pools in the granite rocks. This river water joins a
unique collection of underground thermal springs, which come to the surface
next to the pools, in the lower elevations of the mountains, just above the
valley floor. The water from the granite pools is used to cool the boiling
thermal water, in a collection of man-made "hot tubs" scattered throughout
a palm-filled camp. It's quite a combination of man and nature, and a great
place to sooth the body after a hard day of treking through Baja. A small
store provides very basic needs, and a small fee is charged to enter the area.
For more information on the area, check out the GUADALUPE CANYON
HOT SPRINGS web site.
Access to Guadelupe Canyon is via a dirt road which runs west of Laguna Salada,
south of Baja Highway 2, west of Mexicali. Standard vehicles can probably make it
to within a mile or two of the camp, but the road deteriorates as it gains elevation
prior to reaching the oasis. At this point a high clearance vehicle is usually needed.
LAGUNA HANSEN, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO