Old Woman Mountains Wilderness

Another wanderer with his own motorhome. His rig has 4wd. I want one of those.

Gemco Mine camp

Nest on Carbonate Peak, only a foot off the ground.

Ingersoll Rand compressor at Scanlon Gulch. The wind was spinning the fan blade. I expected the bearings would be shot , but there was no free play.

Route 66 washes out a lot. Check the county website for road conditions.

OLD WOMAN MOUNTAIN el 5325 is the high point of the range. The Florence Mine had been the TH for the north side, but the road is closed and so it's better to walk the next road to the east as shown on the topo. Go west on Route 66 from Essex for about 9 and a half miles to the sign for Danby Rd. Take that graded road for nearly 2 miles to the RR tracks. Go across and keep straight on sandy road #200 for nearly 6 miles to a gate el 2500. Walk up the closed road for 3/4 mile then cut over to another road at N34 35826, W114 14117 el 2900. Follow that around a point and stay right at a fork to the end of the road at a wash. Go up the wash nearly a fifth mile then get on a faint road on the left bank at 35303, 13620  el 3350. Walk that up to el 3700 where the peak and several routes are in view. The canyons look less steep but are tedious. I went up the ridge to the right of the peak. Walk over to the creekbed of a major canyon at 34937, 13910 el 3700. Go up that 300 feet then climb out on the right and go up the center of the ridge. When dark cliffs block the way, it's obvious how to go left around the cliffs and top out on the main ridge el 4800. Then it's a quarter mile to the reg at 34398, 14125. 5 and a half hours, nearly 3000 gain. I descended directly down the ridge from the peak but that didn't save any time. Solar panels on the summit repeater had been bashed in. Posted 2017.

