Lake Havasu City

Peak 1331 in the Aubrey Hills

Mohave Springs

Pool at Mohave Springs

Indian trail on Mohave Spings Mesa

Large rock ring on Mohave Springs Mesa

Rock ring at Bill Williams Mtns

Rovey's Needle

 ⦁ Dispersed camping areas are at the north and south ends of town as shown on the sat image. Craggy Wash has TV towers nearby.

⦁ CROSSMAN PEAK el 5100 has ancient mine trails to the summit out of the SW canyon, making for a good loop. Take Bison Street out of town and when pavement ends it goes a mile and a half into a wash on the left. Then in 1.4 miles stay right at a fork then go a mile to fall el 2650. Any 4wd makes it there but only jeeps, OHVs and possibly ebikes go on. The road ends a mile and a half beyond the fall at el 3200. A popular trail runs along the right bank but leave it for a ridge at 32391, 11879 el 3500. The trail soon appears and alternates from left to right of the ridge center. Go on up to a mine with steel pipe right of center. The trail then goes up to the left and then at 32630,11862 it starts contouring left of the ridge and stays left. Stay on the trail below the ridgetop until you're 400 feet from 32737, 11538 which is where it switches over to the right side of the ridge. It goes up along the right side of the ridge to the main saddle ahead el 4700. At the saddle, go thru the gate and then the trail goes up along the right side of the fence. It heads straight to the peak with no switchbacks. At 32802, 11331 it goes up to center then it's a short way to the reg. To loop back, retrace to the main saddle el 4700 then down the trail and cut to another trail at 32660, 11438 el 4400. It goes along the slopes to a saddle above a popular mine then down to the mine and back to the start. It's a 5 hour hike if starting at the fall with 2500 gain and the first 800 is up the easy wash. I cleared these trails a decade earlier but I take pruners because catclaw never sleeps. Posted 2023.

⦁ MOHAVE SPRINGS MESA has a deep canyon cutting it in half. A good loop can be done on the rims starting at Mohave Springs. Take highway 95 to a gravel plant near mp 172 and turn in to the gate then follow the fence around the south side to a high road at N34 25066, W114 10931. The road will stay high a while then drop right into a main wash. It goes up that and will go up the right bank to bypass a bad spot then up to a fork on high gound at 26842, 06729. Both roads go, but left is shorter and less steep. It goes to a mega wash then it's a mile down that to the fork with the springs. It's a third mile up the fork to a pond with a tiny stream. It's easy to climb up to the right and get on the mesa then on to an Indian trail at 26943, 04608 that goes on to 26787, 04122 then fades. I then crossed a drainage then on to the east rim where the Indian trail drops off at 26699, 03399. I walked that to the south tip at some survey junk. It's easy to drop SW off that but later I saw shorter routes that drop NW off around 24955, 02318. Then there is a wide drainage north of point 1864 that leads up to the west half of the mesa. I went up along the right side of that then found a spotty Indian trail on top. At 26235, 03632 it lasts a half mile then appears again at 26623, 03795 then in nearly a fifth mile it forks. I stayed left to 26757, 04198 then 26773, 04379 then back. It's a 5 or 6 hour hike with nearly 400 noticeable gain. The roads are easy 4wd with no rocks but washboard and 8 or 9 miles each way. This is an outstanding hike for now but burros are moving in and it won't be worth the drive out there once they trash it. Posted 2023.

⦁ BILL WILLIAMS MOUNTAINS HIGH POINT el 2700 is the best peak hike on this page. Take highway 95 to mp 167.1 and turn up a wash and in half a mile it forks. Right is the shortest but has a steep hill at a utility road. I stayed left on my cycle and got on the road with a milder hill and came back on it to N34 21453, W114 08365 where a faint road runs along the bank. In 2/3 mile I parked and walked an Indian trail into the wash then up to a main fork at 22940, 06676. I went right to a 30 foot fall el 1650 then up a gully on the right into a minor saddle. I walked level a short way to another saddle then back down to the creekbed and up to 23186, 04897 el 2000. There I went up to the left on a ridge to the crest then left to the reg at 23590, 04740, placed by M&L in 1988. I used the topo to keep going on the crest but still made two wrong turns. But one of those mistakes led me to a rock ring in a saddle at 24032, 05595 el 2400. I descended a nearby canyon at 24083, 05590 el 2350 and it took me back to the start. 6 hours, 800 noticeable gain. Next time I'll park at the steep hill and ride a bike for the rest. Posted 2023.

