Mopah Range, Turtle Mountains

Mopah Peak and Mopah Spring

The Twins

• TURTLE MOUNTAIN el 4300 is the high point of the range of the same name. Take highway 62 to mp 117.7 and go north a short way to the north side of the canal. From there, take the leftmost fork (not the canal road) and go about 7 miles toward the peak to a fork with a sign for road #733. Go right and the road takes you south a short way to get across a big wash then resumes going north for 2 miles to a closure. Hike up the road for nearly 3 miles to where it starts to enter a canyon. I don't like road walking, especially ones that some people still drive. I got off the road here and went over to a flat at N34 14828, W114 47215. Then I walked a mile toward the peak until I hit the base of the mountain where I met the standard route again. Now just walk along the base to a saddle at 15486, 48904 el 2900. The ascent ridge is the next one north across the wash from the saddle. But it has a little crag, so it's better to walk along the wash a short way then go up. The route goes straight up the ridge to about el 3900 then you cut over to a saddle at 15593, 49590 el 4000 which is just south of the peak. 6 hours, 2700 gain. Posted 2015.
• TURTLE MOUNTAIN WEST APPROACH -  this route from near Johnsons Well makes for a shorter hike than the east route and doesn't require walking closed roads that others still drive.  Johnsons Well and Martins Well are accessed by BLM road #616. The road makes a big horseshoe from Sablon to Saltmarsh on the Cadiz Rd but is washed out at the pass between the two wells. The general route is on the 1:100,000 topo. There are two ways to get to Johnsons Well, each about 10 miles in from the RR. Take highway 62 to mp SBD 102.3 and turn on the graded Cadiz Rd. Go about 10 miles, almost to Saltmarsh, to road #616 reading N34 12738, W115 02532. All remaining coordinates are W114. Turn there on #616 and go under a trestle about 8 feet high and stay right in a wash on the north side of the trestle. The road will curve left and go on about 4 and a half miles to a 4-way at road #609 reading N34 14753, W114 58405. Go right on 609 and in a few feet is a gully which is the biggest  obstacle. Jeeps could get across that in 2018 then it's a fifth mile across a major wash. This is the roughest part of the road. Then turn left on faint tracks reading  14565,  58304. Follow the tracks and trend left to get back to the bank of that major wash.  Stay on the tracks near the right bank of the wash as it gets deeper  and narrower. The road becomes easier to see in a maze of old tracks from WW 2 training. Creosote are taking over the road but are not hard to get around, or just mow down. At  14800,  55933 is a tricky fork. Stay right and  the road goes .7 mile into another major wash. Go up that about .7 mile then exit left at  15286,  54812 and then it's a mile to a T. Left goes a few feet to dry Johnsons Well. A foundation, a swimming pool and some other junk are there. Plus some nails for your tires. Go right at the T for a mile and park along a wash el 2100. The other way in is the southern leg of road #616. Drive the Cadiz Rd about 5 and a half miles in from 62 to a trestle at Sablon. This road is easy 4wd if you can get past the trestle. Floods have created a one foot high step under the trestle. There are ties around to build a ramp. Jeeps should make that. If you can get up that step, turn left along a dike for a quarter mile to road #616 reading 10205, 59164. It goes straight for several miles then bends right to 13474, 57640 then makes a left turn at 14438, 55467. It's easy to follow from there and passes a third mile east of the well and merges with the road described above. This road marks the wilderness boundary and shows up on the 1:100,000 topo. The 7.5 topo only shows the roads near the well. From the parking spot, walk up the wash for a half mile to a rocky side canyon on the right at  16396,  52846 el 2200. Go straight up that for a half mile and thru a saddle el 2450 then down the other side to a wide valley reading  15787,  52089 el 2350. Walk the flats toward the peak and get to a wash at  15684,  51388 el 2450. Go up that and it circles right to a saddle at  15453,  51114 el 2600. Go thru the saddle and stay high and left and then soon drop 100 feet to the canyon floor. Go up canyon and exit on the right at  15671,  50320 el 2900. The route up is obvious. It's easy to go up along the left side of a drainage then at el 3750 cut over to the main saddle south of the summit. The reg is at  15670,  49654. On the return I went down the ridge at  15528,  49867 el 3900 then on to a rim at  15390,  50432 then down to the right. The hike took 5 and a half hours with about 2700 gain. There was no sign of humanity whatsoever until the summit. Road #616 goes on north and in about a mile or so is an old truck. A right fork there goes a mile to an elaborate, decaying cabin, more like a house. It's a dot on the topo. Behind the cabin, an overgrown road goes up and joins another road that goes to mines el 3050. A hiker could go on up the ridge over high peaks to Tortoise BM then back down the south canyon.  