Whipple Mountains

Monument Peak

Copper Peak

RV camp areas start at mp 138 on highway 62 and more are to the west. Shea Rd has RV camp areas. Parker has a Walmart and dollar stores. Posted 2019.

MONUMENT PEAK NORTH SUMMIT el 2768 is the best peak hike in the range. There is a route up the SW side. From Earp, go east up the river road about 7 miles to mp 6.84 at a self storage business. Turn there into a paved lot and go to the far end to drop into Bowman's Wash and go a bit over 6 miles up the main wash to a side wash on the right reading N34 16215, W114 16385. Drive up the side wash a quarter mile to a camp area at a boulder jam. The road to here is easy 4wd but wavy. Take a trail on the right bank to get past the boulders then start up a ridge at 16484, 16198 el 1300. Go up to 16578, 15934 el 1700 where you can get on top of the lower cliff band. Walk along the shelf above the cliffs and it gradually climbs to take you to a notch at 16666, 15875 el 1900. Go thru and you're on the main ridgetop. Go up that to a view point at the base of the final cliff band reading 16768, 15767 el 2200 where you stop climbing for now. Here you can see most of the remaining route. Drop a little and follow a sheep route on the obvious wide shelf. Right before the shelf tops out, an obvious easy slope appears on the right and it's a fifth mile to the summit reg at 17086, 15710. The last tenth mile is defended by a cholla field. I went high left, but should have gone around the right side of it. The reg had not been signed in 6 years. A 17 year gap preceded that. 4 hours, about 2000 gain, nothing scary. A sheep was looking down on me as I took a break on the shelf. If I drove a 4wd in here I'd camp out and do Copper Peak the next day. Posted 2015.

COPPER PEAK el 3012 is what I call the peak on the west side of Copper Basin. It's the highest for miles. A loop can be done using washed out mine roads west of the peak. Drive the same as Monument Peak but keep going up Bowman's Wash another mile and park near the mine road which reads N34 16908, W114 17024 el 1350. Walk the road NW up a canyon to a fork in the road at a major saddle el 2000. The mine up to the left still had rails. Take the right fork to a faint trail at 18167, 18240 el 2000. Follow the trail as it runs along a wash and up into the major saddle el 2100 which is west of the peak. An obvious route up can be seen. A trail goes up from the saddle but soon fades. Keep going up to the high cliff band then turn right toward a fat spire. Walk along the shelf even with the top of the spire then on to the reg at 18100, 17137. I came down a route below the spire but had a long class 3 slab to deal with. Return to the saddle then go left on a trail. It drops down a canyon to some potholes then resumes on the left bank. Eventually the trail strays too far left. Cross over a low rim at 17463, 17083 el 1550 to get back to the main wash. Walk a trail on the bank and soon it morphs into a road that takes you back. 5 hours, 2000 gain. There is no public road out thru Copper Basin. Posted 2015.

ZAGER AND EVANS PEAK el 2525 is what I call the peak 2 miles west of Monument Peak. Peak 2710 is the next peak north. Both peaks have mine roads and trails for a loop. Start at the same TH as Copper Peak and walk that hike for a mile then get on a mine trail to the left of the road reading N34 17238, W114 17882 el 1800. Walk that up to a saddle el 2000 then just keep going up the class 2 ridge staying right of center to the summit of Z & E peak reading 16891, 17745. From there you can see the roads and trail on Peak 2710. Descend back to the road and walk NW up that, staying left at forks, to the main saddle el 2000. Now you can see the road above you need to walk. Take it to where it tops out and then it's a short side trip to the summit of peak 2710. Resume walking the road to its end at a mine where a hand winch was left behind. It's easy to walk down a ridge to the lower mines then get on the trail back down. 4 hours, 2000 gain. Posted 2016.

