Piute Mountains Wilderness

Route 66 got hit by a flood in 2016.

The nearest gas would be Amboy, if they're still in business.  And they were in 2026. It won't be cheap. The friendly owner of the Lazy Daisy Ranch said the legal road is running thru his front yard. He grew up there in the 70s and went to the school at Essex. Updated 2026

• From Essex, go east on Route 66 for 6 and a half miles to BLM road #050. There is a crude gate there made of barbed wire and a sign for Piute Crossing. I took that road and stayed right at forks and circled back to Essex in about 20 miles. The first 3 or 4 miles sustained the most flood damage, but 4wds will have no trouble re-establishing it. The road cuts thru the range and stays in wash bottoms. After 7 miles there is a T where I went right on road #212 to the Lazy Daisy Ranch. The road goes right thru their front yard and so they might block it someday but the ranch is entirely on BLM land. The high point of the range is a short hike from  road #050. Park near a low saddle at N34 43915, W115 06637 el 3300, which is about 6 miles in from the highway. Walk thru and up a long valley then climb up on the left at 44309, 05218 el 3650. Walk burro trails on the ridgetop to the reg at 44747, 04763 el 4150+. That took me under 3 hours with only about 600 or 700 feet of noticeable gain. Some hikers drive closer up the valley. Posted 2017. In 2026, I rode in by way of the ranch and that's the easiest way for 4 wheelers to get at the high point but not great for 2 wheelers due to sand. I put a track on peakbagger showing the driving route. It was easy 4wd all the way thru the range.
• PIUTE  BENCHMARK, HIGH POINT - I made a good loop up the NE ridge then over the range high point. I parked on the highway at a bridge west of point 771. But first I should have spotted a bike a mile to the SW. I walked to a wash at N34 47388, W115 06484 then just followed the washes on the topo to the south saddle of peak 1186. I went up ridge to the BM then it was obvious how to walk to the range highpoint at the north summit of peak 1276. Then I walked down the NE ridge on a trail and along the east side of peak 1209 then the trail goes NE into a canyon and stays on the right bank for a while. It finally hits the wash then I stayed in it to 45800, 06310 where I walked a trail on the right bank to the road heading north to point 883. I left the road there and on to 46310, 06810 then I saw some shallow pits at 46590, 06916. They run for a third mile to the eighth one at 46796, 07054. So they are either Indian or WW2 training but both seem far fetched. I headed back to the start crossing some gullies because I didn't have a bike spotted. 6 hours, 15 minutes and 11.5 miles with 800 feet noticeable gain. Easy washes and ridges. It can be shortened by spotting a bike 1.7 miles in on the road toward Fenner Spring where hikers start for peak 1276. The descent canyon had a good brittle brush bloom. I put a track on peakbagger. Posted 2026
• FENNER SPRING INDIAN TRAIL - this trail connects the spring to the river via a saddle NE of Piute BM. I went one way thru the saddle then north and NW back to Rte 66. I left a bike on the higway at a bridge near the 4 on the topo. Then went on west for 3 and a half miles to the road at point 701 cutting thru the range. I parked 1.7 miles in where it gets nasty then walked the wash leading to the spring.  Next to peak 961 is a no trespassing sign in the wash for private land that only runs a fifth mile. But you can go up 50 feet or so toward the peak to get around the private land, but really? See the land ownership map.  I went on to the spring passing some minor petroglyphs then followed a trail toward the saddle to the east. I was on the left bank but better trails were on the right bank. Either way gets to the saddle then on to the trail again at N34 45464, W115 05812. It goes another 400 feet up a ridge then levels off to the left and into a wash. It exits at 45546, 05302 and up thru a saddle and fades. I found it again going up a drainage at 45365, 04830 then levels off to the saddle on the divide. It goes along the left side of a canyon then down a gully at 45438, 04027 and hits a smooth wash. I went down that then the trail goes left at 45284, 03545 and over a saddle and into a wash. I went a tenth mile down the wash then left and found the trail again at 45456, 02978. I left it there then walked the flats north to a wash at 46236, 03511 and up it thru a gap in the range to a wash at 46299, 04255 that took me to my bike. 7 hours, 12.5 miles with maybe 500 noticeable gain. I crossed a lot of minor gullies on the east side after I left the trail but no big deal. I might prefer to reverse this. I put a track on peakbagger under Piute BM. This trail could be used as a return route by going over peak 1276 then the BM. Posted 2026.
• PEAK 1014 LOOP - this one is north of Piute BM. I parked on Rte 66 at a bridge near the 4 on the topo. I walked up the wash north of peak 988 and then it turns south and led me to peak 1014. I went over the peak to point 943 in a wash and walked the wash back. 3 hours, 40 minutes and 7.7 miles with 200 noticeable gain. Smooth washes and the one north of peak 988 had a good brittle bush bloom. Posted March 2026.
• WALTER PEAK el 1086 meters is the highest roadless peak in the range north of the interstate. The Mountain Springs Rd goes north from the interstate and the first road on the right is at point 847. Turn there and stay left at forks to the mouth of a canyon that runs along the north side of the peak. I walked up it to the north saddle then up to the summit. I retraced to the saddle then dropped east down canyon to a wash then on to a guzzler on the topo. I then walked the wash south of peak 1013 to get back. 3 hours, 7 miles with 400 noticeable gain. The roads are easy 4wd and ebikeable. Posted 2026

Fenner  Spring. Burros can't read.

The trail to Fenner Spring