Dead Mountains Wilderness

 Indian trail

Red Spring

Looking down the fall in Dead Canyon

1940s car at the quarries

• DEAD CANYON is what I call the second best canyon in the range.  A quarry road goes in 3 miles from the east. Take the river road to mp 5.5 and turn on the quarry road. In half a mile it bends to the right into a decoy canyon. The real road stays in the main wide wash for a mile and a half in from the river road then goes to the right into a canyon. Floods have chewed it up, but it's no problem for jeeps. In 2020, I rode my cycle up the channel at N34, 57853, W114 41131 then to 57830, 41301 where I stayed right. Then on to 57842, 41499 then 57856, 41768 where it bends into the side canyon and goes up on the right bank at 57980, 42147. I left cairns. As the road enters the basin where the quarries are, stay right at a main fork for half a mile and park near a 1940s car el 1050 (there is a steel dynamite shack a tenth mile upstream from the car). Walk to a wash at N34 58957, W114 42887 el 1050 and go up on the north rim of it, or walk up the wash and stay right at the next fork to get on the rim. Then stay high on a faint trail along the next wash to 59306, 43006 el 1300 where it's easy to cross that wash then stay on the high ground heading for a high block and you will enter Dead Canyon. Go on up on smooth gravel to a 30 foot fall el 1600 that's easy to get around. At el 1950 is a rocky left fork. Turn back here if you're just looking for an easy hike. For a loop back on the crest, go up the rocky fork and get on the left bank at 59947, 44735 el 2100. That's easy walking for a while then a ridge on the right side is useful to go up to the obvious saddle el 2950 at the head of the canyon. Go south on the crest for a tenth mile to peak 3120 (951 meters). It's the highest on the route. Keep going along the west side of the crest and cut thru a notch at 59611, 45170 el 3000 to get around a crag. Then it's a cakewalk for a while until more crags. A sheep trail goes around the west side of those to a saddle at 59128, 45189 el 2600. It's easy to go down from there on ridges to the wash. Soon the right bank of the wash is easy to walk. Stay low on it next to the wash until it fizzles then step down to smooth gravel and walk down to where the canyon opens up. Then use a sheep trail to get on the left bank and walk down to 58182, 43578 el 1100 where roads back are in view. Dirt bike parts are along the road at 58507, 43392. That loop took me 6 hours with a little over 2000 gain, half of it easy gain. Just going to the fall at 59783, 43881 would be an easy 3 hour round trip. It might have a flow after wet spells. Posted 2018. The next canyon to the south is an easy hike from the same parking area. Walk thru a saddle at 58077, 43573 el 1150 to get into a wide, rocky wash. It's smoother walking along the right edge. Go up to a minor cave on the left bank at 58434, 45218 el 1850 where routes to the crest are in view. I went on up a ridge at 58408, 45347 el 1950 then at near el 2400 I cut to the right into a main saddle el 2400 on the crest. I could see a large cairn to the north on peak 883 meters and a trail heading toward it, but I didn't try it. That took 4 hours with 500 feet of strenuous gain. Scenery is routine but pristine. Going to the cave and back would be super easy. Posted 2018.
• MOUNT MANCHESTER el 3600 is the high peak in the Dead Mountains Wilderness. West side roads are closed, but the east canyon is more interesting anyway. Drive the paved river road on the east side to a closed road at mp 11.2, about .6 mile south of the state line. Everybody drives around the cable for a quarter mile to a power line road which is where the wilderness boundary ought to be. And then about a tenth mile south on the power road is a road el 900 going east that has been plowed up. I started hiking on that but the ridge a few feet south is more pleasant. It goes up and joins the road then stay on that to N35 02111,W114 42231 el 1100 where a trail, probably Indian, goes up a ridge. It tops out then fades but it's easy to walk the high ground to a rock with very old initials at 02023, 42846 el 1550. Now you have to drop to the easy wash and go up to a ridge on the left at 02013, 44425 el 2300. For easier walking, use the right bank about .15 mile before reaching the ridge. Go up the ridge to the crest el 3200 then it's a third mile on a sheep trail to the reg at 01669, 44938. 5 hours, 2700 gain. The first half of the gain is easy. The canyon will have water galore after a wet winter. It would be a good hike to go as far as a long stretch of bedrock at 02079, 44201 el 2050 and just stay in the canyon on the return. Posted 2017. PEAK 3569, PEAK 3430 - in 2022 I returned to the summit on the same route and ran the crest to peak 3430 then down the ridge over peak 2744. When  I was on Mt Manchester I could see a sheep trail running toward peak 3569. I walked it to 01008, 44984 where it bends right up into a saddle and seems to end. But it's easy on up to the summit with a reg in a beer can. Then I walked to 00846, 44859 and stayed left of center for 500 feet then went back to center but nope, I should have stayed low a little more to a big, fat monolith. I went to the right around it then back to center and I could see the rest to peak 3430. On the final ridge I stayed right of center about half way then moved to center. It has a cairn but no reg and I wasn't expecting one. I went down the ridge to 00554, 44415 and then a little more where it bends left to 00615, 44284 el 3100 and I kept going down the ridge. It has a minor dip then drops to a saddle at 00845, 43945 el 2550. I dropped left down the drainage a few feet then moved right onto a ridge and walked it down to the main wash. I got on the right bank at 00928, 43201 walked that until I could cut over to the far left at 00848, 42702 and walked along the base with few rocks. I entered a deep wash and could have walked it to the highway but I had no shuttle so I walked the hilly power road back to the start. The whole loop took 7 hours, 15 minutes. The app said 3500 gain and 11 miles. I posted a track on peakbagger. Posted 2022.
• PICTURE CANYON, PICTURE PEAKS - Picture Canyon cuts all the way thru the north end of the range. A loop can be done up the canyon and back over high basins on the crest north of peak 3424 then down the best canyon in the range which I call Falls Canyon. Take the river road .8 mile north of the state line where sandy roads go west. Use the left one and go 2 miles to a fence at N35 03727, W114 42458 el 1150. Walk 2 air miles up the main canyon to the best petroglyph panels on the right side. More are on up canyon, the last ones I saw are faint at 04230, 44934 el 1850. Keep going and the canyon opens up where a new fence was installed, but it won't last long. Go on to a left fork at 04190, 45563 el 2050 and stay in it thru 03687, 46013 el 2300 then exit to a saddle on the left rim at 03017, 45369 el 2950. A nice basin is on the other side and what I call the Picture Peaks are at the north end. Drop to the basin and turn south up a canyon to another saddle el 3000 where a larger basin starts on the SW side of peak 3130. Falls Canyon draining to the east is the way down and the south rim is the smoothest route. Walk to a wash at 02674, 45010 then follow it across the basin to 02435, 44846 el 3050 and pick a route down to the north and hit an easy wash el 2600. The wash goes over a fall at el 2450, so get on the left rim and walk it to a saddle at 02894, 44421 el 2300 that barely separates two main forks of the canyon. Both forks go, but the south one is more interesting with bedrock and minor falls that are easy to deal with. It had a small stream in 2019.  Either way, go on down canyon and exit at 02947, 43611 el 1500. Then go north on the low ground for a third mile to a wash that goes NE back to Picture Canyon then it's half a mile back to the start. That took 5 and a half hours with only 300 feet of stenuous gain. The first 90 minutes is on OHV tracks. The Picture Peaks and peak 3424 looked simple to climb. A side trip to Mt Manchester might add two hours. Backpackers easily get up to the high basins. The only water I saw in 2018 was a trickle at 03001, 44054 el 1750, from a minor storm three weeks earlier but in 2019 there was a stream running for over a mile. The sandy road goes on to a left fork at 03997, 42451. In less than a mile is a major spring with lots of glyphs. Posted 2018.
• FALLS CANYON / DAM CANYON LOOP - this is a good way to see the best canyons in the range. Drive the paved east side road to mp SBD 11.5 and turn on easy 4wd. Go a third mile to pole #0889 at N35 02502, W114 41431. That likely is the correct wilderness boundary but guess what? Nobody stops there. Everybody drives up the wash for nearly 2 miles to the mouth. I hiked up the left fork at 02721, 43075 el 1300 but I could have used the west rim to bypass a rough section at the mouth. But it was easy to deal with boulders and minor falls to a dam at el 1850. A hole in the wall there had a pool with a stream coming out. I went on past that to where I was below a saddle on the north rim at 02641, 44203 el 2250. I stayed in the creekbed just a little past the saddle to get an easy angle up to it. Then I could see a shelf up to the right. I got on that and walked level right of center to a drainage and went up that to a saddle at 02695, 44536 el 2650. Then I dropped down the smooth wash of Falls Canyon and went down to the first fall el 2450. I passed that on the left and then had a lot of bedrock and easy falls back to the mouth. That took nearly 3 hours with 1400 easy gain and nothing harder than easy class 3. Both canyons had streams caused by rains a few days earlier. The dam is at 02590, 43993. Posted 2019, 2022.
• RED SPRING INDIAN TRAIL - this trail cuts across the range by way of the spring. A loop can be made around peak 1776. Drive the river road to mp 4.3 and turn up a wash and the wilderness boundary is close to the highway but that doesn't stop anybody. Use the topo to get to the spring then go into the wash that goes around the south side of peak 1776 and up to the SW saddle at 55918, 44845 el 1300. Go thru then over a low ridge to the Indian trail at 56054, 45086 el 1300. It climbs up a ridge for a tenth mile then cuts left to a saddle el 1550 on the crest where you can see what awaited the Indians. Retrace back to the last wash and go down that  then exit left on the trail at 56258, 44629 el 1200. It's easy to follow it down the left bank of the wash and the spring soon comes into view. The trail will drop into the wash then walk down to a gap that cuts over to the spring. Then get on the high ground north of the spring and head back to the start or just stay on the low ground. Backpacking could be an option as the spring has always had water when I was there but I can't speak to taste. Noisy OHVs might be in there on weekends. Posted 2018.
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Warm Springs Wilderness Traverse