SAGUARO PEAK el 3357 is what I call peak 3357 in the central part of the range. A good loop can be done using the south canyon. From Earp, go west a mile and a half on highway 62 to mp 140.5. Turn north on a graded road for 4 and a half miles to the graded aqueduct road. Go right for a fifth mile to a main fork. Stay left for a mile and a half to BLM road #800. The reading here is N34 13174, W114 19753. Turn north on easy 4wd for 2/3 mile to a fork. Take the right fork and go up the wash a mile and a half to a main fork in the canyon. Park here if you're doing the loop, keep driving as far as you can up the left fork if you just want to do the peak. Walk up the left fork for 3/4 air mile and use a trail on the right bank at 15572, 20457. It soon crosses to the left bench. When that one ends, you drop back in the wash a few feet to get past a side canyon then the trail resumes on a higher bench and takes you into a gorge. A guzzler is here and a tiny stream. The water looked good but burros have trashed the area. Soon the gorge ends and useful trails appear again. Keep going up the canyon to a steep ridge on the right bank at 16755, 21550 el 2050. Go up the ridge and soon it eases up and a trail appears that you can follow. The ridge circles to the left then comes back to the right and tops out on a divide el 2600, right below a saguaro cactus. Drop down the other side of the divide just a little and walk up the canyon to the main saddle el 3050.Or better yet, walk up the divide to crags and go left around those on a faint trail and it will merge into the canyon then go up to the main saddle.  Now just go left up easy bedrock to the reg at 17212, 21055. To return using the main SE ridge, go back to the main saddle el 3050 then walk level to the left around a corner and you'll see a massive block in the way. Walk under that on the left side and stay at about that level to get around peak 3085 and you'll be back on the ridgetop at 16790, 20603 el 2900. Soon the ridge drops off, but there is a handy little class 3 chute down to the left that gets you down to a saddle el 2700. Keep walking left of center to 16583, 20284 to get past a little cliff blocking the way.  Then angle up on easy ground a little but stay left of center under rough stuff to get past peak 2835. It's easy to walk around that peak and keep going on the easy ridgetop to the descent ridge at 16246, 20017 el 2600. Go down that easy ridge on a sheep route to the main saddle el 2000. Turn right on a trail going down the fork. You should be reading 16060, 19677. It's a mile and a half back to the start. It took 5 hours to do the loop, the only gain you'll notice is the 1300 feet from the main wash to the summit. Placed in 1979, the reg had only one entry in the next 36 years. Posted 2015, 2019.

SAVAHIA PEAK el 2695 is isolated to the west. There is a route up the west side.Take highway 62 to a mp that says 128.50. Go a few feet west of that to BLM dirt road #665. Turn north a short way to the canal. The road goes thru a gap in the canal. After about 5 miles there is a water tower. Just past that is a tricky fork reading N34 15825, W114 32815. Go left there for 3/4 mile to a closed right fork. Walk that into a wash and go up that for about 100 feet then get on the right bank. Hike up the obvious drainage to the right of the peak. When it tops out, go left on a shelf and gradually you'll climb up to the reg and Peanuts BM at 16561, 31965. 2 hours, 1300 gain.  The road in is easy 4wd. Mtn bikes would work. Posted 2015. GOLD STANDARD PEAK 2550 is another hike nearby. Road #676 goes along the east side of Savahia, but the fork that goes to the SW side of peak 2550 is gone. It's better to walk around the north side of Savahia and get on a low ridge at 17062, 31587 el 1750. When that ends, drop left into the wash and get on the left bank at 17342, 31262 el 1850. Walk that until gullies get in the way then move higher to skirt those to 17567, 30985 el 2050 where the west saddle is in view. The summit is at 17666, 30925. 3 hours, 500 noticeable gain. This is a pretty basin. Posted 2020.

 PEAK 2240+ is north of Savahia next to peak 2230. A loop can be done in the north washes. Take US 95 to mp 20.9 and turn on easy 4wd. Stay on the main road and keep right at forks for 9 miles to a wash at N34 18986, W114 32614. A mine road goes along the left bank for a tenth mile then walk up the wash and get on the right bank at 18602, 32629. Go .17 mile then get on the right bank again. That will fizzle then get on the right bank again at 18192, 32797. Go a tenth mile then cut over to the left bank and follow the topo around to the fork along the NW side of the peak. Go high on the left bank of that to get on the NW ridge. A sheep trail goes over the summit then up and over the right side of peak 2230 and to the south saddle of it. Drop down there to a wash and it soon makes a right bend and the right bank works from there to the main wash. The left bank of that works a little then at 18138, 32231 there is an option to get on the right bank. In half a mile there is a trail up the left bank to get back. 2 and a half hours, 300 noticeable gain. This is a pristine area. The road is ebikeable and I saw a compact car 4 miles in on it. Posted 2023.