Posted 2018. TORTOISE BENCHMARK el 3598 is a mile east of Martins Well. Just take road #616 NE from Saltmarsh to a road at N34 17213, W114 54848. Go a fifth mile up that to a fork. Left is the unused road to Martins Well. It's in an easy wash for the first mile and a quarter, then washouts start. But stay right at the fork for nearly a mile to a cabin el 2350 at the seep shown on the topo. And of course, it's surrounded by nails. It's all easy 4wd for a dozen miles from the trestle to the cabin. From the cabin, walk the low road up the canyon to a mine then keep going up a slope to the rim at 18172, 54392 el 2750. Drop over into the next canyon but stay high and gradually angle down to the creekbed el 2650. Then go up the creekbed and get on the high ground at 18422, 54242 el 2750. It's easy to see how to go on up to the BM at 18822, 53977. Macleod and Lilley placed the reg in 1988, but only John VItz had been up in 2001. Peak 3885 is the next one on the ridge. The reg on it at 19007, 53514 was placed by M&L on the following day in 1988 but no one else had signed in. The next peak on the ridge is higher and likely they went there too, but I skipped that one.  I wanted to make a loop back by way of Martins Well. From peak 3885, it's easy to see how to walk down the NW ridge then go down the wash toward the well. Get on the left bank at 19223, 54213 el 2650 and stay on it for half an air mile then it seems to end, but cut thru an obvious low saddle el 2350 to remain on easy ground for longer then drop to the main wash. Go on down a little past the well then take a main fork that goes upstream to the well. The well is at 18670, 55089 el 2100 and drops 6 feet to dry sand. A trail goes up the point from the well for a tenth mile and joins a road. Walk the road to 18354, 55185 el 2450 and go left up along a gully. Soon you're on a smooth ridge. When crags get in the way, use a faint trail on the right side. Go up to a faint mine trail at 18237, 54905 el 2700 and follow it down the main ridge past some diggings then down to a road in the basin above the cabin. Use the road on the west side of the basin to get back to the cabin. The loop took me 4 hours, 20 minutes with about 2600 gain. Just going to the BM and back would be 2 hours. Or a shorter loop by skipping peak 3885 might take 3 and a half hours. Posted 2018. 
• TERRAPIN BENCHMARK el 3339 has a good mine trail up it, but it's a long ways in there. A 16 mile loop can be done from Horn Spring on easy terrain. Take highway 62 to mp 117.7 and go north a short way to the north side of the canal. From there, take the leftmost fork (not the canal road) and go about 7 miles to a left fork with a cable across it reading N34 11355, W114 45131 el 1450. Walk the closed road to Horn Spring and then on to the Virginia May Mine, or better yet, use a mine trail on the right bank at the spring reading 12505, 47376 el 2050 and walk that to where it crosses to the left bank at 12586, 47756 el 2150 then up to 12526, 47842 el 2300 then it goes up and meets the road at el 2400. It's best to walk the road from there to the mine then keep going west up the ridge on a trail that goes to the divide. It fades out near a tunnel at 12888, 48752 el 2750 and then it's easy to drop to the wash and go down to the Terrapin trail. A narrows along the way has a couple of minor drops or you can bypass on an old road. The trail is at 12543, 49720 el 2350 near a dry well. It goes up and ends at a boring mine el 3100. Then go up the ridge above the mine to a saddle el 3150 before a rough peak. A trail goes level to the right out of the saddle to get past the peak then the reg is on the next peak. Placed by M&L in 1980, no one had signed in. Return to the wash and stroll on down for an hour to the flats then get on the left bank at 10534, 47844 el 1750. Walk that until it ends then move right to the next high ground and walk that a short way then cut across the wash to an exit at 10452, 47105 el 1650. Walk east from there thru a sandy gap then bend left to a saddle at 10737, 46009 el 1650. It's another mile across pristine pavement back to the start. That took me 8 hours with about 2000 of noticeable gain. Skipping the side trip to the peak would be about 14 miles for 6 and a half hours with 1000 of noticeable gain. That's how I'll do it next time. You only have to do the whole thing once to prove you're a real man. Great hike. Sheep tracks were on the divide. Posted 2018. In 2020, I shortcutted off the mine trail down a ridge at 12596, 48709 el 2950. I went down it nearly a tenth mile then cut left to the next ridge and on down the main wash. Then I skipped the BM and that version of the hike took 6 and a half hours. Updated 2022.