• SCANLON GULCH MINE TOUR -  a loop can be done by going up to the Gemco Mine then up to Carbonate Peak then down the main ridge to the Hang Mine.  Go west on Route 66 from Essex for about 9 and a half miles to the sign for Danby Rd. Take that graded road for nearly 2 miles to the RR tracks. Go across and you'll see a road running west next to the tracks. Take the next road to the left of that one which is #195. Follow 195 for 9 and a half miles to road #404 reading N34 30241, W115 19991. Go 8 miles on 404 to a broken down fence at private land on the floor of Scanlon Gulch. Some drive around it but that won't help on this hike. Walk up the smooth wash. At 32326, 11536 is where boulders first pose a problem for people driving. No vehicle can go more than a fifth mile beyond there. At 32517, 11362 el 3500 there is a road on the right bank. Take that for a fifth mile to cabins at the Gemco Mine which are on BLM land. There are 2 trails behind the cabins that go to mines. The left trail goes to a mine I visited in 2006 that had a compressor and other stuff, but I couldn't find anything in 2018. A ridge goes from the cabins directly up to Carbonate Peak. As I started up, I stumbled on a mine trail at 32697, 11361. Always on the lookout for a wuss route, I took that trail and it angled up to the left, across a wash, then up the next ridge to the west. The trail fizzled at el 4000 but it was still easy going up to the main ridge. At el 4800 you want to start cutting over to the peak. The reg is at 33500, 11434 el 5200+. Then come back down and walk the easy main ridge SW for nearly 2 miles. Start descending on a little ridge at 32435, 12943 el 4600. Keep going down another tenth mile to a viewpoint. The Hang Mine can be seen to the left. The Ingersoll Rand compressor can be seen distant right. Back up a little and go SW down an easy canyon then cut thru a low saddle at 32279, 13203 el 4100. Then go down the drainage a tenth mile then over to the rim el 3850 on the right. The compressor is directly below at el 3600. Walk down to it then take the washed out road back to the start. That road is on the topo. The loop took 6 hours with nearly 2000 gain that is noticeable. All roads easy 4wd. Water was flowing at the cabins in Nov 2006, but not in March 2017.
• GEMCO TWINS is what I call the two high peaks east of the Gemco Mine. They're both in the elite 5000+ club shown as 1573 meters. A loop can be done using a mine trail that goes into the upper basin on the north side. This hike starts in Scanlon Gulch like the hike above, but drive farther up the canyon to a road on the right bank at N34 32183, W115 11651 el 3350. That's the return route. Walk up the main canyon to the road at 32517, 11362 el 3500 on the right bank. Take that for a fifth mile to cabins at the Gemco Mine. A trail behind the cabins has a fork. Take the left one to a mine el 3900 with a bottomless shaft. The topo shows the trail this far. Get on another trail at 32669, 10925 el 3900 that goes to what I call the High Ruins at 32696, 10855 el 4000. A trail goes up from there to a mine, but I stumbled on another trail at 32775, 10824 el 4050. It goes around the corner then splits at a drainage. The right fork goes up the drainage to a mine el 4250. But the left fork at is the one you want. It's at 32823, 10712 el 4150 and it goes to 32887, 10633 el 4300 where it enters the upper basin. Then it's a stroll up the wash where the smooth north slope of the peak is in view. A respectable pinyon forest grows here which is what the miners were after. I went up a smooth ridge on the left of the drainage then cut under a crag to the NE saddle then to the summit at 32651, 10292. No sign of humanity. The south Twin looked easy, but I was out of water and so headed SW into the canyon then drifted right to a mine trail at 32522, 10609 el 4300. I lost it after a tenth mile but it likely goes to the cabins. It was easy to just drop down to the wash and walk the scenic canyon back to the start. That loop took me 5 hours with about 2000 gain. I never saw a drop of water. It had been a dry winter. Backpackers could go into the upper basin if it ever rains again. The 2011 BLM map shows the entire road up Scanlon Gulch as public. Posted March, 2018. In April 2020, I dropped off the summit to the SW as before but went straight down to high ground between the forks then stayed on that to the fork and dropped left to the creekbed which had a stream. Scanlon Gulch had intermittent water above the cabins and the high basin el 4400 had a trickle.