⦁ CRAWLER PEAK el 2504 is what I call the one in the north Bill Williams Mtns. Rock crawlers drive the canyons that drain it making for some interesting loop hikes. Take highway 95 to mp 170.3 and turn on a dirt road that soon drops into a wash. In another half mile there is a tricky fork, stay right and on to the ascent canyon at N34 25687, W114 06969 el 1850 which is nearly 5 miles in. I parked .7 air mile before it and walked to it and followed crawler tracks up it keeping right at forks. At 25094, 06956 el 2150 I got on the right bank and just kept going up  to the white capped summit at 25100, 07109. I then walked south on the main ridge for a quarter mile to a saddle then down to the right on a ridge into a canyon and followed crawler tracks back to the start. 2 hours, 400 noticeable gain. Posted 2023.

⦁ AUBREY HILLS HIGH POINT el 1537 - a popular trail goes to a spire, known as Rovey's Needle, NW of the peak making for a good loop. Park on highway 95 at mp 164.1 and walk the trail up a major wash and over to the spire. Then drop to the flats and go up the right bank of a wash at N34 19653, W114 06015 el 1100. Soon you have to drop in then exit left at 19493, 05921 and go up into the west saddle el 1350. The reg is at 19464, 05800. Then go back to the saddle and down the drainage toward the highway. Exit on the right bank at 18968, 05902 el 750 and walk Indian trails thru a saddle and down a wash at 18909, 06098 el 750. It leads to the highway and it's a scary one mile walk back so it's best to have a shuttle to stay alive. 3 and a half hours, 500 noticeable gain. A jeep road goes to the spire from a huge abandoned mine along the highway but not worth the tedious drive. Posted 2023.

⦁ BLACK MOUNTAIN el 2986 has loop possibilities. Take highway 95 to mp 172.5 at a dirt road on high ground. BLM #4362 is the correct road to the right in a wash at a kiosk. That road goes all the way. Go up that staying left at main forks and in a couple of miles it will merge with the road on the topo going up Standard Wash. Go on to a fork past point 2175 and go right to the base of the peak north of peak 2081. I walked up over the bank at N34 28645, W114 03506 and over into a valley on the south side and up a ridge at 28308, 01920 el 1800 and just kept going up to the reg at 30230, 02641. I then walked the high ground following the topo around to the SW side of pe0ak 2805 then down a ridge there at 29550, 03383 el 2600. 4 and a half hours, 1200 easy gain. It's rocky but stable and not too bad. The reg placed by Vitz in 2005 had 2 entries and that won't increase much considering the crappy roads. It's a dozen miles of easy 4wd with few rocks but lots of washboard. A 1915 marker is in the middle of the wash at 28433, 02189. I saw wild cow tracks near the summit. Posted 2023.

⦁ LIZARD PEAK has a loop trail up it from Sara Park at the south end of town. From the main parking area it's about half a mile to a fork at N34 26158, W114 16189 at a sign for trail 4456J. It goes up steep to the peak then a rougher trail goes down to the north saddle where it gets better. But below that is a gully with a 5 foot drop but no big deal. A narrow ledge nearby is how I went down to the bottom then turned left to the lizard made of rocks. A fork below that leads back to the main trail. 80 minutes, 600 noticeable gain. Posted 2023.

⦁ AUBREY HILLS LOOP -  peak 1361 is on private land but a good loop can be made around it on BLM land. I parked on highway 95 at mp 172.8 where BLM road #4466 goes SW but has a locked gate. I rode a bike down it for half a mile to a substation then into a main wash and walked that downstream until I hit private land. I went over the rim there at N34 23871, W114 12322 then up a wash at 23853, 12498 heading toward peak 1331. I went up that peak via a class 2 route on the SE side then retraced down and around to the SW saddle then down the wash toward the lake. I exited the wash thru a saddle on the right at 23882, 13432 then downstream and over into a fork at 23784, 13813. A trail leads to that  fork 400 feet before. The fork goes over into a main wash with a white rock fall. I went up that main wash past an old car to some minor falls at 24900, 14338. The first one is easy and the second one has a sheep trail wide right. Next comes a bike trail on a road then at 25002, 14093 I made a hard left for 400 feet to another trail running thru a gap then I went on to a wash at 25110, 13830 to the left of the trail. I followed low ground to a wash at 25174, 13630 and back to the substation. 5 hours with 400 noticeable gain. Pleasant terrain. In hindsight I believe I could have descended peak 1331 off the NW side. I never could see a safe route up peak 1361.  Posted 2023.