WHIPPLE WASH is the most spectacular gorge in the low desert. A loop can be done using the Cupcake Mountain trail to the north of it. From Earp or Parker Dam use the west side river road to get to mp 15.3. It's about a mile down from the dam. Turn on a paved road there and go 6 miles to a sign for Havasu Palms. Turn left on a dirt road there and go 2 miles to BLM road #056. Turn left there and go nearly 3 miles to where the road bottoms out and crosses Whipple Wash. Vehicles are not supposed to drive up the wash, but everyone is so I went up half a mile and parked at a side wash on the right that I call Cupcake Wash el 750. Hike on up Whipple Wash. It's easy but for an occasional boulder jam. At N34 19047, W114 19148 el 1400 go up a right fork. I went up the creekbed, but google earth shows a trail on the left rim. In nearly half a mile is a series of falls and a mega pothole. Use a trail that goes up around the left of the falls and comes back in the wash. Then it's easy walking again. Get on a trail at 20001, 19650 el 2000 and follow it as it heads west of the peak then comes back to the right and thru a minor saddle then down a little to the base of Cupcake Mtn. Start up the SW end of the peak and easy slopes near the top will carry you back to the left to a double arch. Go right there a short way to a class 3 chute which puts you on top. It's easy to the high point at 20768, 19497 el 2873. Next to the high point is a gully cutting north thru the cliffs. An obvious trail goes down it which is the standard route. At the bottom the trail crosses a saddle. You could drop to the right into Cupcake Wash, but the north rim has a trail. Be on it at 21032, 19166 el 2050. In 3/4 mile the trail goes left around a crag. On the back side of the crag is where you drop to the wash. Many trails go down, so aim for a main trail on a point near the bottom at 20663, 18243. Then it's a stroll back to the start. One useful trail on the right at 20942, 17525 keeps you on the easier right bank all the way to Whipple Wash. 6 hours, 2200 gain. There is a stretch of over a mile in Whipple Wash that burros can't get to and trash. Cupcake Mtn is a major landmark seen from Lake Havasu City. Posted 2015. LOOP 2 - another loop can be done thru Copper Basin to the south. Go up Whipple Wash from the mouth for less than a mile to the first main south fork. Go up that or stay in the main canyon a bit more to a trail on the left bank at N34 19945, W114 17605. That trail cuts over into the south fork. Go up the wash on trails switching from bank to bank to a mine road up on the right at 19118, 16736. A burro trail goes to the road but I missed it. Walk the road to a mine trail on the right at 18622, 16257. Follow that around a corner to an unmapped road going south. Walk that and soon another trail can be seen ahead cutting left over a ridge. Get on it at 18196, 16174 and go over the ridge. The trail soon fades but keep going on easy ground to a heavily used road at 17955, 15779.  That road has some tricky forks, but stay on the road in the main wash. Go SW for a couple miles into Bowmans Wash and then up a washed out road in a canyon on the right reading 16908, 17023. Stay on that road to a main saddle el 2000. A mine trail starts here at 17548, 18132 and goes down to a major fork of Whipple Wash. It's mostly easy gravel until some boulders that block burros. That burro free zone lasts a mile but people have no trouble scooting thru the intermittent boulders and soon you're back to the main fork you turned up. That's a 15 mile loop starting from the wilderness boundary taking 8 hours.There are two ways to shorten it. Backpack to the main fork. A major water hole is a half mile up from the main fork in the burro free zone at 19711, 18132. Doing the loop from there would be a dozen miles. The other way is to start at the Copper Peak TH and do the dozen miles. That's what I did and it took 5 and a half hours. Springs shown on the map are a joke. Posted 2016.

CUPCAKE MOUNTAIN HIKING TRAIL - this peak el 2873 is prominent viewed from Lake Havasu City. A trail goes up the NE ridge. From Earp or Parker Dam use the west side river road to get to mp 15.3. It's about a mile down from the dam. Turn on a paved road there and go 6 miles to a sign for Havasu Palms. Turn left on a dirt road there and go 2 miles to BLM road #056. Turn left there and go nearly 3 miles to where the road bottoms out and crosses Whipple Wash. Keep going on the long and winding road for 3 and a half miles to the sign for the TH at N34 22238, W114 18728 el 1150. Skimpy parking is another 200 feet beyond. The trail is easy to follow until the base of the peak where it goes up a rocky gully. At 20789, 19458 el 2650 it becomes easy to follow again. It goes up to the final cliff band then makes a hard right across a gully then up the next gully to the top. No GPS is needed if the cairns are up. 3 hours, 1800 gain. The last 700 feet is steep. 2wds might get in here but they'll be slipping on the steep hills. Posted 2016.