• SHEEP CAMP SPRING is in the middle of the best wild part of the range. A loop can be done by going up Browns Wash then down the canyon with the spring. The road in is #465 and departs the Skeleton Pass Rd at the RR tracks reading N34 21906, W115 17177. I rode in from Cadiz along the tracks but that's 16 miles of nasty washboard and sandy wash crossings, so the Skeleton Pass Rd would be the preferred route. Follow the road 5 and a half miles to Browns Wash and park. Then walk up the valley or, if you have a second 4wd, drive nearly 3 miles up the valley to the end of the legal road at 26497, 11510 el 2650. Then walk the wash to the canyon at 26971, 10946 el 2950. Go up that to a left fork at 27574, 10730 el 3550. Follow that to the saddle el 4050 at the head and go thru and into the high basin that drains to the spring. Go down the smooth creekbed to a fall and pass it wide right. At the base of the fall is a seep with a tiny dam containing several gallons of water reading 28013, 12195 el 3700. Then go down to Sheep Camp Spring at 27758, 12701 el 3400. It had a seep and a puddle. A guzzler next to it had water. At the next fall drop down the right side. For the last fall, angle up to the left gaining 100 feet and go thru a minor saddle at 27458, 13502 el 3000. Below that is an ancient trail on the right bank at 27297, 13849 el 2500 that skirts a short section of boulders. I found no more trails. The canyon opens up at el 2350 where the right bank can be walked for a fifth mile to avoid rocks in the creekbed and then the creekbed soon smooths out. It's obvious how to go around the point into Browns Wash. That loop took me 6 and a half hours but I had no shuttle. There is about 1200 feet of noticeable gain and it isn't steep. There was more water on my first trip in Nov 2006. The ascent canyon had a stream and Sheep Camp Spring canyon had a stream starting at el 3850 and ending at el 2600. If backpacking, I would go with a light pack after a wet winter and set up camp in the high basin above the spring. It's 3 square miles. Then take a day pack and find a way down into the next canyon north and come back up Sheep Camp Spring canyon. The road in that north canyon is closed. Posted December, 2017.  SHORT VERSION - a side canyon just upstream from the spring at 27806, 12454 el 3500 can be walked to the end then thru a saddle el 3650. A mine trail then goes down the left side of the canyon and fades at the creekbed el 2950. It's easy to walk the right bank from there and on out to the Browns Wash road. That took me 4 hours in 2018.
• SHEEP CAMP SPRING TRAIL - a spotty mine trail is the fastest way to the spring. Walk from the road in Browns Wash to a side canyon at N34 26537, W115 12367 el 2450. Go up and get on the left bank at 27095, 12123 el 2750 and walk that to 27300, 12134 el 2950 where the trail starts up the right bank and goes to the saddle at 27616, 12367 el 3650. It's a short walk down the other side to the spring. This would be the preferred way to go backpacking in there. Sheep advocates used this route to haul a 50 pound drinker up to the guzzler. Pics are on their site. Posted 2018.
• The SUNFLOWER SPRINGS ROAD runs south from Essex along the east side of the range for 19 miles to Painted Rock at the Old Woman Mountains Preserve. Any 4wd truck or dualsport cycle can make it. The preserve is a small area for day use only.  Posted 2017
• SHIP BENCHMARK el 3238 is the high point of the Ship Mountains. A west side canyon goes up. Take Rte 66 to Chambless then go south on a paved road toward Cadiz. At the first RR crossing the pavement ends. Keep going south on a wide dirt road for 2 miles to the next crossing, but don't cross. Stay south along the tracks on road #443 and soon it veers left. Go another couple miles thru some deep sand then park. Hike up the fan which is a rocky mess. One route is to head for the right bank of a main wash at N34 30056, W115 25467. Stay along the wash and it leads right into the mouth of the west canyon. Then it's easy to use the left bank but only as far as 29482, 24849 where it's better to get back in the creekbed. Just follow the main canyon all the way up to the saddle el 2950 just north of the BM. Turn right to the reg at 29407, 24110. 5 hours, 2200 gain. The canyon is bouldery but they're small enough to step up. The canyon on the east side goes right up into the same saddle, but that's a long drive around. Posted 2015. SOUTH SUMMIT el 3208 - the NW canyon is an easy route up this massive peak. A wash crosses the west side road at 29970, 27140 and runs east to save some walking. Walk to high ground at 29797, 25833 el 1100 and it leads to the mouth then stay far left in a drainage at 29603, 25464 el 1300 to get to smoother ground on the wide left bank. When that plays out, go up the main creekbed and get on the left bank again at 29331, 25162 el 1550 and go a fifth air mile then switch to the right bank. Cross back to the left bank again at 29150, 24775 el 1900 where an easy ridge forms. Go up it to a seismograph site on the summit at 28716, 24168. I could see routes along the crest to Ship BM, but instead I walked half mile to the southern edge of the summit plateau for a view. I retraced back to the start. That took me 5 and a half hours but over an hour was spent wandering around on the summit plateau. The only strenuous part is the 1300 feet up the ridge and a lot of that isn't steep. Sheep once lived here but only faint trails persist. Posted 2018.
  