⦁ PEAK 1059 is just north of Cattail Cove SP. An easy loop can be done around it in washes. I parked on highway 95 at mp 169.5 and started on an Indian trail at N34 23172, W114 10068. It likely was their route to Mohave Springs. I walked it into a canyon south of the peak then on to the mouth and went up the next wash to the right. I went up a little fork at 22022, 11340 to get over the rim to the next major wash and walked up along the north side of the peak and around to a trail at 22616, 10663. It goes over a divide and back into the first canyon. There is an option to go up from the divide on an easy ridge past a guzzler and on to the summit at 22347, 10857. I did that and the whole hike took 2 and a half hours with less than 300 noticeable gain. Posted 2023.

⦁ LOWER STANDARD WASH LOOP - the washes east of Standard Wash make a good loop. I parked on highway 95 at mp 171.4 where a dirt road goes north up Standard Wash. I walked the highway south a few feet to a Keep Right sign then down a wash to the correct wash at W34 23836, W114 11577. It goes down to the lake with some minor drops. Before the lake I went left on an Indian trail at 22653, 12383. It goes a third mile to a deep wash where I went down a gully at 22481, 12125 to get in. I went up that wash with some minor falls then on to a road at 23718, 11463 that leads back to the start. That road must be how Standard Wash was accessed before the highway was built. 2 and a half hours, easy grade. Posted 2023.

⦁ PEAK 3883 is a dominant peak around Craggy Wash camp area. I made a loop. Go east from Home Depot on Whelan for a mile and a half and turn left to a substation. Go past it a third mile and turn up a wash at pole #3958. Go a bit over 3 miles in the main wash to a fork at N34 35213, W114 18395. Go right for half a mile and park past the power lines. I started up a fork at 35128, 17745 and soon came to a main road. I walked it to the Wing Mine then on up the wash and got on high ground at 34801, 16984. That played out and I dropped right to a wash and followed it thru a gap at 34623, 16012. A third mile before that the right bank is easy to walk. The gap leads to the main south canyon that goes to the east saddle. At 34681, 15570 el 2400 I followed a faint trail on the right bank on around a right bend for a quarter air mile then dropped back in at a left bend. I got on high ground at 34946, 15017 el 2950 between forks and went straight up a ridge in front of me. This is where I saw an ancient trail running on the far side of the canyon thru the east saddle, but too late. I went on up until it was easy to move right and get just above the east saddle. I left my pack and went to the summit with no sign of humanity. I dropped to the saddle and used the trail to go north. It's at 35385, 14997 then 35508, 15121 and at el 2950 it drops to the easy wash. I went down that to where the left bank gets low and cut over to a low ridge at 35894, 15515 el 2750. I went .13 mile down that then dropped left to an easy wash and down that for a while and cut across a bench to a canyon at 36584, 16959. I went up and stayed right at the first tricky fork and to a fork at 36292, 17197. I went right and hit a dirt bike trail that took me over the divide then I dropped to a wash at 36057, 17177 and followed it back to the start. 6 hours with about 1000 strenuous gain. The south canyon is the best I've seen in the range. The drive in is gravel washes but severe washboard. Posted 2023.

⦁ PICTURE ROCK is a rock art site at the north end of Lake Havasu as shown on the topo. Burro trails make for a long but easy hike thru the Havasu Wilderness. Turn west off highway 95 about 10 miles south of I-40 at mp 192. Drive about a mile and a half down the wash then go right over the rim. Don't get tricked by a couple of decoy roads just before. Follow the road into the next wash and go down it a short way and park at a cable. Walk the wash nearly a fifth mile and a faint trail takes an easy angle up to the rim. Follow the trail on the north rim of the wash to a dip then drop to the right down a drainage on on to a trail at N34 36797, W114 24995 then on to a canyon going north 36800, 25001. Go up that and soon a big fall stops dirt bikes. Hikers can go around to the right and on to a trail 37381, 25090. Take the trail for about 350 ft then take a left fork into the wash. Keep going upstream past an arch to a saddle then down the other side and to a wash at 37546, 25832.  Look for a trail thru a low cut over to this when you're a tenth mile away. Go up this to a second saddle at 37554, 26007. Descend about half way to the water then veer right up thru a smooth saddle where another arch is in view to the east. Contour over and then down to Picture Rock. Go left around the rock base in tall reeds to the petroglyphs facing the water at 37449, 26254. DON'T CLIMB ON THE ROCK ART! The Indian spirits are watching and they know where you live. The reeds may be flooded if the lake is high but not that day as the lake was 2.6 feet below full pool. It took me 20 minutes to push thru the 100 feet of reeds but only 6 to come back. For the return, I tried an alternate thru the gorge south of peak 1557 and it paid off. I retraced back then went left on a trail at 37333, 25034 and it soon splits. Left bends to a spring, but a better spring is straight ahead in the gorge at 37274, 24910 . It had a trickle flowing out of bedrock into a good pool. A flood could bury that one. I followed the wash on up then started up to the right in a wide drainage at 37457, 24624. It topped out with a 6 foot climb up a class 3 cliff with a wash on top. I then went left up the wash to the divide at 37456, 24355 el 1150 but found out it's better to walk high on the far bank of the wash with a good view down a steep canyon. Either way gets to the divide then down the other side in a popular canyon. It has some minor class 3 drops then at 37190, 23845 el 800 there is a cave on the right bank and a good trail skirting a bouldery section. A big drop waits at the mouth. It is bolted but a trail goes left around it and back to the start. Going to Picture Rock and back the same way is a 5 hour hike with 300 noticeable gain. Coming back thru the gorge is a 6 hour total hike with another 300 gain. That is worth doing on it's own. Ebikes can make half or more of the 2 mile drive in. Posted 2023.