WHIPPLE MOUNTAIN el 4130 is the high point of the range. A good sheep trail goes up the NW ridge to the 3250 level. Use the paved Havasu Lake road north of the range. At mp 9.7, turn SE on a good power road. This is BLM road #056. Go along the towers for 6.8 miles and turn right on easy 4wd. Go about 4 miles then left for 2 miles to the War Eagle Mine. A narrow road goes another 3/4 mile past the mine. It crosses the main wash and fades in a wide valley. It's not rough but has a steep hill. Cycles can make it a half mile up the wash from the mine. Hike up the valley to a trail at N34 20495, W114 26471 el 1700. Follow the trail then veer right to a saddle at 19885, 26509 el 1900. Go thru to a wash and walk the left bank. Soon there is a major fork. Between the forks is another trail that goes to the ascent ridge at 19484, 26611 el 2000. Go up to 19147, 26295 el 2400 where the sheep trail is apparent. It goes along the right side of the ridge below a rough section then back up to the top. It's easy to follow to the 3250 level where it goes left around a bump. It forks there. Take the right fork and it ends in a few feet behind the bump. It's easy to keep going up the ridge to 18674, 25116 el 4000+ where you can see the summit a half mile to the NE. Now just contour toward it on easy slopes then down a bit over 100 feet to a saddle to get to it. It took me 5 hours, 15 minutes with nearly 3000 gain. Road #056 gets you to Parker Dam but it takes forever. Posted 2015. ALTERNATE DESCENT - in 2021, I descended using the standard route. But it's rough with light brush, so next time I would retrace down the NW ridge to a saddle el 3200 then drop NE to join the standard route in a canyon. The canyon has no issues but it's lined with stinky burro shit ( the north rim could be used to avoid that ). I strolled down canyon to a slanting fall at 19435, 25865 el 2300 then got on the left bank and walked a trail. Trails are on the banks at bends and near the mouth the trail is on the left bank. Posted 2021

WHIPPLE MOUNTAINS CIRCUMNAVIGATION - a 94 mile loop can be done around the range on a dual sport motorcyle or jeep. It starts near Pyramid Butte and goes east along the north side of the range to a power road then south to Parker Dam. Start on US 95 at mp 20.9 el 1319. Follow the main road staying right at forks for 7.8 miles to a fork at N34 19863, W114 33205. Go left and stay left at forks for 3.5 miles to a T at a wash near BM 1721. The reading there is 18927, 30627. Go north down that wash for 5.8 miles to a fork near BM 1309. Go right and the road will bend toward Lake Havasu and hit a power road in 8.2 miles from the fork. Follow the lines south for 20 miles over deep canyons and hit pavement then go right and it's 50 miles back to the start. It took me 3 and a half hours to ride the 44 mile dirt portion on my 1998 XT350. It's nearly all hard packed with little sand. I'm a conservative 67 year old coot and ride like one. I had a 16 tooth front sprocket and went back to the 19 tooth on the highway. Jeeps have the option to come in on the sandy Chambers Well road from Vidal Junction but expect severe washboard. My odometer is off but not enough to be an issue. All roads are on the topo and there is a Verizon tower near the start to download maps. Posted 2023.

Petroglyphs along the Indian trail are the only ones I've ever seen in the range.

