Sentenac Mountain

My third peak for the day was Sentenac Mountain. This peak is near the Scissors Crossing near the western side edge of Anza Borrego. I turned off the road at the Plum Canyon turn out and followed the dirt road until it ends, which is the start of the California Riding and Hiking Trail.

I followed the CRHT for a bit, before heading west up a wash toward the summit. This was really fun, as I scrambled over the dry waterfalls with some nice sandy stretches in between.

According to my research, I knew I would exit this drainage to follow the ridgeline to the peak. I meandered past the cacti as I drew closer to the top.

Once there, I found the register and views of Granite Mountain to the southwest, and Grapevine to the north.

The sun was beginning to set, so I headed back down the ridge into the wash. As I drove back home, I felt a nice sense of accomplishment on bagging three desert peaks in a day.


I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and Arizona-Winter). Beyond attempting the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list a second time, I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest. 

7 thoughts on “Sentenac Mountain

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *