Cañón de San Dionisio

The granite mountains of the Sierra la Laguna dominate the terrestrial horizon of the Cape Region in southern Baja. Running north-south about 100 km, they rise to over 2,100 m (7,000 ft) and cover 112,522 ha (278,000 ac). Access to the mountains is on dirt roads that follow river valleys and canyons from east to west on the Sea of Cortez side and west to east on the Pacific side. Trails over the high ridges begin where the roads end (link).

Looking down (east) Cañón San Dionisio

Rande and I drove up Cañón de San Dionisio from the town of Santiago on the east side of the mountains. The vegetation is arid scrub (“matorrales”) from sea level up to about 250 m (800 ft), dry forests up to 800 m (2,600 ft), evergreen oak woodlands (“encino”) up to 1,200 m (4,000 ft), oak-pine forests at the higher elevations and palm oases along the river channels (link). The variety of habitats and the area's isolation are reflected in its biodiversity – nearly 1,000 plant species have been recorded and 23% are endemics, including five endemic genera (link). Eight of the 42 species of reptiles and amphibians and eight of the 59 resident bird species are endemics (link).

Native Brandegee fan palms (Brahea brandegeei) along the river channel

Endemic fig tree (zalate; Ficus brandegeei)

Most of the canyon lies within the Reserva de la Biosfera (Biosphere Reserve) Sierra la Laguna, which was set aside as a protected natural area by the president of Mexico in 1994 and designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2003 (link).

Looking up (west) Cañón San Dionisio to the Sierra la Laguna

Timber is harvested from the forests and the mountains supply water to surrounding communities (~10,000 people in 2002), including Los Barriles where we're staying. There are 35 private properties and six ejidos (farming cooperatives) in Sierra la Laguna maintaining the ranchero culture (link). The 15 ranchos in San Dionisio raise cattle, goats, pigs and chickens, and tend apiaries, gardens and orchards. Some offer ecotourism activities, including interpretive trails, hiking, horseback riding, and zip-lining (tirolesa). We visited two ranchos, El Chinal, where we bought dulce regional de mango (mango candy), and Rancho La Acacia, where they raise goats, pigs and chickens and offer rustic lodging and ecotourism activities for small groups.

Rancho El Chinal sells regional sweets made with peaches and mangoes, goat cheese and goat meat; the sign encourages visitors to purchase them

Ranch house at El Chinal

Animal pens under oak trees (Quercus sp.) at Rancho La Acacia

Airstream (with 1991 California plates) serves as a storage shed at La Acacia

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe) shrine along the canyon road

Biosphere reserves attempt to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity and biological resources with their sustainable use, and they allow people to continue to live in the protected area. Their functions are: 1) conservation of biological and cultural diversity, 2) economic development that is culturally and environmentally sustainable and 3) support sustainable development through research, monitoring, education and training (link, link).

Botanical note: Townshend Stith Brandegee was an American engineer and botanist who collected plants in the U.S. and Baja California (link). He was married to Katherine Brandegee, an equally famous botanist. They collected 75,000 plants in the western U.S. and have 120 species named in their honor (link).