Pahranagat Valley

The Shooting Gallery

Pahranagat NWR has a shady campround on the valley floor along US 93 at mp LN 34.9. That makes a good hub for a week of hiking. There is no water but no fee. Fires are not allowed. Alamo is 4 miles north. The Sinclair has a full grocery. The street next to the Sinclair goes west to a laundromat and a park with a faucet. The county publishes a guide to 5 rock art sites in the area. Just google "lincoln county rock art". Floods hit the area in May 2015, right as I was leaving. That means road conditions have changed from what I wrote. Posted 2015.

• BIRD BM el 5889 is a big crag at the northern tip of the Sheep Range. An easy route goes up the east side. Use the northern entrance south of Alamo at mp LN 31.8. Drive a short way to the Pahranagat visitor center then take a right fork. Follow the main road for 14 miles to a hill of black boulders. The road is packed dirt and sand, not too many rocks. 4wd might be needed in some spots. Hike to a canyon at N37 06901, 10096 el 4300. Go up that to a right fork at 05987, 09730 el 4900 then go up that to the BM at 06023, 10256. I followed the cliff edge down the main north ridge on the return.  4 hours, 1900 gain. Posted 2015. The first 3 or 4 miles of this road were roughed up by a flood in May 2015.

• TIKABOO PEAK, BADGER MTN, BADGER  VALLEY LOOP- a graded road can be used to make a loop on the west side of the valley. There are some steep spots that might need 4wd. Take US 93 to mp LN 32.2 and turn west on the Badger Valley Road. Go about 5 miles to a main fork. Both go, but the sat image shows the right fork is not graded. I went left on the graded fork. It makes a big loop south then enters Badger Valley and the first main fork at N37  15712, W115 14638 offers 2 options. Go right if you're skipping the peaks, or go left like I  did and keep going NE to dry Badger Spring at el 6700. The road gets worse here. Keep going past the spring junk for a half mile to where the road makes a hard left. It's not worth trying to drive beyond here unless you have an OHV. For Tikaboo, walk the road to the end in a quarter mile to the foot trail at N37 20829, W115 20850 el 7100. The trail goes parabolic to the 7600 level then loses over 100 feet before the final push to the reg at 20658, 21536 el 7900. 2 hours, 1300 gain. Don't expect a nature hike. The route is littered with cans, bottles, foil, fire rings, painted rocks and a million ribbons. It's the trashiest hike I ever took and I didn't even get to see any UFOs. Badger Mtn is the same TH. Hike north into a saddle at N37 21148, W115 20723 el 7000. Then go up the  ridge and angle left into another saddle at 21320, 20330 el 7600. Now circle left to the reg at 21099, 19565 el 7900+. To continue the loop drive, go back to the spring then go another 3 and a half miles and take a left on a graded road. An obvious side road will take you up to towers for a view. Keep going north on the main road to the turn for the Shooting Gallery petroglyph site at N37 21320, W115 16330. That crude road goes a quarter mile to a fence. Just walk the old road downhill to the main canyon and the rock art is on boulders on the west side of the main canyon. The graded road continues on north and drops back to the main valley floor. Keep left at a main fork on the valley floor to get to Alamo. I had about 45 miles of dirt road. It's a good ride for dual sport cycles. Posted 2015.

• EAST VALLEY LOOP- a graded goes to dry Delamar Lake then on south back to US 93. Take US 93 to Alamo Canyon Rd at mp LN 36.1. Stay on the main road for 14 miles to the lake. Petroglyphs are along the road at a point on the lake's edge. Then get on the power road on the east side of the lake. Cut across the lake if it's dry. Follow the V shaped towers south. At wooden pole # 100 / 5 is where the 4wd road goes north and circles west to the towers on peak 5888. A gate about a mile in was crashed. If it's fixed, that's the end of that side trip. Keep following the main graded road to get back to US 93 at mp LN 25.1. The graded loop is about 30 miles.

• SOUTH PAHROCS WILDERNESS - a 4wd loop can be made around the wilderness with a side trip to climb the Hyko BM on  the high peak. Take US 93 to Alamo Canyon Rd at mp LN 36.1. Stay on the main road for about  11 miles to a main fork reading N37 21864, W114. Go left for nearly 2 miles to another main fork. Graded road ends here. Go left for nearly 7 miles along the base of the range to the side road for Twin Springs at N37 27944, W115 00826. Go left here for half a mile to a camp area  el 6200. There is an occasional easy 4wd spot to deal with on the last 7 miles to get here. A route up a bald ridge is obvious. Hike on up the road and it soon shrinks to an ATV track. I left the track and went up the easiest grassy slope on the right and followed the bald ridge to the summit ridge. It's easy to walk the summit ridge until a third mile from the BM where boulders get dense. Stay on ridge center until that no longer works. I found a decent route thru the boulders and ducked it. I saw another ducked route. At the summit block, go around the left to the north side to walk up to the reg and BM at N37 29007, W115 01821 el 7948. 3 and a half hours, 1700 gain. This is a grassy hike. Everything else burned off. The spring had a small flow.  I rode back out the same way but the road goes on north to US 93 in about 10 miles. Posted 2015.

• CAMPGROUND HIKE, PEAK 4845 - the refuge is so small that there aren't any hikes but a high peak is across the highway from the campground. Start at the restroom a fifth mile north of campsite #1. Go up the wash and across the highway. Stay in the wash as it passes thru a narrows then go left to a ridge at N37 18589, W115 06571 el 3800. Go up that long easy ridge to the summit at 19417, 06014. There is one minor dip at the 4000 level on the ridge. On the return, I came back down to that and dropped to the right and walked that canyon back out. 3 and a half hours, 1500 gain. A nice hike on a pristine peak. Posted 2015.