• HORN SPRING INDIAN TRAIL - the Indians walked from the river to Mopah Spring and on to Horn Spring. Much of that trail still exists inside the Turtle Mountains Wilderness. One way to hike part of it starts at the standard Turtle Mtn TH.  Take highway 62 to mp 117.7 and go north a short way to the canal. From there, take the leftmost fork and go about 7 miles toward the peak to a fork with a sign for road #733. Go right and the road takes you south a short way to get across a big wash then resumes going north for 2 miles to a closure. Hike a mile west across the flats and pick up the trail at N34 13335, W114 45943 el 1800. Go left on the trail. It's easy to follow on desert pavement but sketchy crossing washes. I lost it but found it again at 12441, 46261 where it drops into a wash. It goes upstream a few feet then resumes on the left bank and is easy to see again. Soon another trail merges in and shortly after that you'll come to the mine road. Walk that for 2/3 mile to the Van Horn well at 12493, 47315 el 2000. It is next to the now dry spring and dated 1951. Water is about 10 feet down. It's useless for wildlife, but backpackers could drop a bucket down. Foundations and a 1940s car are nearby. The road goes on another mile to the Virginia May Mine el 2650. Many routine mines and trails are in this area. One trail goes down the canyon to the south. On the return to Horn Spring, it's more pleasant to walk a mine trail. Go back down the road to a viewpoint at 12536, 47802 el 2300. Look down at the trail. It's easy to go down to it and walk back along the creekbed. From the well, walk down the wash for a quarter mile to a minor fall. A small puddle was here that day, but  that would be a huge pool after rains. Go on another couple hundred feet and the Indian trail exits up onto the left bank and soon meets the road. I went back to the fork in the Indian trail and went right. But that soon faded so I just went straight back to the start. The Indians had to walk 22 air miles to the river using that fork. The hike took me 4 and a half hours. The only noticeable gain was the 650 to the mines at the end of the road. Just going to the well and back would be 3 hours. Posted March 2016.  CASTLE ROCK - the same Indian trail can be used to make a loop around Castle Rock. Walk the closed road to the trail at N34 13887, W114 45937. It gets sketchy, get on it again at 14145, 45863. Next, it climbs out of a major wash at 14371, 45878 then goes on to 14906, 45958 then thru a saddle at 15380, 46022. It fades again until 15592, 46035 then 15866, 46072 where it disappears in washes. At that point, it's easy to circle Castle Rock in washes and head back. I came back to the trail at 14477, 45896 and that soon took me to the major wash. I should have gone down that wash but stayed on the trail to the road. That easy loop took nearly 5 hours. Everything looks almost the same as the Indians saw it. Posted Dec, 2016.
• ARICA MOUNTAINS is a tiny, jagged range at the north end of the Palen / McCoy Wilderness. The high point is a twin peak. Take higway 62 to mp SBD 107.2 at Rice. Turn south on the graded but sandy Blythe / Rice Rd. Go 3.7 miles then veer right on road #1366. Stay on the main road right up into the pass in the range. The last mile has some tricky spots but no problem for jeeps. Start hiking at the pass on a mine road reading N34 01170, W114 55830 el 1500. Follow it around the base of the peak. It shrinks to a trail and goes to the west ridge at 01442, 56171 el 1700. Now just go up the ridge to the reg on the south summit at 01474, 55990 el 2100+. Hikers with levels say the north summit is 3 feet higher, but I could see no safe way up it from any side. It's also omitted from topo maps, therefore it's a mirage so just ignore it. 1 hour, 700 gain. A lot of mine stuff is in the area. It's worth camping here to poke around. Posted 2016.
