Introduction (Location, Climate, Vegetation, Safety Issues, Trail Etiquette)
Trail Descriptions
Plants by Trail Marker
Map of Mesa del Rincón
More plant descriptions
Glossary of Plant terms
Plant list
Acknowledgements
References Cited

The main path up to the mesa is called the Camino Real trail, and is a fragment of the “King’s Highway” that connected the missions of Alta and Baja California. This section led southward into the Sierras and connected San Ignacio to the Guadalupe, Purísima, Comondú and San Javier missions.

Climate

San Ignacio is located in the central region of the Baja California peninsula.  It is warm or hot and dry much of the year, though winter morning temperatures can be quite chilly.  The best time for most people to visit the mesa is between October and April, when day time temperatures are milder.  Except for early morning hours, the summer months can be brutal as the trees have few leaves and shade is hard to find on the mesa.

Make a visit to the mesa part of your Baja California gray whale-watching trip.  Plan on a half-day (4 hours) to enjoy the walk at a leisurely pace and explore the plant life. For a longer stay in town, spend a few days exploring the different parts of the mesa.  For seasoned hikers and botanical enthusiasts, learn to recognize the plants on Mesa Rincón then climb the steeper mesa known as Mesa de la Cruz on the town’s northeast edge.  Maps are available at Casa Lereé and the web sites listed on the back of this pamphlet.

Vegetation

The vegetation of the mesa is typical of the xerophytic desert scrub of the Sonoran Desert found here in the central peninsula.  Drought-adapted plants such as those with succulent stems or thick trunks (as seen in the cacti and Elephant trees), or shrubs and small trees with tiny, deciduous leaves (like Mesquite, Palo Verde and Desert Ironwood) dominate the landscape.  Annuals and perennials make their appearance in times of abundant rain. 

Many of the trees and shrubs of the region spend a great deal of their life cycle in a dormant, leafless state, often resembling masses of dead twigs.  These drought deciduous plants (such as Lomboy, Matacora, Palo Verde and Palo Adán) only produce leaves when there is ample moisture.  Please be cautious and don’t break off branches or uproot these shrubs, nor trample on these seemingly “dead” plants, or they soon will be dead. Please stay on the trails as much as possible and avoid trampling and compacting soils around the bases of plants. Do not collect live specimens of any plants.  Note: all cacti are protected by federal and international laws and treaties.

Mammillarias (left) are tiny cacti that grow on the mesa and commonly grow in between rocks on the ground or cracks in rocks. Watch where you step, sit or put your hands.

The plant list at the end of this booklet was compiled after visits to the area in December 2009 and 2010, as well as April 2011, so many late spring or summer annuals and perennials are not well represented in the inventories made.

Distances and elevations are approximate, with many calculated as straight lines between GPS waypoints.  GPS coordinates are based on the WGS84 data set, so accuracy will depend on the model and settings of the GPS used.  Coordinates correspond well with Google Earth maps.

Plants measurements are given in metric units, while distances are both in English and Metric units. Illustrations were created from photographs of live plants and are not necessarily to scale if compared with illustrations of the same or other species.

H = height, L = length/long, D = diameter, W = wide

Species names in parentheses that appear within titles of plant descriptions are synonyms (usually outdated names) of the name they appear after.

Safety Issues & Trail Etiquette

• There are many spiny plants on the mesa, especially low-growing cacti. For that reason, open-toed shoes are NOT recommended.
   
• Keep an eye on children and dogs and keep them on the trails. 
  
  
• Be aware of where you put down your belongings and hands and where you sit or tread to avoid unpleasant contact with spines.  Watch your companion’s back too.
  
  
• Carry ample water; bring a snack or lunch to better enjoy the trails at a leisurely pace.
  
  
• Pack out all your trash and pick up any you might find along the way.