  

  High Ruins at Scanlon Gulch

  

  

  Typical setting near Sheep Camp Spring

Sacramento Mountains and Wildflowers, Needles

Topock slot canyon

Culvert at Topock slots

The ridge up Bannock BM

Flattop west side

Flattop east side

The south canyon of Flattop

Approaching the east saddle of  Flattop

Eagle Peak

Sacramento Mountains contain one tiny wilderness called the Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness. But the rest of the range is more like a real wilderness than others along the river because it hasn't been trashed by burros. Needles had a 99 cent store on the south end at exit 144 that served as a grocery for the town but it's belly up. A Dollar General is still around as of  2018. Walmart is on the Arizona side several miles north along the river with gas $2 cheaper.

• BANNOCK BENCHMARK el 3300 is the high point of the wilderness and the range. FLATTOP MOUNTAIN el 3050+ is right next to it. Take I-40 to Water Rd at exit 120. Go south a quarter mile to the end of pavement where Hightower Rd #56 starts. It soon turns SE and goes 5 miles to a 4-way at road #61 reading N34 47381, W114 54690. Go left there for nearly 4 miles to road #64 reading 49134, 51351.The roads were easy 4wd to that point, but road #61 starts getting hilly and trying to wash out. For Bannock BM, go straight for 3/4 mile then hike all the way up a rocky ridge at 49673, 50968 el 2300. The reg is at 50203, 51507. That takes 2 hours with 1000 gain. For the easiest route up Flattop, and the best flowers, take road #64 for 1.7 miles down a wash to bedrock that stops 4wds reading 49026, 49855 el 2000. But in 2020 that changed and jeeps could easily get thru. Go on down a bit over half a mile to the south canyon of the peak at 48904, 49309 el 1950. Go up the bed then get up on the bank between forks at 49469, 49425 el 2200. Keep going in the same direction to the main saddle el 2650 east of the summit. It's obvious how to go on up from there. The reg is at 49798, 49804. That took me 2 hours, 15 minutes but I rode to the south canyon and saved half an hour. My legs were yellow from flower wading. Flattop Mountain Spring is shown to be not far down the main wash, but all I found was dry bedrock. As of 2020 jeeps could keep going to I-40. The Hightower Rd goes on to meet the Eagle Pass Rd. If you can get thru, and it was easy in 2020, then Eagle Peak and Nomento BM can be done on the way to Needles. Posted March, 2017.
• EAGLE PEAK el 3300 is a major peak in the range. Take the J street exit off  I-40 at Needles and go north for a block to a stop sign. Go left for a block and then left under the freeway to a sign for Eagle Pass Rd. Go west along the southern edge of the freeway on Eagle Pass Rd. The road veers away from the freeway, over a dike, then bends left. After nearly 10 miles, park at a side canyon el 1700 which is .9 mile before the peak. Stroll up the side canyon then go up the NE ridge at N34 47137, W114 44553 el 1900. Or stay in the wash a little more (staying left at the next main fork) to an easier ridge at 47308, 44777 that merges with the other one. The reg and Midas BM are at 46716, 45320. 3 hours, 1600 gain. Easy 4wd with a lot of loose gravel. Another way in is to take Parkway out of town and it will merge with Eagle Pass Rd at a dike. It has less sand. Posted 2016, 2023. WATER TANKS LOOP - good washes are west of the peak near the tanks shown on the topo. I parked where the jeep road forks just before the tanks. I walked the right fork on to point 696 and on up to the ridge then left to the mine where a mine road ends at peak 789. I walked the road down to el 750 meters then dropped south down a wash to point 681. A long stretch of bedrock is there with waterholes. The bedrock ends at a minor fall with the biggest waterhole. I just followed the wash on to the tanks and the road there leads back. 2 and a half hours with little strenuous gain. The geology here is more like the Mopah Range. Posted 2023
• NOMENTO BENCHMARK / SHADOW CANYON LOOP - a route up the canyon and over the BM then down the south ridge is the best hike in the range. Take the J street exit off  I-40 at Needles and go north for a block to a stop sign. Go left for a block and then left under the freeway to a sign for Eagle Pass Rd. Go west along the southern edge of the freeway on Eagle Pass Rd. The road veers away from the freeway, over a dike, then bends left as road #99. About 3 miles in from the dike is where road #903 forks to the right, reading N34 48903, W114 39297. Take that road for 2 miles to the end in a wash. Walk up the wash and thru a wide gap at 48640, 41750. Get in the correct fork at 48645, 42158. Boulders guard the mouth but it gets easy after that. Go on up canyon with some minor falls that are easily bypassed, passing seasonal water and cattails. At el 2400 the canyon levels off and it's easiest to go up to the main saddle at 48712, 43835 el 2800 or take a more direct ridge at  48728, 43649 el 2600  that avoids some cholla. Either way gets you on the main ridge and then go left to the reg and BM at 48325, 44005 el 3150. Keep going on the main high ridge on spotty sheep trails to the ridge at 47766, 43748 el 2650 where the long descent starts. Follow that ridge down for about .9 air mile to a saddle el 1700 then drop left into the main wash. That's easy walking then exit left on a trail at 48227, 41629 el 1250. That trail winds back to the wide gap near the start. Go back thru that using a faint sheep route on the far right side. That loop took me 5 and a half hours with 2000 gain, not very steep. All roads 4wd. Posted 2016.