• NEGRO PEAK el 2532 is at the south end of the Mopah Range. Take US 95 to mp 15.5 and turn on BLM road #738. Go 2 and a half miles on a crude road and park at the wilderness boundary. It's mtn bikeable and some 2wds might get there. I took a 30 foot RV in for a third mile. Hike a mile across the flats straight toward the peak and an obvious gully route appears on the left of the peak cutting thru cliffs. Go up to the south saddle el 2020 then it's easy to the reg at N34 14786, W114 42311.  For a loop back, retrace back down the gully to the base of bright cliffs on the right and walk a sheep trail around to the rim of the canyon and on thru a saddle at 14385, 41797 el 1600. Then it's just a matter of walking a pretty wash for about a mile to the road on the left bank. That wash is the best part. 3 hours, 1200 gain. Posted 2015, 2023.
• PEAK 3072, 3025 - these two peaks are just a stroll apart on the same ridge. Climb one, get one free. A class 3 sheep route goes up the NE ridge of peak 3025.  Take US 95 to mp 15.7 and turn on BLM road #665. Stay on the high ground for 3 miles to a left fork reading N34 16183, W114 40962. Turn there and go a mile and a third on easy 4wd to the end at a sharp wash el 1480. Hike up the wash for nearly half an air mile to a main fork. Take the left fork and use the right bank to a tricky fork at 16112, 42788 el 1700. The right fork works best to get to the main saddle el 1920 at the head of the canyon. Then walk across a valley to one of the peak's east canyons and go up to the first class 3 spot at 16129, 43704 el 2300. There is another class 3 spot just above then comes a minor saddle and there is only one way to go. Just keep going up the rim past a couple more class 3 spots then there are sheep trails circling around the west side of peak 3025 and on to peak 3072 at 16167, 44065. Don't forget to retrace back on the ridge and claim your free peak 3025. Then retrace back to the first class 3 spots el 2300 but there is an obvious option to skip those by dropping to the main canyon on a sheep trail. Then walk to a rim at 16441, 43240 el 2050 and drop down to a divide and walk that to a break at 16582, 42938 el 1800 to get into the starting canyon. 5 hours, nearly 2000 noticeable gain. There was no sign of humanity but sheep were once thick on these peaks. Drought may have forced a retreat. Posted 2020.
• The TWINS are 2 crags about 2 miles north of Negro Peak. Take US 95 to mp 15.7 and turn on BLM road #665. Stay on the high ground for 3 miles to a left fork reading N34 16183, W114 40962. Turn there and go a mile and a third on 4wd to the end at a sharp wash reading 16177, 41987. Hike up the wash and soon it turns toward the crags. I went up the main left fork (where I saw a little red-spotted toad in a tiny pothole) to get in the valley behind the crags. I took a detour up onto the bedrock ridge connecting the crags. I resumed going up the valley to the saddle at the north end where I saw a crag I could climb, peak 2688. But a big ditch was in the way. I went down from the saddle a short way to the first little drop then took a sheep trail up to a bright ridge at 16735, 43841. I followed the trail over that and on to the main saddle next to the crag. The route up was obvious. The top is at 17189, 43807. I  came back to the main saddle then south down the canyon. When I got to open country I went south to a saddle with a break at 16582, 42938 to get me down to the wash I started in. It took me 6 hours but you can make shorter loops. The terrain is easy to navigate. Posted 2015.
• PYRAMID BUTTE is on the east side of US 95. Use BLM road #642 at mp 20.9. It's a decent road. A rougher road goes in at mp 21.9.
• KETTLE BENCHMARK el 3460 is a plateau south of Mopah Peak. A route is up the NE ridge. Take US 95 to mp 21.9 and then turn on BLM road #634.  Go about 4 miles on that crude road and park at a camp area next to a wash. Mtn bikes and some 2wds can get there. Walk along the wash and get on the right bank at N34 19602, W114 43582. Soon it turns SE for over half a mile to where it turns SW. Get on the left bank there at 19023, 43344 and walk that until it fizzles. It's a pleasant walk to the base of the mountain. The route up is obvious. I started up the NE ridge at 17536, 44817 el 2200 and stayed left of a line of little crags and soon picked up a sheep route.  When the ridge hits the high cliffs, the sheep route splinters. It's obvious again at 17162, 44938 where it crosses a nasty talus field. Stay on it for another 250 feet and from there on you have the option of going up to another route at the cliff base. The break in the cliffs is 300 feet before the Kettle BM. The BM is at 16933, 44825. I didn't see a reg. 6 hours for the whole hike, 1500 gain from the valley floor. The valley gets rocky which is why there was never a jeep road in it. Posted 2015.