Warm Springs Canyon cutting thru the mesa

One deer was the only game animal I saw

Plane wreckage on the mesa

The main spring at the Warm Springs cluster

Warm Springs Butte as seen from the spring

A one way 18 mile hike is the best way to see this area. A mine trail goes up onto the plateau from Cool Spring then it's simple enough to walk the plateau along the east side of Warm Springs Canyon to Warm Springs. Then the route goes SW to point 1887 and then north thru the low saddle next to point 2110. And then west to the 4wd road south of McHeffy Butte. Leave a car at mp 14.5 on Route 66 or take a 4wd from mp 14.9 up a wash for 2 and a half miles to a bad spot. The bad spot is at the 1600 contour line on the topo. Then take Route 66 to mp 33.8 and turn south on a 4wd road. Go a mile to a rough stream crossing el 2750 and park. This stream would make a nice campsite if burros hadn't stunk it up. Walk a third air mile up the road, almost to the end, and get on a faint burro trail at N35 00908, W114 19221 el 2800+. Walk that to a wash crossing at 00664, 19384 el 2950 then keep going to another wash at 00523, 19597 el 3200. Cross that wash right there then get on the mine trail on the other side at 00481, 19695 el 3300. It goes up around the right side of a ridge then up into a saddle where at 00378, 19866 el 3600 it goes up to the left a short way then switches right. It's easy to follow on up to the saddle el 4050 east of peak 4191 but I couldn't see much of a trail beyond there. From the saddle, go up east staying right of center to the top el 4300, not far from the high point of the mesa. All remaining coordinates are W114. Then walk to N34 59385, W114 19845 el 4150 then 59128, 19985 el 4050 then to a view on the east side of peak 3857 at 57164, 19369 el 3800. Keep going on the high ground to a flag and plane wreckage at 56572, 19138 el 3600. That's the only sign of humanity I saw on the plateau. Keep following the high ground as it runs SE then bends back toward the spring.   Go on to 55270, 17605 el 3200 then look for a burro trail in the vicinity of 54666, 17880 el 3050 that drops to the spring el 2100. It's easy to walk from the spring along the bank then cross over to 53279, 18798 el 1900 and south on trails and look for one cutting right to 52596, 19905 el 1750. Follow that trail to  trail at 52667, 20172 el 1750. There is another trail just before that one, but too rocky. Follow the trail to where it turns up a side canyon at 52752, 20459 el 1775. Go up the canyon for a third air mile where a side trail goes up the right bank to a skimpy spring at 53506, 20418 el 2000. It oozes out of the ground there and forms pools. It's iffy for backpackers. The cave above it had seeps, but too slow to be of use. Back in the main wash, go on up shortly to a trail on the left bank that skirts around a rough spot then comes back to the wash. The next trail is on the right bank at 53444, 20672 el 1900. Follow it straight up into the saddle el 2100 slightly north of point 2110. Go thru then take the trail on the right side of the drainage and follow it down to the main wash. The next trail is on the left bank (ignore one on the right bank just before) of that wash at 53973, 21717 el 1900. It will cross to the right bank and get spotty  then pick it up again on the right bank at 53880, 22389 el 1750. It will fade as it nears the 4wd road. It climbs out of the wash at 54048, 22922 then take a left fork there for a fifth mile to the road. A half mile west down the road is the bad spot where you spotted a 4wd. No? Then it's 2 more miles to mp 14.5. It's about 18 miles from Cool Spring to the bad spot, 20 miles to mp 14.5. It took me 10 hours to get to my RV at mp 14.5. The only gain that counts is the 1600 up the trail at the start. The rest is minor. Backpackers with off trail experience can handle the terrain, but don't expect natural conditions. Burros have trashed the entire length. Warm Springs is about 11 miles from the start and the only water they can't pollute. It has always had a good flow. The first camp spot on the plateau I would condsider is at 58304, 19926 el 3700 then another one with less burro impact is at 56474, 19070 el 3600. Clean spots can be found in washes. Much of the terrain is rocky but usually dispersed rocks that aren't a major issue. If camping at the spring, Warm Springs Butte el 3717 is an appealing side hike about a mile and a half NW of the spring.  Attack it from the south saddle. The free peakbagger.com app has topos for peak 4360 and McHeffy Butte that can be downloaded to a phone. You don't want to go in there with just one gadget. Posted 2018.

YUCCA BENCHMARK el 3597 is in the SE part of Black Mesa. Caliche Spring is the starting point. The road to it departs the I-40 frontage road between exit 37 and exit 28. I came from Oatman. For that route, drive Route 66 to mp 39.7 and turn east on easy 4wd for a mile and a half to the graded Sacramento Rd. Turn south for 2 miles to Yucca Rd and then follow that east to I-40. Go south on the frontage road for 6 miles to the spring road at N34 56923, W114 08831. It's 5 miles of easy 4wd to the spring el 2200 at the end. Mtn bikes could make most of it. The two ridges running south from the spring both go, but the eastern one is more interesting. Walk the base to 55252, 13214 el 2400 and look up. A shelf can be seen above angling up to the right to the top of the high cliff. Use that to get on top then walk to a trail at 54984, 13317 el 2900. Follow that a short way then move to a higher one at 54802, 13248 el 3100 where it starts running left of center on the ridgetop. At 54635, 13222 el 3150 it runs low along the right side of the ridge. It will fade out then it's easy to the BM at 53610, 13576. To make a loop back, walk the easy plateau to 54305, 13789 el 3400 then keep going to point 3161 at 56109, 13881. Go down there and it's about a mile SE back to the start. The loop took me 4 and a half hours and about 1400 gain. The spring is a big hole with water, no flow.  Burro impact here is not as bad as the western area. Posted 2018.