• CAMPGROUND MTN BIKE LOOP - a 17 mile loop can be done from the campground. Ride from the south end to the visitor center road. Then get on the highway and go a tenth mile to a one lane graded road on the east side. Take that road and stay left on every graded road, though some of it hasn't been graded in a while. After about a dozen miles you come back to the highway at mp LN 36.1. Then it's a bit over a mile back, but there is no paved shoulder. Never steep. Posted 2015.

• ALAMO BM el 5131 is the high peak just east of town with the letter P painted on it. Take US 93 to Alamo Canyon Rd at mp LN 36.1. Go 3 miles then turn left on another graded road. Go 2 miles then hike up the left slope to the rim at N37 22090, W115 06434 el 4900. Go across a shallow valley then up to the BM at 21879, 07134. 2 hours, 1200 gain. An easier route for trucks is from the north. Drive another 2 miles to a crude road going left up a wash. The reading here is 23432, 07350. Drive a mile up that and it fades at el 4400. Walk from there up the canyon and the peak soon comes into view. The graded road goes on nearly 5 miles to Alamo, but there is a quarter mile of deep sand. This loop would make a good mtn bike ride. There is a dozen miles of lonely dirt road and 3 or 4 miles on the highway, but there is no paved shoulder. Posted 2015.

• DELAMAR MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS, MAR BM el 6181- the western edge of the wilderness is a high escarpment that is the most appealing area for hiking. Mar BM el 6181 is the high point along the cliff edge. An ATV track runs up the canyon to the north of point 6050. That can be used for a one way hike back to the highway. Leave 1 car at a gravel pit at mp LN 19.1 on US 93, then drive to the graded Turtle Walk Rd at mp LN 25.1. Go a half mile to a gravel pit then keep far right on graded road and go another 2.8 miles to an easy 4wd road, just past tower 97 / 1. Go south for 2/3 mile to a T. Go left a fifth mile to the ATV track, but it's better to keep going past it for a third mile and walk over a low ridge at  N37 12882, W114 59552 and get into the main wash with the track . Walk up the track in the sandy wash for about 3 miles then go up a canyon at 13189, 56209. It's easy going to a guzzler at 12701, 55700 el 4900. The one tank I looked in had clear water. Stay on the left bank for another quarter mile then cross to the right, then back and forth as needed. A dry fall is in the way at 12128, 55919. Boulders get dense before that so you might as well get up on the right slope to get past it all. At the top of the fall you're on the easy plateau. I stayed in the wash keeping the high slope to my left and got to the escarpment edge at 10977, 56851 el 6000. Then it's an easy stroll for 2 miles along the edge, passing over Mar BM at 10219, 56321. All the wood there must have been flown up in 1969. How many people have ever hiked up here? I went south to a viewpoint at 09384, 56505 el 5700 where I could see a route down the ridge. I went on down to 09209, 56970 el 4800 and could see smooth ridges below me. I followed those to a crag 09146, 57412 el 4400 then dropped into the canyon on the right and got down to the flats where I walked to the gravel pit. 8 hours, 13 miles, 2700 gain, very little gain is steep. May is the time to go. I saw a million mallows on top. A peculiar "trail" is at 10535, 56598 and may be fire related. BOMBER WASH is the longest canyon in the wilderness and has a sandy 4wd road up it. Take US 93 to mp 13.3 and get on the old highway. Go south for a mile and a half and turn left at the sign. It's 10 miles up the wash to the fence at the end of the road.  Posted 2015.

• DOUBLE BM el 6372 is on the SE shore of Delamar Lake The north ridge is easy. Take US 93 to the graded Turtle Walk Rd at mp LN 25.1 then go half a mile on that road to a gravel pit. Stay far right on the graded road for 10 miles to the lake. Then turn right on the lake bed to get to where I parked reading N37 18699, W114 55434 el 4600. Hike south up the valley to the north ridge at 17506, 54735 then on to the BM at 16557, 53966. 3 and a half hours, 1800 gain. Stay alert and you'll see something of interest on this route up. It would be easy to keep going on the high ridge for 3 miles to peak 6193. MINE BUTTE el 5136 is also along the Turtle Walk Rd. A mine road goes to the 4800 level. At the gravel pit, stay in the wash along the right side and go 2 and a half miles to a fork reading N37 13544, W115 00443 el 3800. Go left and now it's a jeep road. Drive it as far as you can then walk to the end and up to the surveyor junk on top at 14437, 01363. I rode my 125 to the 4700 level just short of the mine. I saw nothing to stop jeeps from getting there, but the last half mile on the  ridge top starting at the 4400 level is very rocky. Posted 2015.
• HELLS ACRES GULCH is east of Ash Springs. Turn off US 93 at mp LN 44.2 and go nearly 4 miles on a graded road to shady camps at the mouth el 4300. I walked up high on the right bank until cliffs got in the way then moved to the creekbed which had a flow. It was easy to work around minor falls then it leveled off with smooth sand. But that didn't last as trees got dense but it was easy walking on the left bank. I came upon an Indian rock ring at N37 28025, W115 06409 el 5000. Then I came to a main fork at 27980, 06121 el 5100. I went right for a quarter mile then up to the high ground between the forks, but it might be less bouldery to use the left fork. I crossed over the right fork and climbed out of the canyon at 27411, 05833 el 5650 then over the rim to another canyon at 27407, 05920 el 5700 and went down that to a passage on the left at 27453, 06205 el 5550. I went thru that to the next canyon and stayed in that all the way to the rim el 5000. Then I walked north on the rim to 27242, 07345 el 5000 where I could see down a gully to the bottom then it was half a mile back to the start. That loop took 5 hours with less than 1000 of strenuous gain and a lot of class 3 boulders to deal with, nothing scary. There is light brush. The high plateau has nice parks studded with pinyon and juniper. ALTERNATE - an easier loop can be done around the north side. Walk north along the base on a bad jeep road and go up a wash at 28772, 07838 el 4600 and follow it into a small basin with a rock ring at 28706, 07523 el 4750. Keep going up canyon until it opens up and walk an OHV trail then veer south in a cove and over a saddle at 28219, 06452 el 5200 which puts you in the Gulch then just go downstream to the start. None of the gain is steep. The jeep road has faint petroglyphs.                          Posted 2019.
• PEAK 5583 is a high peak in the Hiko Range south of US 93. Turn off US 93 at mp LN 45 and go up a major wash. Or use the road thru the petroglyph site third mile to the north and it comes into the wash. At a fork in the wash reading N37 27833, W115 10833 take the right fork up onto the high ground an go nearly 2 miles to the end in a  canyon. A bad jeep road is there at 28820, 09991 el 4000. It goes up to the base of Table Top Mtn but I used it on the return. I went up the main canyon to faint petroglyphs at 29685, 09821 el 4350 then kept going to the south saddle at 30278, 10649 el 4900. I followed the easy ridge up to the reg at 30708, 10757. 3 sheep were along the way. I retraced back and went left up a fork at 29569, 09793 el 4250 and stayed in that until a jeep road at 29250, 09148 el 4400. I went south on that and stayed south to shortcut a loop on the road then Table Top came into view and I went over that then down the road to the start. That took 5 hours with 1000 noticeable gain. The canyons are bouldery but easy to weave thru. Posted 2019.