⦁ POWELL PEAK el 2349 seems to be the highest in the Havasu Wilderness. Take highway 95 to mp 164.5 and turn on easy 4wd. Go half a mile to a main wash then go north along rusty poles for about a mile then left for 3 and a half miles along tall towers to a trail at N34 40370, W114 22093 el 1450 . Walk that then to another one at 40298, 22632 to get around to a main wash on the south side of the peak. An easy ridge at 40346, 23499 el 1850 goes up from the wash to the summit at 40653, 23457. Retrace back or drop to the south saddle then down the canyon. Once it levels out the left bank is easy for a long way. Go to 40651, 22599 then circle left around minor hills to get back to the start. 2 and a half hours, 600 gain. Posted 2023.

⦁ TUMARION PEAK el 2084 has a class 2 route starting up the east ridge until the last 50 feet where it's borderline class 3 with minor exposure. A direct road in departs highway 95 at mp 192.5 but has a locked gate. But there is no sign banning ebikes. Otherwise, use the road at mp 192 and go 3/4 mile then turn north up a wash for nearly a mile to the direct road. Use the sat image. The direct road goes a mile and a half to a gate at private land. A road goes left there and that's where I parked then crossed a wash and walked a burro trail to N34 37815, W114 22806 where I could see the peak. I kept going toward it and met with the fence along the private land and followed that to the refuge fence. Then I turned toward a trail at 38143, 23314 that led me to a wash. I went up that to a trail at 38465, 23631 and walked it to a fork at 38509, 23939. Both go but right looked smoother so I took it for .15 air mile to a fork then went left into a wash then down it to a trail at 38661, 24256 on the right bank. I went on down to a canyon at 38936, 24563 and up it to a trail at 39659, 24636. That took me over a low saddle then I went left up a wide drainage to the saddle el 1600 on the east ridge. I went up that to the first cliff band at 39645, 24917 el 1750. I walked right along the base for a few feet into a chute then it was obvious how to circle up around to the right side of the summit block reading 39659, 25025. Then it's near class 3 for the last 50 feet. 5 hours, 700 noticeable gain. Posted 2023.

⦁ PEAK 1665 - the main attractions around this one are the canyons. A loop makes for the best hike in the Havasu Wilderness. Turn west off highway 95 about 10 miles south of I-40 at mp 192. Drive about a mile and a half down the wash then go right over the rim. Don't get tricked by a couple of decoy roads just before. Follow the road into the next wash and go upstream a fifth mile where a road goes steep up the left bank. I parked there but could have gone another tenth mile. I walked the main wash staying left along the base to a trail on the left bank at N34 37415, W114 23052. I walked that for a third air mile to another fork then left up to a saddle el 1150 on the SE ridge of the peak. I walked up the center thru 37772, 23941 then right of center on a shelf which took me back to center then to the east saddle el 1350. I could see a good route up to the left on bedrock then back right to the summit. The SW end has a BM. I dropped down the west ridge at 38052, 24271 then down to the SW saddle el 1300. I left my pack and went up the peak south of the saddle. It's obvious but then at 37814, 24384 it's best to level off and merge into a minor drainage then up to a saddle at the end of that. Then just move up left to the summit. I went back to the SW saddle then NW down the canyon using a trail on the left. At 38387, 24983 el 850 I cut over the divide on a major trail and on to 38048, 25312 el 700 where I could see an arch to the SW. A wash below that is the route. I crossed washes to a ridge at 37869, 25834 el 700 then dropped to a major wash and went left and on the wash below the arch. A trail runs along it then pulls away on the left bank and next I went left on a trail at 37333, 25034 and it soon splits. Left bends to a spring, but a better spring is straight ahead in the gorge south of peak 1557 at 37274, 24910 . It had a trickle flowing out of bedrock into a good pool. A flood could bury that one. I strolled up the gorge then started up to the right in a wide drainage at 37457, 24624. It topped out with a 6 foot climb up a class 3 cliff with a wash on top. I then went left up the wash to the divide at 37456, 24355 el 1150 but found out it's better to walk high on the far bank of the wash with a good view down a steep canyon. Either way gets to the divide then down the other side in a popular canyon. It has some minor class 3 drops then at 37190, 23845 el 800 there is a cave on the right bank and a good trail skirting a bouldery section. A big drop waits at the mouth. It is bolted but a trail goes left around it and down to a hidden trail at 36985, 23703 that leads back to the start. And that is likely an Indian trail. 6 hours, 15 minutes with a about 1000 strenuous gain. But from now on I'll be skipping that second peak and come in under 6 hours. Posted 2023.