 PEAK 3029 is on an isolated section at the east end of Black Mesa. A one way hike is a good way to go about it. I used exit 20 to get into Sacramento Wash and parked near peak 1860 then followed washes for the shortest route to the SW ridge. I got on it at el 2000 just above prospects then went up past point 2294 and on to the peak at N34 51971, W114 11928. No sign of humanity. I retraced a quarter mile to 51876, 11665 and went straight down. I soon hit a narrow gully and walked the right side of it following burro shit. I worked over to a ridge on the left at 51972, 11689 then went straight down until I hit the creekbed. Then a trail is on the right bank and goes over to the left bank and it's best to stay on the left bank to a major wash. Then there is a trail on the high right bank at 52602, 11804 that leads to Sacramento Wash. I didn't have a shuttle so I had an 80 minute walk back to the start. 6 hours, 15 minutes but 5 hours with a shuttle. With no shuttle it might be better to descend the canyon at point 2838. The only noticeable gain is the 800 up the SW ridge and it's not steep. Rocks are a nuisance but no big deal. Posted 2023.

PEAK 3415 WASH - this one hits the RR tracks at point 1408. It looks good on the sat image and it was before burros got there. They've churned it up making for tedious walking. It's better to go in after a mega flood has firmed up the washes and cleaned out all the burro shit. I crossed the RR tracks at Franconia then followed a decent road east along the tracks for 3 miles to the wash. There were no keep out signs along the way. I went up the washes that led to the south saddle el 2350 of peak 3415. A trail at N34 50278, W114 14207 el 2100 leads thru the saddle then another at 50351, 14921 el 2250 goes along the right bank of a wash then drops in at a point. That wash has a long trail on the right bank at 49473, 14832. I crossed back to the starting wash by walking a ridge at 48442, 14097. Easy grades. Posted 2023.

WARM BENCHMARK el 2163 has an easy 4wd road in from the Franconia exit and ebikeable. At point 1853 I turned west  toward the peak and parked in a third mile then walked north to an unused road that goes around to the north side then ends where a decent ridge goes up. It's obvious from there how to walk over to the west ridge of PEAK 2252 then up that to a reg placed by M&L in 2001. Only 4 parties since. The road to PEAK 2192 turns bad at el 1800. Jeeps can go on to fork el 2000 before big timbers then go left and on almost to the summit. It's easy to walk around the east side of the summit to a saddle then up. Easy peaks. Posted 2023.

UTE BENCHMARK el 3541 has burro trails most of the way. I took the Franconia exit and followed easy 4wd for 9 or 10 miles to a hard left in the road at a drill hole el 1982. I then walked to a trail at N34 50926, W114 16218. It goes bank to bank then at 51049, 15920 it goes on a bench for a long segment. At 51447, 15173 it goes up the right bank and comes back under a cliff and fades in a drainage. I walked up easy slopes to another trail at 51433, 15038 which goes to the saddle west of peak 3130. It goes a little higher to skirt a trench. I dropped down to the wash below the BM then up the left bank at 51720, 14681 then to a trail running left of center up a ridge at 51888, 14561. It soon splinters and I stayed on the low trail and on up to the BM at 51994, 14756, no reg.  I then walked to the SW saddle and down to the wash and up thru the next saddle west of the peak 3130 saddle. A faint trail runs along the right side of the canyon at 51547, 15463 then down a drainage at 51501, 15468 and I just followed burro shit on down to the starting trail. 4 and a half hours with a little over 1000 noticeable gain. The road in is ebikeable. Posted 2023.

Yucca BM is the tiny bump on the left.

The only BM I've seen with a foundation installed.