• UMPAH PEAK el 3553 is the high point of the Mopah Range. The east valley offers a long, easy route to the base. Take US 95 to mp 21.9 and then turn on BLM road #634. Go about 4 miles on that crude road and park at a camp area next to a wash. Mtn bikes and some 2wds can get there. Walk along the wash and get on the right bank at N34 19602, W114 43582. Soon it turns SE for over half a mile to where it turns SW. Get on the left bank there at 19023, 43344 and walk that until it fizzles. Get on the left bank again at 18247, 44246 and go another half mile to where the wash makes a hard right. Get in the wash and go up it and you can stay in it or cut a corner on the right bank at 18046, 44916. You have to get out on the left up a point at 18136, 45110. Follow a low ridge to a viewpoint at 18196, 45458. You can look up and see the NE gully spiraling up the peak. The plan is to go to the obvious major saddle el 2600 north of the peak and come back to the gully. From the viewpoint, drop down to a wash on the right and walk the left bank. When you hit gullies, get on the right side and go up into the saddle. Then walk a sheep trail to a break at 17941, 45826. Go up there to the base of  the tall cliffs and walk the trail on into the NE gully. Now it goes parabolic. Where it tops out, drop down the other side a  few feet then walk level a few feet and then zigzag up thru some class 3 rock. After that it's easy to the south side of the summit where there is more than one route for the final push. Go to 17813, 45882 and look up at an overhanging rock. The easiest route goes up a wide class 3 crack toward that rock. 7 hours for the whole hike, 1700 gain from the wash. There is nothing harder than class 3. I never had to come down backwards on anything.  Posted 2015. In 2019, I found a good pothole at 18703, 44941 el 2000 in a minor canyon that backpackers could use to set up a basecamp near the Mopah Peaks. That pothole won't dry up for weeks and sheep haven't been around in years. That little canyon flows shortly into a main wash where there are some smaller potholes.
• .MOPAH PEAKS VALLEY LOOPS - easy loops can be done on the low ground near the peaks. I followed the Umpah Peak hike as far as N34 18526, W114 44061 el 1800 where I turned up a side canyon and walked toward Mopah. I saw a little canyon with a dry fall, so I went up that and hit light brush then a major pothole at 18703, 44941 el 2000. I kept going up the ridge to a peak with survey junk at 19101, 45268 el 2650. Then I walked east 300 feet and dropped off the rim but should have stayed on the rim a little farther to find a more solid route down. And I did just that in 2021. I walked east from the summit for .14 mile then down a gully at 19044, 45138 el 2600. I had more solid footing down to a gap in a cliff at 19117, 45030 el 2200. There I could either walk the cliff base into Mopah Spring canyon or go east into a another canyon or stay on the ridge for more little peaks.  That took 4 and a half hours with 800 noticeable gain, but the peak could be skipped and instead return in the Mopah Spring canyon. Posted March, 2019, 2021
• MOPAH PEAK el 3530 has a route up the east gully with some narrow ledges and a short class 4 spot. Turn off US 95 at mp 21.9 and follow BLM road #634 to the closure in a bit over 4 miles. 2wd trucks might make all but the last half mile. Most hike the old road, but I like the Indian trail and it's more direct anyway. Head across the flats to the trail at N34 19953, W114 43928. Soon it meets an airstrip then resumes at the far end. It goes along the bench then drops into the wash. A fifth mile up the wash is where it gets easy to walk the left bank. It resumes on the right at 19470, 44740 and goes a fifth mile then crosses to the left side. It goes along the base of the slope for over a third mile then back into the wash. Go on up the wash to a fork at 19240, 45580 el 2000. If you just want to go to Mopah Spring, stay in the main wash another 3/4 air mile and a trail on the right bank is obvious. It goes to the spring in a quarter mile. For the peak, go left at the fork. In less than half a mile, start gradually climbing the base of the peak to a viewpoint at 18584, 45628 el 2300. Here you can see up the east gully. Go up it until blocked by cliffs then angle up to the right and merge with another route. The route starts to curve up to the right on a wide shelf then comes the first headache, a tricky class 3 climb with exposure. Hand holds are very good. Above that the next thing is a narrow chute. But don't go too far up it. Just go a short way to a narrow ledge on the right and follow that around to the hardest part which is a class 4 wall about 8 or 9 feet high, but a fall from there would be 20 feet. In 2015 a handline was in place. That's the last obstacle and it's at about the 3300 level. If the handline is gone, it will take a fearless climber to go up it. Take 30 feet of handline.  Lynne Foster's book says a Chemehuevi Indian  first climbed this in the 1870s.  The spring had a small, clear puddle. No running water. Posted 2015.
