Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
From 1919 to 1958, Dos Cabezas was a stop on the San Diego and Arizona Railway, also known as the Impossible Railroad. Now, it sits abandoned and mostly forgotten in the Anza Borrego Desert, only accessible by dirt roads.
Dos Cabezas was an important stop on the railroad, as it was a source of water before trains entered the desert, or attempted the trip through the mountains and the Carrizo Gorge. However as railroads improved, there was less need for remote stations, and Dos Cabezas was abandoned.
The Dos Cabezas area was home to Native Americans for thousands of years, with its spring and access to water. They frequently took shelter in rock shelters, naturally created by the areas boulders.
European explorers didn't reach this area until 1774, and the site of men on horseback must have been an incredible site to the Kumeyaay people who lived in the area. Possibly so incredible that they documented that first encounter in a small rock shelter.
In this video we travel to Dos Cabezas, and explore what's left of the station, then head about a mile away, to look for the Horse and Rider pictograph, maybe the first depiction of the Spanish among the local native rock art.
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►Music in this video is from Epidemic Sounds; use our link for a free trial: share.epidemicsound.com/v927fj
From 1919 to 1958, Dos Cabezas was a stop on the San Diego and Arizona Railway, also known as the Impossible Railroad. Now, it sits abandoned and mostly forgotten in the Anza Borrego Desert, only accessible by dirt roads.
Dos Cabezas was an important stop on the railroad, as it was a source of water before trains entered the desert, or attempted the trip through the mountains and the Carrizo Gorge. However as railroads improved, there was less need for remote stations, and Dos Cabezas was abandoned.
The Dos Cabezas area was home to Native Americans for thousands of years, with its spring and access to water. They frequently took shelter in rock shelters, naturally created by the areas boulders.
European explorers didn't reach this area until 1774, and the site of men on horseback must have been an incredible site to the Kumeyaay people who lived in the area. Possibly so incredible that they documented that first encounter in a small rock shelter.
In this video we travel to Dos Cabezas, and explore what's left of the station, then head about a mile away, to look for the Horse and Rider pictograph, maybe the first depiction of the Spanish among the local native rock art.
○ Gear we use: amazon.com/shop/sidetrackadventures
►Please subscribe for weekly updates showcasing some of our adventures: youtube.com/channel/UCdueDRFYPVgzPAAOM_bxVWA?sub_confirmation=1
►Also please follow Sidetrack Adventures on Instagram: instagram.com/sidetrackadventures
►Music in this video is from Epidemic Sounds; use our link for a free trial: share.epidemicsound.com/v927fj