• MOUNT IRISH el 8700 is the high peak in the Mount Irish Wilderness. It  has a standard route up the south ridge. Take SR 318 to a gated road at mp LN 3.2 or go north for 3/4 mile to another road with no gate. It soon merges with the other road. Go about 7 miles to a main fork at the petroglyph area. Keep left and go another 5 miles to Logan Pass el 7200. A short spur road goes to a camp spot. The whole road to here is bumpy and the last mile is easy 4wd. Hike up the ridge from the pass. It goes parabolic right out of the gate. Go on up  to a plateau at el 8100. Use a break in the cliffs at N37 38059, W115 24336 to get on it. Then walk thru the lovely forest to a viewpoint at 38234, 24288 el 8250. From there you can see the rest of the route. 3 hours, 1500 gain. A jeep road goes up the SE ridge to el 7400. Jeeps could still make it as of 2015, but it's for those who like a wild ride. The Silver Canyon Rd is decent and makes a good loop around the peak for cycles and 4wds. I went around to one of the north canyons to see if I could ride into ponderosa pines. At about the 7000 level I came to pines and some mine cabins. The road is washed out beyond there, but I walked it to the 7700 level. That would be a route to the 8600 peak. I was able to keep circling west on decent roads and came back thru Logan Pass. On the way back to SR 318 is the turn for the Shaman walking tours at N37 36491, W115 22652. The Many Sheep panel is there. REED PEAK el 7580 is what I call the high peak in the southern part of the wilderness. Take SR 375 to mp LN 43.2. Go north for 7 and a half miles to a cabin at Reed Spring at the end of the road. The road had recently been bladed, but sand makes it 4wd. I went up the ridge from the spring, but it's steep. Try driving back a  tenth mile from the spring and go up that canyon. The peak is at N37 33983, W115 25283. The whole hike takes less than 2 hours with about 1000 feet of gain. Pj forest all the way. The spring had a tiny flow. Posted 2015.
• ALAMO CANYON is what I call the canyon 5 miles due west of Alamo. There are 3 rappels up to 100 feet and it's all downhill. There are shuttle options depending on how much driving you care for. From the Sinclair in town, we drove west on Broadway for .6 mile to Park, then right for .4 mile to Lincoln, then left for .3 mile to a major dirt road. We took the dirt road for 2 and a half miles where the road makes a jog to the right. We left one truck there reading N37 22703, W115 13234. Then we stayed on the main road for another 1.8 miles to where it merged with another main road at the mouth of a canyon. That other road is the best way out at the end of the day. We drove up into the canyon where the road becomes 4wd then climbs steeply up the left slope and exits the canyon. We stayed on the main road to a crude road reading 22075, 16110 about 5 and a half miles from where we left the lower truck. We parked then walked down the crude track and stayed right at a fork to get in the south arm of the canyon. The first drop is bolted  then there are some minor drops that 2 people can help each other down. Next are 2 short rappels close together using the same anchor. The canyon opens up to the last rap which is the big one and mostly mid air. We anchored from a chokestone in a right side crack. A 300 foot rope doubled over got us down with several feet to spare. It's likely a bit over 100 feet. A tiny pipe spring is at the bottom. We walked over a mile on easy flats to the lower truck. This canyon is smooth gravel and the big rap can be bypassed. All anchors except the bolts had been washed away, but big rocks were available to restore the 2 missing anchors. The minimum needed is a 150 foot rope and pull cord, 30 feet of webbing. It took us 3 and a half hours to get from truck to truck,  about 4 miles, but will take less next time. It would be hard to get trapped in this one.  Posted October 2015 

Giant sheep at Mt Irish

Many Sheep at Mt Irish

Desert National Wildlife Refuge

East Peak

The Sheep Range is the main attraction here for hikers. At 50 miles long and nearly 10,000 feet high, it's the most pristine range in it's class in the 48 states. The west entrance has a new visitor center about 3 or 4 miles in from US 95.