• NOMENTO BENCHMARK NORTH LOOP - the road in from I-40 is easy 4wd and ebikeable. Just before the end there is a faint road going off to the west on the low ground. That fades then I walked to N34 49188, W114 45853 then down to the wash that goes to 600T and up to a fork on the right at 48949, 45829. That took me over to the mega wash that circles up to the peak. Along the way I saw a huge cave and checked it out. Back in the mega wash, when it starts to get tedious I went up a gully at 48273, 44356 to get on the rim and walked it to the summit. I descended the north ridge at 48455, 44050 into a canyon and walked it to a faint road at 49206, 45444 then thru a saddle at 49486, 45595 near the start. 5 hours with 2500 noticeable gain. 40 minutes of it was the cave side trip. It would be easy to include Eagle Peak. This area is in pristine condition. Posted 2023.
• PEAK 731 meters is south of the I-40 exit for US 95. Go south from that exit on easy 4wd for about 3 miles and park in the mega wash that runs along the east side of the peak. I walked the washes past the peak and circled peak 723 and came back in the wash on the west of peak 731 then cut thru on the south side of peak 691 and up the drainage into the saddle between peak 691 and peak 731. A drainage goes up left of center from the saddle then I went up bedrock at N34 48907, W114 46349 to get to the summit. I then descended the NW ridge to a gorge but a huge waterhole was blocking the way. I bypassed on bright rock on the left side then down canyon to the mouth and got on the right bank and strolled back. A portable guzzler is along there at 50049, 46640. 4 and a half hours, 500 noticeable gain. This is one of the better hikes around. Other loops are possible. A camp area with palms and tables is just up the road from where I parked. Posted 2023
• MONUMENTAL PEAK el 2871 is what I call the one at Monumental Pass. Take US 95 to mp SBD 54.4 and turn on road #246. Stay on that for nearly 7 miles then hike up a ridge at N34 43877, W114 41504 el 1600. Go up to 44043, 42165 el 2500 and walk left around peak 2584 into a saddle el 2450 behind it. Then cut across a smooth basin for a tenth mile and go up a ridge at 44053, 42444 el 2450 then on to survey junk on the summit at 44061, 42956.  A 1922 marker is 400 feet before the summit. 3 hours, 1400 gain, not very steep. The first 5 miles on road #246 is easy 4wd that mtn bikes could make, but then it enters a wash that can have severe washboard from OHVs going pedal to the metal. EAST RIDGE ROUTE - in 2019 I went up the east ridge and it makes for a better hike. I parked near the mouth of a canyon which is at 44300, 40925 el 1450 then went up the north rim and down the south rim. At el 1900 I came to a tricky little crag but easily passed it on the left. From the summit, I retraced back a quarter of an air mile then descended an easy ridge to a lonely basin. I walked downstream to where it gets steep and rough then walked level to the right on an easy shelf to get on the south rim at 44143, 42052 el 2300. I went down the rim to a saddle el 1650 then dropped left and walked the easy banks of the creekbed back to the start. That took 3 and a half hours with 1500 easy gain. Posted 2017, 2019.
• SACRAM BENCHMARK el 2838 is at the south end of the range. In 2017 I went up a tedious SE gully then found my name in the reg from 2004 and no one had signed in since. I checked my notes, and it turned out I used the NE canyon in 2004. That's easier. Take US 95 to mp SBD 45.6 and turn on a graded road. Go nearly 3 miles to solar panels and go right for a quarter mile to a T. Go right about 2 miles and park. Walk the flats thru a gap at 41802, 39403 el 1750 and soon the NE canyon is in view. Go up the creekbed to a saddle at 42075, 40249 el 2250 then up the ridge to the reg at 41645, 40227. I took a shortcut back by retracing then dropping to 41739, 40161 el 2450 and just kept angling down to the creekbed of the NE canyon. 3 hours, 1200 gain. 2wds and mtn bikes would work on all the roads as of 2017.
• TOPOCK SLOTS are near where I-40 crosses the river. A short, easy loop can be done. Get off the freeway at exit #153 and go north a half mile to Route 66. Turn left on that and go nearly a mile then park. Walk to a wash at N34 43147, W114 31626 and go up that to a culvert that goes under the freeway. It's pitch black because it goes under all 4 lanes. Go thru the culvert and soon a gas road dams up the wash. Climb over it and keep going up the wash then go left at the first main fork. Soon you pop out on the high ground then drop down at 42638, 31659 to get into a wide, rocky wash. Go down that to a slot on the right at  42959, 31352. That slot ends in 5 minutes at a fall. Back in the main wash, go downstream shortly to the freeway then under it in another culvert and then it's 10 minutes back to the start. That loop takes 90 minutes. Take a light and gloves. SLOT #2 - for that one, go south from exit #153 to the end of pavement then keep going a third mile and then turn right on a gas road. Go a tenth mile and park where the road drops into a deep wash. Walk the road into the wash and drop to the bed at a tricky culvert reading N34 42750, W114 31082. But it's easier to go up on the far bank then down a parallel drainage that feeds into the main wash below the culvert. Go downstream from the culvert for .28 air mile then go right up a slot that takes you onto the rim then stroll back. That takes half an hour. THE MAZE - that huge Indian ritual site sits next to the freeway. A graded road runs east from exit #153 along the south side of the freeway. Follow it for a mile to the site at a cable fence. Cars can do all the roads for these hikes. Posted 2017.
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Peculiar dry lake nestled on the west slope of Flattop

Wildflowers at Oatman, March 2017

The view from Black Mesa. Boundary Cone is upper left.

Black Mesa

Near the summit of McHeffy Butte

Boundary Cone

The peculiar high flat on McHeffy Butte

Nest in a cholla

MCHEFFY BUTTE FLOWER HIKE - turn off Route 66 at mp 15.5 and go a mile and a quarter on easy 4wd up a smooth wash. Start hiking a trail on the left bank at N34 54660, W114 24335 el 1450. It goes into a minor canyon then after a tenth mile leave the trail and go left into an obvious saddle then up the ridge to the summit. The reg is at 55162,  23985 el 2300 just past a survey pole. To loop back, walk to a viewpoint at 55217, 24274 el 2100+ where a peculiar flat can be seen not far below. Walk down to that then there are some cairns that lead the way down a ridge. Burro trails at the bottom go back to the start. 2 hours, 1000 gain. 2wds will have an extra hour of hiking. This is a dull hike unless flowers are out. Posted March, 2017.

Hiking around Quartzsite

Airway beacon

Mine trail at Granite Mtn

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Geoglyphs near Loves are the best I've seen in the state. Go east on the frontage road from loves to mp 18. Go a east a few more feet and turn at the next driveway. Go south along a fence and the road will swing west to the site, about a mile in from the frontage road. Or stay on the frontage road to Q Mtn Parkway. Take that to Connor and that road will swing west then turn to dirt for half a mile to the site.

AIRWAY BEACON TRAIL - this is the only real peak trail around town I know of. It shows on the topo a mile and a half north of Cunningham Mountain. From Loves at exit 17, go west on the frontage road for a mile and a half then go left on the paved Cholla Rd. When pavement ends, keep going south on the main road for 1.8 miles to a main fork at road #134I. Go right for a fifth mile on that to another main fork then go left. Stay on the main road which is soon to be road #129. In about a mile and a half you'll come to road #142. Turn on that and go a couple hundred feet to road #143, but don't turn there. Keep going another couple hundred feet then go left on an unsigned road reading N33 35968, W114 19562. Go 3/4 mile on that to the end at a parking area where ATVs keep going another quarter mile then have to turn around where the trail shrinks to a foot trail. 2wds will have to walk or bike the last mile or more of the road. If walking, I would just make a beeline for the parking area at 35720, 20098 el 1600. It's a 2 hour hike with 1200 gain from the parking area. I cleared the trail several years earlier. A stick or golf club is useful to knock cholla pieces off the trail. Posted 2017.

• GRANITE MOUNTAIN el 1707 is a steep peak on the SW side of town. The SW ridge is one of the easier routes.  From Loves at exit 17, go west on the frontage road for a mile and a half then go left on the paved Cholla Rd for 1.2 miles to road # 138B. Go a mile on that easy 4wd road to the SW canyon. Mtn bikes would work. Walk up the canyon to a saddle at N33 38606, W114 15152 el 1150. Start up the ridge there, or go thru the saddle then up the creekbed a short way then climb up in order to bypass a minor bump on the ridge. Go up to a DOD BM on the summit at 38835, 15060. 90 minutes, 700 gain. MINE TRAIL - miners built a trail on the SE side of the mountain. I walked from the RV camp area on the west side. I used OHV trails to walk along the south side to the trail going up a canyon at N33 38316, N114 15008 el 1050. The trail tops out at el 1150 then goes down to the east side where a road can be followed to Loves. Or stay along the base like I did and over to the Motel 8 where I had a bike stashed. It took me 80 minutes to get to the motel then I had a nearly 2 mile ride back. It's a rocky trail. Some private land is on the NE side of this peak, but it wasn't posted. Posted 2017.
• CUNNINGHAM MOUNTAIN el 3316 has an ultra steep road up to the towers. A locked gate at el 1500 is where hikers start. Take US 95 to mp 99.4 and turn on paved 53RD St. Go west to the end of pavement then keep going west on road #143 for nearly 3 miles to a 4-way at road #134. Go south on that for nearly 3 miles to powerlines. Follow those west for 3/4 mile then go left on the road up the peak. In a fifth mile there is a small parking area right before the gate. The hike takes 3 or 4 hours with 1800 gain. The roads are easy 4wd. Mtn bikes could work but the last mile to the gate is hilly. Posted 2017.
• OLDMAN MOUNTAIN el 2100 is NW of town. The west ridge is the shortest route. Get on Kofa Ave near the Pilot at the west end of town. Go north a mile and a third to Saguaro St then turn west on a decent dirt road. Go 3 miles to road #123B. Go north on that for 2 and a half miles to Diablo Pass. One tricky fork is in a wash about halfway along. Stay left there. At the pass, go down the other side for a bit over half a mile then park at el 1150 and hike up to a steep drainage at N33 41225, W114 18352 el 1300. Get on the right rim of the drainage and follow it all the way to the reg at 41172, 18031. 90 minutes, nearly 1000 gain. All roads easy 4wd. Mtn bikes would work on most of it. Indians used the pass. Some trail segments can still be seen such as at 40966, 18430. OLDMAN TANQUE is on the east side as shown on the topo. About a mile in from Kofa Ave is where road #120 forks to the NW for a couple of miles to the tank at 41421, 16324. One small pool was there. About a half air mile south of the tank is where an Indian trail can be seen crossing the road. The road goes on to access the NE canyon which is another hiking route up the peak. I could see no issues getting to the high saddle east of the summit. That saddle is just below the "n" in "Oldman" on the topo. Posted 2017.
• LIVINGSTON HILLS HIGH POINT el 2600+ is a jagged peak just inside the Kofa boundary. Take US 95 to mp 95.6 and turn at the sign for Crystal Hill. Go nearly 6 miles on a bumpy road to post 77 then go right for a mile and a quarter and park where the road bends left. 2wd trucks could make it. Walk the flats up into a canyon reading N33 29830, W114 06254 el 1850. At that point, cross over to the right bank of the creekbed and go on up into the obvious saddle el 2300+ to the south. Then go west up the ridge using a spotty sheep trail that stays low along the south side of crags. A cholla whacker is useful on this sheep route. The sheep don't keep it trimmed. The route tops out at the reg at 29749, 06609. For the descent, I went back east down the ridge a few feet to a saddle then north down a steep draingage. 3 hours, 1100 gain. Posted 2017.
• SAWTOOTH MOUNTAIN el 2990 is west of town. Take I-10 to Dome Rock Rd at exit 11. Get on the south side frontage road and go east a fifth mile to road #127. Go south on that nearly a fifth mile to a gas road then go west .7 mile to road #128 at N33 38693, W114 20749 . Then go south a mile to a T at road #127C and park el 1300. Walk west on 127C over a saddle into the next canyon then go up the canyon but use the left bank at first. Climb out of the canyon on a ridge at 37556, 21180 el 1550. Keep going up to the reg at 36784, 21517. 3 hours, nearly 2000 gain. Mtn bikes would work on the roads here and 2wd trucks could get close. Posted 2018.
•   LA PAZ MOUNTAIN el 1343 can be done as a loop hike with peak 1444 to the east. Take I-10 to exit 5 then follow Tom Wells Rd along the east edge of a truckstop to a T at the old highway. Then go east on bad pavement for half a mile to a barricade. Go left around that and the main road bends left toward the peak. It has 4wd drive spots and is mtn bikeable. Go on to a fork at N33 40036, W114 25077. Stay left for a mile and a third to a road going up a hill at 40675, 24421. That road goes a mile to Goodman Tank, but I only went a fifth mile on it to a fork then went right a fifth mile and parked on high ground. I then went to the south canyon at 40915, 24979 el 600. I went up the left bank of that until it got steep then merged into the canyon and went up to a main fork el 1000 about a quarter mile before the summit. I went right and up to the saddle el 1200 then up the ridge to the reg at 41620, 25258. Placed in 2003 by M&L, no one had signed in. But I did just to help'em out. Then I retraced from the summit for 300 feet then descended easier ground to the flats. I walked around a point at 42102, 24685 el 600 then up a valley to a ridge at 41864, 23444 el 850. That's not smooth so next time I'll use the canyon on the north side of it to get on the north ridge of the peak. That ridge is easy to peak 1444 at 41731, 22870. There are 2 more summits in the next tenth mile but none had a reg. From the third summit, I kept going on the main ridge to the next saddle and could see a decent route going south down the drainage. I hit bottom and had a good wash going bank to bank. I got on the far right bank at 41177, 23200 el 850 to skirt a trench. When that bank fizzled, I only walked the banks again at the major bends. A shortcut thru a saddle would save a third mile, but I didn't think it was worth it. I just stayed in the wash until I saw a jeep road on the left bank leading back to the start. That took 5 and a half hours with about 1500 noticeable gain. Just doing La Paz would be less than 2 hours. This has the best scenery of any hike on this page. And the best bank walking I can remember. Goodman Tank was dry even in a wet winter. Indian trails run by it. ALTERNATE - in 2021 I looped back from the summit by walking the flats east of peak 1444. I went around the point at 42102, 24685 and up the valley to the left bank of a side canyon at 42098, 24286 el 600. I went straight up canyon and over the saddle el 700 then down the drainage on the other side to the flats. I went on to 42458, 23486 then on ahead over a saddle el 700 with deer trails. Next, I walked the flats to 42015, 22495 then hit a wash in half a mile and walked up that along the base. I left that at 41379, 22298 and on to the return canyon at 41163, 22437. I stayed on the right bank then over to the left bank then stayed in the bed to 40767, 23066 where I got up on the right bank. It soon makes a right bend and it's better to drop back down. At 40802, 23544 there is an Indian trail going up on the right bank. It crosses to the left bank then took me back into the bed. I stayed in the bed then picked up the trail on the left bank at 40827, 24129. It goes along faint and climbs a little to the top of the rim to shortcut a bend then down a point to the bed. A road is just ahead that leads back to the start. That loop took 5 hours, 12 minutes with 1000 noticeable gain. A lot of stinky horse shit is on the north flats. Good canyons. Posted 2020, 2021.
• SOUTH TRIGO PEAKS HIGH POINT el 2660 is on the YPG and hikers aren't supposed to go in there, but guess what? They do anyway. Take US 95 to mp 82 and turn on the graded and public Cibola Rd. Go about 13 miles to a sandy wash at N33 24348, W114 23632. It's washboard the whole way but that's half the fun, huh? Drive up the wash a third mile to a faint road on the left bank then go a mile to the end and park el 1150. Aim for high ground at 24696, 22045 el 1150 that goes half a mile to a deep wash at 24748, 21501 el 1250. Walk up that and stay right at forks. I left a cairn where I went up a point to walk the left bank on smooth ground. The wash bends left to the best ridge at 24950, 20841 el 1400. It's smoother than it looks and has no major dips. The reg and Gauna BM are at 25350, 20317. A new book is needed. 4 hours, 1300 noticeable gain. This is a pristine route. The parking spot is at 24660, 22615. This is best done on major holidays. ENTER AT OWN RISK. Posted 2020.