• MOPAH SPRING LONG LOOP - a long but easy loop goes on from the spring over into Vidal Valley then back in the next valley to the south.  Turn off US 95 at mp 21.9 and follow BLM road #634 to the closure in a bit over 4 miles. 2wd trucks might make all but the last half mile, cars could go a mile or more and mtn bikes could do it all.  Head across the flats to the trail at N34  19953,  W114 43928. Soon it meets an airstrip then resumes at the far end. It goes along the bench then drops into the wash. A fifth mile up the wash is where it gets easy to walk the left bank.  It resumes on the right at 19470, 44740 and goes a fifth mile then crosses to the left side. It goes along the base of the slope for over a third mile then back into the wash at a fork. Past the fork, the trailless left bank can be walked for a fifth mile then it's back to the wash for a tenth mile then the trailless left bank can be walked for nearly half a mile. Stay left of a hill on that. It's hard to judge if these trailless banks save any time, but they are firmer. Go on up the wash to 18981, 46314 where the trail goes up the right bank.  It goes to the spring in a quarter mile. The trail goes on from the spring on the right bank to the main saddle then splits. Take the faint one on the left that goes down on the right side of a drainage. At 18500, 47165 it bends away to the left and hits a mega wash. Stroll down that to 17760, 46568 and turn up a side canyon that leads to the north saddle of Umpah. Drop down a sheep route at 18095, 45967 that leads to the left bank of a main wash then when that ends get on the right bank then it bends right. Be back on the right bank again at 18034, 44632 and when that fizzles the left bank works until a fork cuts thru. Go back to the right bank there then on to a hard left and get on the left bank there at 19103, 43306. When that fizzles get in the wash then at .4 mile from the start, leave the wash and head straight back. That took 5 and a half hours with 500 noticeable gain but not strenuous. The app has it at a dozen miles. Posted 2022.
• GARY PEAK el 3400+ is what I call the peak on the north side of Mopah Spring canyon.  A long loop or shorter one can be done from the spring over the top then down to Gary Wash. Drive to the standard Mopah Spring TH then keep going along the boundary for 3/4 mile to a faint Indian trail. Pick it up at N34 20238, W114 43880 then 20051, 44008. It merges with a hiker trail and goes into the main wash. A fifth mile up the wash is where it gets easy to walk the left bank.  The trail resumes on the right at 19470, 44740 and goes a fifth mile then crosses to the left side. It goes along the base of the slope for over a third mile then back into the wash at a fork. Past the fork, the trailless left bank can be walked for a fifth mile then it's back to the wash for a tenth mile then the trailless left bank can be walked for nearly half a mile. Stay left of a hill on that. It's hard to judge if these trailless banks save any time, but they are firmer. The trail that goes the last quarter mile to the spring climbs out on the right and is obvious. Just before the spring, I got on high ground at 18906, 46515 el 2200 and walked the left bank of a canyon that leads to a ridge then up that to a main sheep trail. It goes on up the ridge then it angles up to the right and goes between two spires reading 19070, 46789 el 2600. It levels off there and goes along a cliff base losing nearly 100 feet then shortly starts up a slope to get on the ridgetop. The remaining route to the summit is obvious from there. I went up the final ridge thru a class 3 break left of center, but it's easier to swing wide left. The SW summit is at 19847, 46664. It took 3 hours to get there. There are two loop options. The short version is to walk along the top to a sheep trail at 20091, 46378 el 3300. You can look over the rim there to the east and see the routes. The trail goes north down the main ridge to 20254, 46312 el 2950 at the base of peak 949. I went straight down a ridge there to 20263, 46225 where I dropped left into a drainage. The left bank soon is easy then at 20279, 45982 el 2350 I cut left to the rim for a stretch. At Gary Wash, I walked the right bank at 20634, 44699 all the way back to the start. That loop takes 5 and a half hours. For the longer loop, keep going north on the easy summit ridge, staying on the easiest ground right of center. Aim for the shallow saddle at 20147, 47266 el 3200. Keep going north another mile to the end of the high ridge el 3200. A small flat is visible below. I went right down the ridge center then across the flat and on down to a viewpoint at 21197, 47946 el 2800. I could see a small smooth spot directly down the slope. I went down to that and kept going down the easy ridge to Gary Wash. That turned out to be a good route down. It's nearly 2 hours down the wash to the faint  road. 7 hours for the long loop, 1300 gain from the spring to the summit.   Posted 2015. Revised 2017.  THIRD VERSION - another loop can be done by walking west from the summit on the high ridge then drop down at 19578, 47629 el 3100 and drift to the right to follow smoother ground down a ridge to the wash. Go down the wash to a trail at 18685, 47497 el 2350 then follow it to the pass and on down to the spring. Posted 2019, 2022.