• HAYFORD PEAK el 9912 is the highest peak in the Sheep Range. From the visitor center, follow the signs to the Hidden Forest TH. It's 20 miles of very bumpy road. Hike the trail up Deadman Canyon for 5 miles to a cabin at Wiregrass Spring el 7900. Stay in the main fork which is behind the cabin. In less than a third mile beyond the cabin is a main fork. Take the left fork to a side gully on the right at N36 39014, W115 12232 el 8700. Go up the gully and sometimes it splits but stay in or along the easiest one. You will top out at el 9600 then go left to the peak at 39465, 12051. 8 hours, 4100 gain. The spring had a tiny flow out of a pipe in May 2015.
• SHEEP PEAK el 9750 has a scenic route up Wagon Canyon that never gets very steep. Drive north from the visitor center for about 9 miles and turn at the sign for Cow Camp. Go about 5 and a half miles and take a left fork. Drive to the end in about 3/4 mile el 5500. The roads are all easy 4wd. Hike along the foot of the range for nearly a mile to the mouth of Wagon at N36 35915, W115 18033 el 5900. The canyon starts out as an easy wash then gets rocky then smooth again at el 8000 in a nice pine forest. At el 8300 comes a tricky fork. Stay right then go up to a drainage on the left at 35486, 15023 el 8600. Follow that up and top out in a saddle on the  crest at 35389, 14788 el 9100. Turn south to the summit at 34975, 14927. Returning on the south rim of Wagon is easy. Make sure to be on it at 35210, 15271 el 9350. Walk it down and it will curve to the right and bottom out in Wagon Canyon at el 6600. 7 hours, 4300 gain. Wagon Spring at el 7600 in the canyon was dry, but had a minor seep behind it. Posted September, 2016.
• QUARTZITE MOUNTAIN el 7133 is the high point of the Las Vegas Range. There is an easy route up the north canyon from Peek-a-boo Canyon. From the visitor center, follow the signs  into Peek-a-boo Canyon and park at a side canyon reading N36 30803, W115 08159 el 5500. The first dozen miles is very bumpy road. The last 6 miles get smoother. Hike up the side canyon for an air mile to a main fork. Take the right one reading 30334, 07215 el 5800. Follow that fork and soon the peak comes into view. Pick your own route up. Brush is not a factor in the canyon because ATVs flattened it years ago. I left the ATV track at 30044, 06099 el 6200 and went up the easiest ridge toward the peak. A line of minor crags is on the summit. The south end of the crags seems to be the highest, but I saw no reg. The topo shows an x for the summit at 30129, 05243. It took me 3 and a half hours with 1700 gain. Easy hike. Some are hiking from Quail Spring, but that's twice as far. Posted 2015.
• TIMBER PEAK el 9787 is what I call the peak near the head of Timber Canyon, north of Hayford. It's the northernmost 9000 footer in the range. A loop hike can be done using the main forks of Sawmill Canyon. Take US 93 to the east entrance at mp CL 80.4. Go 11 miles on a bumpy road to where the road drops into the wash of Sawmill Canyon. It soon climbs back out of the wash and right away is a road going to the right. The reading here is N36 41629, W115 05521. Take that road to the end at a gate el 5600 in less than half a mile. Hike up the closed road and you'll reach ponderosa pines in one hour. The road is in the creekbed by then. Follow the main creekbed and it will carry you into the north fork and circle north then west as shown on maps. Leave the road and go up a broad drainage at 41781, 09980 el 7900. Soon there are many gullies to choose from, the correct one is at 41744, 10148. Go up that until it tops out on the NE ridge at 41863, 10530 el 9000, next to bump 9032. Now just go up the ridge to the summit at 41757, 10999. To get into the south fork for the return, drop down to the saddle on the crest south of the peak. I went down the drainage at 41562, 10860 el 9300. I hit some light brush but it cleared up at the 9000 level. But still there is another drainage about 700 feet south along the crest that might not have any brush and it goes down to the same place. I moved over to it anyway at the 9000 level. It's easy to go down canyon. At the 8000 level stumps appear. And soon after that is a road going up a side canyon to Sawmill Spring at 40861, 10581 el 8000. It had a tub of green water with bugs in May 2015. No flow. Resume going down the south fork to join the creekbed you came up. The whole hike with the side trip to the spring took me 7 hours, 46 minutes. The gain is 4100. One relic you'll see is a 1920s flatbed truck used by the loggers. It had a tire made by the Pennsylvania Rubber Co. Each leaf spring had 19 pieces.  I did this peak in the 1990s via Timber Canyon, but that has a lot more dirt road driving. This route is more interesting. Posted 2015.
• EAST PEAK el 4650 is what I call the rugged peak next to US 93. It has a sheep route up the north ridge. Take US 93 to mp CL 73.3. Walk a road along the north base of the mountain for a couple of miles to where it enters a canyon. Go up the easy canyon to a slope at N36 39028, W114 57569 el 2950. Go up the slope and soon you're on the north ridge. There is one minor bump at el 4100 with an obvious bypass on the right side. The summit is at 38328, 57179. 5 hours for the whole hike, 1700 gain from the base. This is the only good hike on the whole refuge with all paved access. Posted 2015.
• BIRD BM el 5889 is a big crag at the northern tip of the Sheep Range. An easy route goes up the east side. Use the northern entrance south of Alamo at mp LN 31.8. Drive a short way to the Pahranagat visitor center then take a right fork. Follow the main road for 14 miles to a hill of black boulders. The road is packed dirt and sand, not too many rocks.The  first 3 or 4 miles got roughed up by floods in May 2015. 4wd will be needed in some spots. Hike to a canyon at N37 06901, 10096 el 4300. Go up that to a right fork at 05987, 09730 el 4900 then go up that to the BM at 06023, 10256. I followed the cliff edge down the main north ridge on the return.  4 hours, 1900 gain. Posted 2015.
