We drove through there earlier this winter (Januray) heading up to camp along the little cut across trail that connects Arroyo Tapiado and Arroyo Seco Del Diablo. We were shocked when we went past the mud caves area because there were at least 40 rigs parked in there. But hardly any people. I stopped and asked a guy covered in dirt what was up and he said boy scouts form the OC were exploring the caves. Must have been a couple hundred people there that day.
In the afternoon we were hiking northwest on the ridge between Arroyo Tapiado and Arroyo Seco Del Diablo and we came across an old trail coming up out of the wash and then heading up toward Whale Peak. It had huge rock cairns along it. We found 3 or 4 cairns along the trail for about half a mile or so and then it kind of just petered out. If you look in this picture you can see the cairn on the left edge of the pic and to the left of the ocotillo. The trail goes to the right of the ocotillo and off toward the center of the pic. You can see my buddy (dark spot) in the middle of the pic and the trail right by him. It was very cool. The picture is taken looking southeast toward Carrizo Creek and the Impact Area with the Coyote Mountains to the right.