• BOLSON PEAK el 4231 is a major peak about 5 miles NW of Mopah Spring. The AAA map is the only one I've seen it on. It's an 11 hour hike because it's nearly 20 miles in and out. I spread that over 2 days. I went 5 miles up Gary Wash in the moonlight and set up base camp. Next day, I walked to a canyon at N34 20613, W114 50096 and stayed in the main wash up along the east side of the peak. At 19787, 51056 el 3250 I came upon a minor fall with a tiny flow. A tenth mile after that was a smaller fall with a good flow. This water was from a major storm a week earlier. A few feet after the water I took the right fork and went up along the right slope of that to get on the south ridge of the peak at el 3750. Then I went up the ridge to el 4100 and went around a corner where a route goes up the NE side of the summit block. The peak is at 19926, 51633 and had some cairns and a battery. On the descent I went back down to the corner el 4100 and directly down the ridge from there. Only the last 300 feet of the route is steep. Posted March 2017.
• WILDFLOWER PEAK el 3400 is what I call the first major peak north of Gary Wash. A dramatic class 2 loop can be done thru the cliffs. Take US 95 to mp 24.7 and turn on BLM road #495. It's reasonable 4wd for the first 3 miles then rubbly segments slow things down. At 5 and a half miles in is the first washout at cabin ruins. From there, the road can be seen going NW up a canyon. Walk across the washout and take a right fork then go on up the canyon. The road will fade in the wash, so just stay in the wash for half a mile or so then the road emerges and goes to a mine in a left fork. The plan is to go up that fork, but not in the rough creekbed. Climb up to the right rim next to the mine at N34 22988, W114 46557 el 2000. Then go up to a sheep route on the left slope at 22824, 46705 el 2300 where you can see how to zigzag around falls to get to a saddle at 22769, 46815 el 2550. Go thru the saddle on a shelf to a corner where you can see the rest and pick your route. A canyon is in the way and must be crossed. I went down 100 feet and crossed at 22687, 46906 el 2500 then up a sheep trail on the other side at 22644, 46850 el 2550. Shortly after that I turned directly up to get on the east ridge then on up to a big crag el 3000. A sheep route goes up to the right along the base of that then it's every man for himself to the summit cairn at 22510, 47177. The last 400 feet goes parabolic but no backsliding. For the descent, go back down the east ridge to el 2800 where you could drop into the SE canyon. But if you want some more drama, stay on the ridge and go left around a peak to a gully at 22475, 46564 el 2600. Go down that then it's obvious how to move to the right for a way down. I went down a natural pathway at 22424, 46501 el 2400. 5 hours, 1600 noticeable gain. The best flower hotspot was next to the road an air mile from the cabin at 22690, 45759 el 1800. A water barrel is near there at 22611, 45695. Someone rode a mtn bike in, apparently just to look at the flowers. Posted mid March 2017. Flowers were there in 2019.
• CARSONS BENCHMARK el 3700+  is the high peak in a craggy area at the north end of the Turtle Mtns. The Coffin Spring trail provides a route part way to the SW saddle. Take US 95 to Turtle Mtn Road at mp 35.7. Go west on that easy 4wd road for  about 11 miles in a straight line then BLM road #477 forks to the left. Take that for about a mile to road #480. If you stay right you'll come to the Lost Arch Mine camp area in nearly 2 miles. But for the peak you want  to go left on #480.  The Coffin  Spring TH is at a closed fork reading N34 25474, W114 48931 el 1900. But you can keep going on the legal road another 800 feet and park. Hike up the closed fork. It will soon enter a major wash and vanish. Keep going up the wash to a fork at 23853, 49060 el 2300. The road resumes up the bench between the forks and goes to a metal tank. Trails go from there to the spring at 23711, 48755 el 2500. For the BM, stay on the bench until it fades then keep going up the canyon to the saddle reading 23242, 48759 el 3200. Now just go NE up the easy ridge on sheep trails to the BM at 23380, 48472. The reg was in pieces so I placed the pages under a rock on the BM. I could look down and see an inviting plateau to loop back on. I went back to the saddle then down scree a short way then took a faint trail over to the plateau. At the far side reading 23366, 49132 el 3000 is where I started down a canyon using a trail on the left bank. The trail went along the slope and made the going easy. At 23441, 49234 is where I went down to the canyon bottom and walked on down to the spring trail. 5 hours for the whole hike, 1500 gain from the main wash. The spring had about 6 ounces. You'll be needing a coffin if you're counting on that. The road runs on past the Coffin Spring TH for 3 and a half miles along the wilderness boundary to another meager spring at 23723, 46804. I saw 3 pairs of toads there trying to make tadpoles. The last 2 miles follows along an Indian trail. It comes over from the Coffin Spring route. That road makes for the most scenic mtn bike ride for hundreds of miles around. Posted 2015, 2019. 
• CARSONS BENCHMARK VERSION 2 - a  loop can be done by going up the scenic canyon east of Coffin Spring, which I call Water Canyon, then over the peak and down by way of the spring. Start out at the same TH as version 1 above but cut thru a saddle at 24585, 48573 to get into Water Canyon then stroll up and get on the right bank at 23988, 48257 el 2350. Go on up a fifth mile to a cave with a spring and water dripping from the ceiling. The flow was like a kitchen tap. It's easy to stay on the right bank past the cave to more flowing water on stretches of bedrock with big potholes. Go up canyon and exit left on a sheep trail at 23528, 48217 el 3200 that goes a tenth mile to the 1016 meter saddle el 3333. Follow the trail around the left side of a crag to the next saddle then a bowl has to be crossed. I started across it at 23463, 48337 el 3550 and followed sheep trails to the last saddle at 23422, 48427 el 3600 which is 350 feet before the summit. That last 350 feet is class 2. Now it's easy to descend the SW ridge to the main saddle el 3200 and it's obvious how to walk the rest back to the start.  I returned on the plateau route as in version 1.  5 hours for the whole hike, 1500 gain from the main wash. It would be a 3 hour hike to the cave and back and not much steep. The cave is at 23845, 48260 el 2600. Water Canyon is the most gorgeous canyon and had by far the most water I've seen in the range, but no sheep tracks. It rained a week earlier. Los Angeles will find out and build an aqueduct. Posted March, 2019.
• MOHAWK SPRING has some mine relics in the vicinity. Take US 95 to Turtle Mtn Road at mp 35.7. Go west on that easy 4wd road for  about 11 miles in a straight line then BLM road #477 forks to the left. Take #477 and keep going SW nearly 3 miles to Lost Arch Mine camp area. There is one shaded table and grill, no outhouse. The trail to the spring is 250 feet west of the table. It goes up along the right slope of a wash. It takes half an hour to get to the spring with 300 gain. Only a mesquite tree and some diggings are there. A trail coming in from the other side is bound to be an Indian trail. It goes west a mile into a valley. Maybe it connects to Coffin or Mopah springs. I couldn't find a trail going east to the river. Shortly past the spring I could see a lot of climbable crags, including the big one towering over the camp area. The spring is at N34 25923, W114 50801. Posted 2015. I posted more info about the Indian trails on the 2019 page.

Wildflower Peak, top center.

This little toad is the guardian of the range. You have to get permission from him if you want to hike there. But it's easy to sneak past him because he snoozes a lot.

Near Martins Well

Martins Well

Water Canyon had more water than the rest of the range combined.