The largest wooden train trestle in the world
Goat Canyon Trestle
"The Impossible Railroad"
The whole idea of building a railroad through these mountains was to shorten the route between San Diego, Imperial Valley, and Arizona. Under the direction of John D. Spreckles who was responsible for helping the development of San Diego into what it is today, this railroad was going to turn San Diego from a small town into a fully functional city. Before this railroad, people and supplies had to go through the Cajon Pass and into Los Angeles before going anywhere else. With Los Angeles being the main hub of everything, people didn't really have any reason to travel an extra day just to get to this small town. It also costed extra money to get supplies through Los Angeles and into San Diego.
The Carrizo Gorge Railway railroad faced many problems since its construction began in 1907. Even after completion, challenges never stopped due to the difficult terrain until the last train ran on these tracks in 2013. The original passage did not include Goat Canyon Trestle, instead there was a tunnel that cut through with the tracks coming out in Goat Canyon which then went around the cliff side. This tunnel known as Tunnel 15 collapsed and the best option was to construct a large trestle over this canyon which was built in 1933.
There has still been talk about using the tracks again but it would take a lot of effort to get the route back in working order and likely won't ever happen. The route also crossed into Mexico and back into the U.S. so that also presents another difficulty.
The Trestle
Goat Canyon Trestle was built in 1933 after the collapse of Tunnel #15 which took trains through the south side of Goat Canyon. The tracks ran along the hillside of the canyon. When the tunnel collapsed, the next best option was to construct a massive trestle across the canyon. A smaller tunnel was blasted out of the hillside for this new route to cross the canyon. The trestle was built out of redwood timber which would be able to handle the changing temperatures better than steel. At 633 ft. long and 186 ft. high, this is the largest wooden train trestle in the world. The curvature of the trestle helps maintain it's structural integrity.
GETTING THERE:
Hiking to Goat Canyon Trestle from Jacumba:
Season: Fall, Winter, Spring
Distance: 18 miles
Terrain: Easy
Resources: None
Crowd: Extremely light
From Orange County, take 5 South to 805 South to 8 East, follow that for just over 50 miles, you will exit on Corrizo Gorge Road in Jacumba Hot Springs, make a right off the exit followed by another immediate right onto Carrizo Gorge Road (Stop at the Shell gas station for last minute supplies), Carrizo Gorge Road will take you straight into "De Anza Springs Resort" where you can hike from, there is a gate that you will let them know you are hiking to the trestle, they will charge you $5 a person and take down your info and emergency contact which is great because if they see your vehicle there by the next day, then they know something is wrong, it's also nice knowing your car is in a safe place and being looked after.
The hike begins as you walk to the adjacent train tracks, since the trestle is located 9 miles up the tracks, you will basically just follow the train tracks, it's as simple as that. The surrounding terrain is steep desert hills but since trains require level terrain, the route itself is very easy and flat, winding around the hills to retain the same elevation. Some of the tunnels are sometimes closed, if they are then you can take a trail around the hill that the tunnel goes through. Make sure you watch your footing on the several trestles you'll be crossing as there are some missing pieces of wood or metal grates.
Don't forget a flashlight for the tunnels!