American Eagle Mine

INDIAN TRAIL LOOP HIKE - an Indian trail runs next to the road that goes NE from the War Eagle Mine on the west side of the range. It shows on the sat image. I puzzled over that trail for more than a year, but then by zooming out on the map it became obvious that they were shortcutting a bend in the river. It cuts over the range a bit over a mile east of the American Eagle Mine. A loop can be done from the south side. Go east on highway 62 from Vidal Jct for about 4 miles to mp SBD 129.8. Turn there on road #682 and go north about 5 and a half miles to road #683, which forms the wilderness boundary. Turn right for half a mile and park at a bad hill. It's easy 4wd to there. Walk north on a low ridge to a major wash at N34 16424, W114 28418. Go up and get on the far right bank at 17141, 28558. Stay low on that then it ends and get in the wash and use the right bank again at 17470, 28608 then left bank at 17615, 28666. When that ends it's easiest to stay in the wash to the main saddle el 2200 at the head of the canyon. Go down the other side on the right bank then left and cross back to the right at .23 mile past the saddle. Cross some minor gullies and the last one is crossed at 18786, 29358 then follow the easy ground down into the wash at a point. Go down the wash and exit on the right at 19037, 29554. Go up an easy ridge there to a sheep trail at 19084, 29278 that goes to the right into a saddle on the south side of peak 2187. Go down the other side on the left bank then get on the right bank at 18944, 28812 and follow a trail to bypass a rough section. It drops back in at a point then go down the wash a fifth air mile and exit on the right bank and cross some gullies to the Indian trail at 18819, 28114. It goes into a canyon then in the wash then on the right bank at 18360, 28259. At 18199, 28317 it goes up the left bank and on to the main saddle el 2150. It's easy to follow down the other side then at 17215, 28360 it crosses to the right bank and stays there most of the way back to the start. 5 hours and hardly any strenuous gain. Posted 2021.

PEAK 3807 is just SW of the range high point. I did a loop from the south. Take highway 62 to mp 135. Go north on a decent road for nearly 2 miles to the canal road. Keep going across that road on 4wd road #683 for several miles and park at a closed road reading N34 15552, W114 28063. Stay left at a main fork along the way. Walk the road to a faint Indian trail at 16062, 27557 el 1550. Follow it on high ground to a major wash then go up that to a fork el 2300. Go up bedrock between the forks reading 17571, 26138 el 2400 and soon it's easy to move left on a smoother ridge. Go on up to a viewpoint at 17829, 25607 el 3500 where the last saddle is in view. Walk a sheep trail into it then it's a fifth mile to the summit. A sheep trail goes left of center for that last bit. Then retrace to the viewpoint el 3500 and stay on sheep trails to the south rim of the ascent canyon which is obvious. At el 3000 some minor crags get in the way. Drop left a little and walk under it and merge into a saddle el 3000 then go up over the left side of peak 3058 and stay on the rim down to a ridge at 17287, 26527 el 2300 that drops to the right down to the wash then retrace back out. 6 or 7 hours with about 2000 noticeable gain. The Indian trail can be used sooner. I'll figure that out next time. They must have been after water that runs at the fork el 2300 after wet spells. Sheep use that too. This is one of the better areas because burros can't trash it. Posted 2021.

THE WHIPPLETTS is what I call a scenic cluster of rugged little peaks on the south side of the range. An easy loop can be done. Take highway 62 to mp 134.9. Go north on a decent road for nearly 2 miles to the canal road. Keep going across that road on 4wd road #683 for 3 miles and park on the bank of a major wash. Stay left at forks along the way. Walk the bank then drop in and take the first right fork reading N34 14702, W114 26833. Go up that for a mile or so and exit up to the right at 15431, 26637 and cross over to the next major wash. Walk the bank of that one until forced in, then walk up the bed and exit on the right at 16208, 26450 (or it might be easier to take the next right fork). Go over the rim then angle down the other side to the right and hit a sheep trail in the creekbed. Follow that down to a major wash at the base of the highest Whipplett. To climb it, circle around the north side in the wash until an ascent route thru a boulder field comes into view. This is where I saw the only burro impact. There is an easy path thru the boulders then it's obvious how to go on up to the summit at 16111, 25648 el 2100+. There are various ways to return to the start. I went back the same way down into the major wash and walked down that to a trail on the right bank at 15293, 25950. Then I walked SW on the lowest ground back to the rim of the starting wash at 14820, 26700. The loop took me 4 hours and the only noticeable gain was the 400 feet up the peak, but you could skip that. Sheep tracks are all over here. They know a good hike when they see one. Posted 2016. In 2019, I dropped off the peak to the south side and liked it better. That time the loop took 3 and a half hours.⦁ VIDAL BENCHMARK el 948 is south of highway 62. It's covered with WW2 roads. Take highway 62 to mp 129.4 and turn on a high clearance road that is mtn bikeable. Go a mile and a half to power lines then take a left fork on the high ground to the base el 800 of the peak. Nobody has been driving beyond there but it looked driveable. I walked on up to the BM at N34 09630, W114 30151 dated 1932. The summit a quarter mile to the NW has a BM dated 1972. Short hike. Posted 2022.