• YUCCA BENCHMARK el 7100 is at the southern tip of the Sheep Range. An easy route goes up the east ridge. From the visitor center, follow signs toward Mormon Well for  9 miles on easy 4wd to a parking area at cables el 5000. Walk across the washes and start up the ridge at N36 28747, W115 14401 and keep going up to the reg at 29055, 15517. One crag along the way at the 6300 level can be passed on the left. 3 and a half hours, 2200 gain. Posted 2016.
• RAM BENCHMARK el 8320 is in the northern section of the Sheep Range. The SW canyon is the easiest way. From the visitor center, follow signs north for two dozen miles to the sign for Dead Horse Road. Turn there on easy 4wd and drive to a shady camp el 5700 at the end in about 10 miles. The last mile of road is unmapped because it was only made to access a crash site. Hike a half mile to a major wash crossing at N36 46612, W115 09704 and then just head for the SW canyon which is in plain sight.  The first mile and a half has some light brush but not a factor with long pants. Agave pits are along the way at 46934, 08216 and another one is at the mouth reading 46994, 07517 el 6600. Then hike up the open creekbed to a fork at 47309, 06934 el 7250. Go right to the ridgetop reading 47327, 06688 el 7850. That part goes parabolic then it's easy up the ridge to the reg in a lovely pine forest reading 47563, 06628. The reg box is crumbling. The survey tower is still standing, but don't sit on it. I could make out my name which I had carved into the tower on my trip here in 1992. Back then I came up the steep west side gully and over the BM to the slightly higher peak a half mile north. On the way back in 2016 I found a battery from the plane in a draw at 46716, 08865 el 5950. 7 hours, nearly 3000 gain. It took me two hours to ride a cycle 35 miles in from pavement.  Bumpy as hell, but the last 20 miles is smoother. Posted 2016.
• THUNDER BENCHMARK el 7531 is in the northern section of the Sheep Range next to Desert Lake. The west canyon can be used to circle around to the north. Use the northern entrance south of Alamo on US 93 at mp LN 31.8. Drive a short way to the Pahranagat visitor center then take a right fork. Follow the main road for 2 dozen miles to sand dunes. The road is easy 4wd, not rocky. Drive south a on past the dunes for a short way and pick a spot to park a mile and a half from the starting canyon which is at N36, 59567, W115 09990 el 3800. I call that Thunder Canyon. Go on up the gravel bed to a low divide at N37 00459, W115 08469 el 4950. Go on across the divide into the next canyon which I call Dunes Canyon. Go up that and get on the left bank at N37 00966, W115 08133 el 5200. Stay on the left bank up the canyon to the 6300 level then cross the bed and gain a ridgetop at N37 01269, W115 07547 el 6500. Keep going up to some crags in the way at N37 01241, W115 07391 el 6900. Go right up the center of the ridge like you're going right over the top of the crags and soon a pathway is obvious that skirts along the right base of the crags. It's only a distance of about 400 feet or less to get around the crags and you're right back on center. The next crags start at N37 01072, W115 07447 el 7000. It's easy to drop down to the right and lose a 100 feet and go less than a fifth mile to a saddle el 6900 past the crags. Now it's mainly a stroll thru the woods to the BM. One more minor saddle is at N37 00557, W115 07494 el 7250 then the BM is at N37 00208, W115 07545. The tower blew over. It likely was flown up in 1969. 9 and a half hours with nearly 4800 gain. But the first 2000 feet doesn't count because it's easy gravel washes. Sheep use this route. ALTERNATE : hiking up Dunes Canyon and merging with the other route near the divide would work and has more interesting scenery. Posted 2016.
• LIGHTNING PEAK el 7674 is what I call the peak about 2 miles north of Lamb Spring. It's the highest peak in the northern 20 miles of the range, and hard to get at. The NW canyon, which I call Seep Canyon, is blocked at el 4600. But there is a class 2 sheep route around on the south rim. Hike 2 miles from the Alamo Rd to a wash at N37 58390, W115 09604 el 4000. Walk up that a short way then go left up to the rim at 58522, 09233 el 4400. Go directly up the rim but there's a big cliff in the way, which is peak 5055. A route is visible along the north base of the cliff. Go up that to get around the cliff then keep going up to a viewpoint at 58598, 08831 el 5400. Now a saddle el 5450 is in view less than a fifth mile away. Walk to it then angle down into Seep Canyon on sheep routes, losing 200 feet. Go up canyon to where it makes a hard right to the south at 58998, 07722 el 6250. Keep going south a quarter mile and stay right at a fork and  go up to a high saddle at 58713, 07455 el 7000. Now the peak is in view. Just circle over to it on the high ridge. The summit is at 58414, 07141. I saw no sign anyone had ever been there, but plenty of sheep have. 10 hours, about 5000 gain. If I did this again, I would set up a base camp near the seep in Seep Canyon and check out the canyons to the south, such as that huge box canyon. Posted 2016.
• SEEP CANYON is what I call the main long canyon SW of Thunder BM. It's blocked by a 100 foot fall with a seep at el 4600. Hike from the road along Desert Lake to some peculiar metal posts at N36 58786, W115 09883 el 4000. Now it's obvious to drop into the main wash and  keep going to the fall. The seep was dripping at one drop per second. A funnel and 10 feet of tubing would be needed to capture it. The flow had cut a groove into the rock, so it must run often. No sign of sheep here. I tried to get around on the south rim but crags stopped me. 3 hours, easy 1500 gain. Posted May 2016.



Sheep Range rock art

Mopah Range, Turtle Mountains

Mopah Peak and Mopah Spring

The Twins

• TURTLE MOUNTAIN el 4300 is the high point of the range of the same name. Take highway 62 to mp 117.7 and go north a short way to the north side of the canal. From there, take the leftmost fork (not the canal road) and go about 7 miles toward the peak to a fork with a sign for road #733. Go right and the road takes you south a short way to get across a big wash then resumes going north for 2 miles to a closure. Hike up the road for nearly 3 miles to where it starts to enter a canyon. I don't like road walking, especially ones that some people still drive. I got off the road here and went over to a flat at N34 14828, W114 47215. Then I walked a mile toward the peak until I hit the base of the mountain where I met the standard route again. Now just walk along the base to a saddle at 15486, 48904 el 2900. The ascent ridge is the next one north across the wash from the saddle. But it has a little crag, so it's better to walk along the wash a short way then go up. The route goes straight up the ridge to about el 3900 then you cut over to a saddle at 15593, 49590 el 4000 which is just south of the peak. 6 hours, 2700 gain. Posted 2015.
• TURTLE MOUNTAIN WEST APPROACH -  this route from near Johnsons Well makes for a shorter hike than the east route and doesn't require walking closed roads that others still drive.  Johnsons Well and Martins Well are accessed by BLM road #616. The road makes a big horseshoe from Sablon to Saltmarsh on the Cadiz Rd but is washed out at the pass between the two wells. The general route is on the 1:100,000 topo. There are two ways to get to Johnsons Well, each about 10 miles in from the RR. Take highway 62 to mp SBD 102.3 and turn on the graded Cadiz Rd. Go about 10 miles, almost to Saltmarsh, to road #616 reading N34 12738, W115 02532. All remaining coordinates are W114. Turn there on #616 and go under a trestle about 8 feet high and stay right in a wash on the north side of the trestle. The road will curve left and go on about 4 and a half miles to a 4-way at road #609 reading N34 14753, W114 58405. Go right on 609 and in a few feet is a gully which is the biggest  obstacle. Jeeps could get across that in 2018 then it's a fifth mile across a major wash. This is the roughest part of the road. Then turn left on faint tracks reading  14565,  58304. Follow the tracks and trend left to get back to the bank of that major wash.  Stay on the tracks near the right bank of the wash as it gets deeper  and narrower. The road becomes easier to see in a maze of old tracks from WW 2 training. Creosote are taking over the road but are not hard to get around, or just mow down. At  14800,  55933 is a tricky fork. Stay right and  the road goes .7 mile into another major wash. Go up that about .7 mile then exit left at  15286,  54812 and then it's a mile to a T. Left goes a few feet to dry Johnsons Well. A foundation, a swimming pool and some other junk are there. Plus some nails for your tires. Go right at the T for a mile and park along a wash el 2100. The other way in is the southern leg of road #616. I put a track on peakbagger for this in 2025. Drive the Cadiz Rd about 5 and a half miles in from 62 to trestle #150.4 at Sablon. This road is easy 4wd if you can get past the 8 foot high trestle. Floods have created a one foot high step under the trestle. There are ties around to build a ramp. Jeeps should make that. If you can get up that step, turn left along a dike for a quarter mile to road #616 reading 10205, 59164. It goes straight for several miles then bends right to 13474, 57640 then makes a left turn at 14438, 55467. It's easy to follow from there and passes a third mile east of the well and merges with the road described above. This road marks the wilderness boundary and shows up on the 1:100,000 topo. The 7.5 topo only shows the roads near the well. From the parking spot, walk up the wash for a half mile to a rocky side canyon on the right at  16396,  52846 el 2200. Go straight up that for .3 air mile and get on the left bank then the right bank and on thru the main saddle el 2450 then down the other side. Get on a left bank at 16027, 52389 and on down it to a wide valley. Walk the flats around the right side of low hills and get to a wash at  15705,  51645. Go up that and it circles right to a saddle at 15453, 51114 el 2600. Go thru the saddle and stay level and left and then soon drop 100 feet to the canyon floor. Go up canyon and it helps to use the right bank at 15543, 50547. Exit at a fork on the right at  15671, 50320 el 2900. Walk up the left bank then up a ridge at 15610, 50205. Keep right of crags and level off at the 1070 meter line and head for a ridge at 15530, 49984. Go up and cross the last saddle. The reg is at 15670,  49654. On the return I retraced to the 1070 line then down thru a saddle at 15170, 50407 and then circled on smooth ground to 15172, 50607 and then down to the floor. The hike took 6 and a half hours with about 2700 gain. There was no sign of humanity whatsoever until the summit. Road #616 goes on north and in about a mile or so is an old truck. A right fork there goes a mile to an elaborate, decaying cabin, more like a house. It's a dot on the topo. Behind the cabin, an overgrown road goes up and joins another road that goes to mines el 3050. A hiker could go on up the ridge over high peaks to Tortoise BM then back down the south canyon.  Posted 2018. TORTOISE BENCHMARK el 3598 is a mile east of Martins Well. Just take road #616 NE from Saltmarsh to a road at N34 17213, W114 54848. Go a fifth mile up that to a fork. Left is the unused road to Martins Well. It's in an easy wash for the first mile and a quarter, then washouts start. But stay right at the fork for nearly a mile to a cabin el 2350 at the seep shown on the topo. And of course, it's surrounded by nails. It's all easy 4wd for a dozen miles from the trestle to the cabin. From the cabin, walk the low road up the canyon to a mine then keep going up a slope to the rim at 18172, 54392 el 2750. Drop over into the next canyon but stay high and gradually angle down to the creekbed el 2650. Then go up the creekbed and get on the high ground at 18422, 54242 el 2750. It's easy to see how to go on up to the BM at 18822, 53977. Macleod and Lilley placed the reg in 1988, but only John VItz had been up in 2001. Peak 3885 is the next one on the ridge. The reg on it at 19007, 53514 was placed by M&L on the following day in 1988 but no one else had signed in. The next peak on the ridge is higher and likely they went there too, but I skipped that one.  I wanted to make a loop back by way of Martins Well. From peak 3885, it's easy to see how to walk down the NW ridge then go down the wash toward the well. Get on the left bank at 19223, 54213 el 2650 and stay on it for half an air mile then it seems to end, but cut thru an obvious low saddle el 2350 to remain on easy ground for longer then drop to the main wash. Go on down a little past the well then take a main fork that goes upstream to the well. The well is at 18670, 55089 el 2100 and drops 6 feet to dry sand. A trail goes up the point from the well for a tenth mile and joins a road. Walk the road to 18354, 55185 el 2450 and go left up along a gully. Soon you're on a smooth ridge. When crags get in the way, use a faint trail on the right side. Go up to a faint mine trail at 18237, 54905 el 2700 and follow it down the main ridge past some diggings then down to a road in the basin above the cabin. Use the road on the west side of the basin to get back to the cabin. The loop took me 4 hours, 20 minutes with about 2600 gain. Just going to the BM and back would be 2 hours. Or a shorter loop by skipping peak 3885 might take 3 and a half hours. Posted 2018. 
• TERRAPIN BENCHMARK el 3339 has a good mine trail up it, but it's a long ways in there. A 16 mile loop can be done from Horn Spring on easy terrain. Take highway 62 to mp 117.7 and go north a short way to the north side of the canal. From there, take the leftmost fork (not the canal road) and go about 7 miles to a left fork with a cable across it reading N34 11355, W114 45131 el 1450. Walk the closed road to Horn Spring and then on to the Virginia May Mine, or better yet, use a mine trail on the right bank at the spring reading 12505, 47376 el 2050 and walk that to where it crosses to the left bank at 12586, 47756 el 2150 then up to 12526, 47842 el 2300 then it goes up and meets the road at el 2400. It's best to walk the road from there to the mine then keep going west up the ridge on a trail that goes to the divide. It fades out near a tunnel at 12888, 48752 el 2750 and then it's easy to drop to the wash and go down to the Terrapin trail. A narrows along the way has a couple of minor drops or you can bypass on an old road. The trail is at 12543, 49720 el 2350 near a dry well. It goes up and ends at a boring mine el 3100. Then go up the ridge above the mine to a saddle el 3150 before a rough peak. A trail goes level to the right out of the saddle to get past the peak then the reg is on the next peak. Placed by M&L in 1980, no one had signed in. Return to the wash and stroll on down for an hour to the flats then get on the left bank at 10534, 47844 el 1750. Walk that until it ends then move right to the next high ground and walk that a short way then cut across the wash to an exit at 10452, 47105 el 1650. Walk east from there thru a sandy gap then bend left to a saddle at 10737, 46009 el 1650. It's another mile across pristine pavement back to the start. That took me 8 hours with about 2000 of noticeable gain. Skipping the side trip to the peak would be about 14 miles for 6 and a half hours with 1000 of noticeable gain. That's how I'll do it next time. You only have to do the whole thing once to prove you're a real man. Great hike. Sheep tracks were on the divide. Posted 2018. In 2020, I shortcutted off the mine trail down a ridge at 12596, 48709 el 2950. I went down it nearly a tenth mile then cut left to the next ridge and on down the main wash. Then I skipped the BM and that version of the hike took 6 and a half hours. Updated 2022.
• TERRAPIN BENCHMARK INDIAN TRAIL - a trail runs from Rice to Horn Spring passing by the peak with the option to take the mine trail to the summit. I hiked it one way. Get on the canal road at the east end of Rice and go west to the second canal gap. Then go NW on a dike that leads to a road going past point 313 and on NW to N34 07190, W114 52080. Turn right on a faint road there for a short way to the end then walk to the trail at 07904, 51488 then 08101, 51518  then 08760, 51317 then 09048, 51272 then 09181, 51197 at a wash. Go on to 09357, 51127 and that leads to a canyon mouth. Get on the right bank at 09692, 50848 with no trail. How'd they miss it? It's bizarre. Keep going till the bank fizzles then to a gully at 10322, 50188 and the left bank of it shortcuts a bend in the canyon. On up at the head of the canyon is a minor point at 11102, 49477 where the trail shows up again. It goes up into the main saddle along the left slope. Then it splits. One trail stays high but the main one angles down to the main wash and it's best. Here the Indians took the fork on the far side of the wash but that looks tough on the sat image and would only save half a mile, maybe. I'll check it later.  I stayed in the main wash, past the mine trail to the peak, then got on the left bank at 12610, 49520 to get past a tedious narrows. Then I got back in the wash and it circles right to the trail at 12937, 48599. It goes to a saddle on the divide then down to the left and to 12805, 48383 then at 12758, 48291 it levels off to the left then around to the next ridge and down that. It makes a left at 12594, 48120 and drops to the wash but soon runs on the left bank then drops to the wash at 12589, 47826. It goes 300 feet down that then back on the left bank and on to the spring. A road there leads out where I had my cycle parked at the wilderness boundary. That took 6 and a half hours and about 13.5 miles. There is only about 400 noticeable gain. It took me 3 hours and 15 minutes to get to the mine trail for the peak. So hiking up that to the summit and back out the same way would be 8 or 9 hours. All roads easy 4wd and the one in from Rice is ebikeable. The next day I rode my bike out on the dike that is closest to the 4wd parking spot and walked out to retrieve the cycle I rode in on. I put a track on peakbagger under the peak. Posted 2025