⦁ GOAT HILL el 1280 is the name on the peakbagger app for the peak next to the Craggy Wash camp area. I walked a trail out of the camp area to the main road up the peak then came down the south ridge. 90 minutes. No trespassing signs are on the roads so holidays are best. TV towers are up there. Posted 2023.

⦁ BAT CAVE - this is a one room cave with a skylight nearly 2 miles east of the airport and a 3 mile drive from Home Depot. The last mile and a quarter is easy 4wd and ebikeable but washboard. From Home Depot, take Whelan to the end of pavement at a large berm. Go  around the berm then left thereafter to get behind it and on to the cave as shown on the topo. From the end of the road it's 300 feet away in a left fork of the wash. It's best to park 100 feet before road end where a trail goes north to ?.  Posted 2023.

⦁ BIKE PATHS - there is one running along highway 95 thru town for 8 or 9 miles. The island has a loop trail. I started at the southern end near the light for McCulloch. I was riding a folding pedal bike. When I got to London Bridge I rode over it and did the loop then came back over to In and Out Burger for lunch. I rode the trail on north then for the return I rode South Palo Verde to Cisco then Marlin and then El Dorado to Jamaica then to McCulloch where I turned left and in half a mile or so the route topped out. The return leg that far had been steady up, no down to speak of. From there I coasted back to the start on McCulloch which has bike lanes. That's some 25 miles or so. London Bridge Road comes into town from the north and has bike lanes. It's a way in from Craggy Wash camp area. Posted 2023.

⦁ PEAK 4688 has easy east ridges up from the Arrastra Well road. It's 14 miles in from the Franconia exit, the last half being easy 4wd. The road enters the canyon and stays in the wash then just before point 2752 it goes on the left bank then back in, but I stayed in the wash. The bank would have less rocks. Either way gets to the end of 4wd travel at el 3250. From there the road is overgrowing to the end at the mine el 3800 then it's easy up to the left to gain the ridge and walk it to N34 34332, W114 13712. Level off to the left around a bump. Then the last fifth mile is rough so it's best to stay low right then come back up just before the summit, which is at 34699, 13982, no reg. 3 and a half hours, 1500 gain. The other option would be to go up the ridge thru point 3727. That looked good and then just loop back down the other route or vice versa. Posted 2023.

⦁ BUCK MOUNTAINS - two benchmarks named Buck are at each end of this tiny range. A good hike includes both. The direct roads in from the Franconia exit to the Palo Verde Mine are easy 4wd. A car could make all but the last 5 miles then ebike it. I parked below the mine and walked up to it then up to the left bank of a wash at N34 41876, W114 10616 and then up that thru a saddle. Then down the other side to a fork on the right at 41814, 10238. I went nearly a tenth air mile up that then over the left bank and down to a main wash. I strolled up that to a divide at 41136, 09616 then thru a gap at 41014, 09215 and up a ridge at 40950, 09096. I just followed it up to a main ridge then spotty sheep trails on that to the reg at 40721, 08167 el 2400. I retraced back to the main wash then went left in a fork at 41903, 09975. That soon bends left and I went up to the right rim but it has minor dips so it might be better to stay in the wash. Either way gets to the western Buck BM at 41997, 10442 el 2070. I then dropped to the south saddle then down the drainage back to the start. 4 hours, and 1400 gain on the app but an easy hike overall. No tire tracks except for the one road I crossed. Lots of sheep tracks. Posted 2023.