SCORE International has displayed the official map for a 964.66-mile Baja 1000 course that will start and finish in San José del Cabo, setting the route for the fourth and final round of the 2026 SCORE World Desert Championship.
The Cabo-to-Cabo layout will keep the event entirely within Baja California Sur for the first time in Baja 1000 history. It combines long sections along the Sea of Cortez and Pacific sides of the peninsula with mountain crossings, washes, silt beds, highway transitions and controlled-speed areas.
San José del Cabo hosts both ends
The 59th SCORE Baja 1000 is scheduled for race week from Nov. 9 to 15. The race itself will begin Friday, Nov. 13, from Avenida Centenario in San José del Cabo.
SCORE’s published schedule has motorcycles starting at 1 a.m. PT, followed by cars, trucks and UTVs at 9 a.m. PT. More than 250 teams from Asia, Europe, Oceania and the Americas are expected to compete, according to the sanctioning body.
After leaving the start, competitors will enter the San José Wash and remain there until near race mile 10. The route then turns toward the East Cape, reaching Cabo Pulmo before continuing through La Ribera, Arroyo Las Cuevas, El Campamento and Los Barriles.
That opening portion begins a clockwise journey through the southern part of the peninsula. The course eventually returns to San José del Cabo rather than finishing in a different city.
Sea of Cortez route reaches Loreto
From Los Barriles, the course heads through El Cardonal and climbs into the Sierra del Carrizalito. It also includes San Juan de los Planes, a location with an established place in Baja California Sur off-road racing.
Competitors will climb toward State Highway 286 and cross Federal Highway 1 near San Pedro in the municipality of La Paz. The route then descends toward Matape, climbs into Los Filos and passes through El Centenario near La Paz.
Farther north, the course reaches Highway 163 before heading through El Saladito and over Cerro del Mechudo. It continues via San Evaristo on the Sea of Cortez side, then takes in the El Bosque silt beds and Rancho Las Golondrinas.
The route proceeds toward the San Luis Gonzaga Mission and the Iguajil dam before entering the municipality of Comondú. It then passes Tenpetu and Ejido Ley Federal de Aguas Nos. 5, 4, 3 and 2.
After reaching the highway between Ciudad Insurgentes and Loreto, competitors will travel through Ejido Ley Federal de Aguas No. 1 and enter the Sierra de la Giganta. San Javier and Arroyo Las Parras lead into Loreto, where the course runs through the city’s Malecón.
Loreto brings a controlled-speed section
SCORE has set a 37 mph limit through the Loreto section. The field will then head north from the city through Arroyo Gua and reach the highway connecting Loreto and Santa Rosalía.
The course returns to dirt at Rancho El 47. From there, it travels through El Bombedor and Canipole before reaching Carambuche and San José de Comondú.
SCORE said several washes around San José de Comondú are expected to contain significant water following recent rain in Baja California Sur. The route information also identifies a controlled-speed zone in that area before the course continues through Ejido Francisco Villa.
Those details give teams specific conditions to inspect during their preparations. The published map establishes the course, while the water levels and state of the washes can still depend on conditions closer to race week.
The course crosses toward the Pacific
After La Poza Grande, the race reaches the Pacific near Estero Santo Domingo. Competitors then pass María Auxiliadora and approach the highway to Puerto Adolfo López Mateos.
The return leg includes Estero de la Soledad, Las Ramaditas and El Sifón. From there, the route runs through Rancho El Refugio, Los Llanos de Hiray and El Médano before reaching the highway to Puerto Chale.
Puerto Dátil, Loma Amarilla and La Poza de Venancio are also included as the field works south toward the San José del Cabo finish. The complete layout makes the finale a loop in geographical terms, despite its Cabo-to-Cabo billing.
Championship contenders face a new finale
The Baja 1000 will decide the championships in SCORE’s many vehicle categories, including SCORE Trophy Truck and SCORE Trophy Truck Spec. SCORE describes Trophy Truck as an unlimited class for custom-built trucks with production truck or SUV-appearing bodies. Its rules allow two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and permit forced induction.
Trophy Truck Spec uses a different technical formula. The trucks have full tube chassis but are limited to two-wheel-drive suspension, solid rear drivetrains and factory or crate gasoline engines.
The official driver pages currently show standings labeled as being through the San Felipe 250 rather than updated through the more recent championship rounds. Those page listings therefore do not establish the current points margins entering the Baja 1000, and no title calculation can be made from them.
The verified route nevertheless fixes the competitive task for the finale: 964.66 miles contained within Baja California Sur, beginning and ending in San José del Cabo, with both coasts and several mountain areas included.
Race-week preparations move to the course
SCORE unveiled the route as part of the 27th King Shocks Off-Road Expo. SCORE Vice President of Marketing and Sales Jim Ryan and announcer Rat Sult participated in the presentation, while assistant co-race director Rodolfo Fernandez provided the course breakdown.
The next stage for entrants is detailed preparation for the published terrain and race-week timetable. With motorcycles due away at 1 a.m. and the four-wheel field starting eight hours later, teams must plan around different track conditions, traffic patterns and daylight windows across the same long route.
Race week opens Nov. 9, with the 59th SCORE Baja 1000 scheduled to start Nov. 13. The remaining operational details and any later course updates from SCORE will determine whether teams must adjust those plans before the championship finale begins.