• VIRGINIA MAY MINE PEAK el 924 meters is east of the mine of the same name. I followed an Indian route that runs up canyon south of the mine and thru the saddle east of the mine. Then I walked the ridge back over May BM. Take highway 62 to mp 117.7 and go north about 7 miles on easy 4wd to a rocky hill. Then walk to an Indian trail at N34 11103, W114 46433 and walk it over a saddle then to 10906, 47056 where a short trail goes up on high ground between two washes. Walk along the the left wash and it goes to the mouth of a canyon where another segment of the trail enters. The Indians walked the wash and I saw a trail on the right bank at 11408, 47485 but it doesn't help much. Shortly beyond there I saw damp sand and tamarisk. On up canyon it does help to use the right bank at 11773, 47885 and then at 12159, 48069 the trail is obvious on the left bank. It helps to use the right bank for the 700 feet leading to that and I could see a very faint trail along there. The trail goes on to the saddle at the mine then a mine trail goes right and passes under the peak to mines at a minor saddle. Go straight up from there to the south ridge of the peak. I dropped my pack there and went to the summit. The reg was placed in 1992 by M&L and they came up with the name. From there to May BM there is one major peak in the way. A wide gully is in view left of center and it goes to a notch at 11812, 47421 that allows passage to the right side and over the summit and then go left around the last bump before the BM. I descended a drainage to the NE at  11653, 47139 and could walk the banks most of the way down. On the flats I went to 11760, 46274 then 11572, 46038 and back to the start. 6 and a half hours, 9 miles with 2000 gain. More than half the gain is easy washes. I put a track on peakbagger. Posted 2025
• HORN SPRING INDIAN TRAIL - the Indians walked from the river to Mopah Spring and on to Horn Spring. Much of that trail still exists inside the Turtle Mountains Wilderness. One way to hike part of it starts at the standard Turtle Mtn TH.  Take highway 62 to mp 117.7 and go north a short way to the canal. From there, take the leftmost fork and go about 7 miles toward the peak to a fork with a sign for road #733. Go right and the road takes you south a short way to get across a big wash then resumes going north for 2 miles to a closure. Hike a mile west across the flats and pick up the trail at N34 13335, W114 45943 el 1800. Go left on the trail. It's easy to follow on desert pavement but sketchy crossing washes. I lost it but found it again at 12441, 46261 where it drops into a wash. It goes upstream a few feet then resumes on the left bank and is easy to see again. Soon another trail merges in and shortly after that you'll come to the mine road. Walk that for 2/3 mile to the Van Horn well at 12493, 47315 el 2000. It is next to the now dry spring and dated 1951. Water is about 10 feet down. It's useless for wildlife, but backpackers could drop a bucket down. Foundations and a 1940s car are nearby. The road goes on another mile to the Virginia May Mine el 2650. Many routine mines and trails are in this area. One trail goes down the canyon to the south. On the return to Horn Spring, it's more pleasant to walk a mine trail. Go back down the road to a viewpoint at 12536, 47802 el 2300. Look down at the trail. It's easy to go down to it and walk back along the creekbed. From the well, walk down the wash for a quarter mile to a minor fall. A small puddle was here that day, but  that would be a huge pool after rains. Go on another couple hundred feet and the Indian trail exits up onto the left bank and soon meets the road. I went back to the fork in the Indian trail and went right. But that soon faded so I just went straight back to the start. The Indians had to walk 22 air miles to the river using that fork. The hike took me 4 and a half hours. The only noticeable gain was the 650 to the mines at the end of the road. Just going to the well and back would be 3 hours. Posted March 2016.  CASTLE ROCK - the same Indian trail can be used to make a loop around Castle Rock. Walk the closed road to the trail at N34 13887, W114 45937. It gets sketchy, get on it again at 14145, 45863. Next, it climbs out of a major wash at 14371, 45878 then goes on to 14906, 45958 then thru a saddle at 15380, 46022. It fades again until 15592, 46035 then 15866, 46072 where it disappears in washes. At that point, it's easy to circle Castle Rock in washes and head back. I came back to the trail at 14477, 45896 and that soon took me to the major wash. I should have gone down that wash but stayed on the trail to the road. That easy loop took nearly 5 hours. Everything looks almost the same as the Indians saw it. Posted Dec, 2016.
• ARICA MOUNTAINS is a tiny, jagged range at the north end of the Palen / McCoy Wilderness. The high point is a twin peak. Take higway 62 to mp SBD 107.2 at Rice. Turn south on the graded but sandy Blythe / Rice Rd. Go 3.7 miles then veer right on road #1366. Stay on the main road right up into the pass in the range. The last mile has some tricky spots but no problem for jeeps. Start hiking at the pass on a mine road reading N34 01170, W114 55830 el 1500. Follow it around the base of the peak. It shrinks to a trail and goes to the west ridge at 01442, 56171 el 1700. Now just go up the ridge to the reg on the south summit at 01474, 55990 el 2100+. Hikers with levels say the north summit is 3 feet higher, but I could see no safe way up it from any side. It's also omitted from topo maps, therefore it's a mirage so just ignore it. 1 hour, 700 gain. A lot of mine stuff is in the area. It's worth camping here to poke around. Posted 2016.
• NEGRO PEAK el 2532 is at the south end of the Mopah Range. Take US 95 to mp 15.5 and turn on BLM road #738. