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| Topock slot canyon |
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| Culvert at Topock slots |
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| The ridge up Bannock BM |
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| Flattop west side |
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| Flattop east side |
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| The south canyon of Flattop |
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| Approaching the east saddle of Flattop |
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| 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 |
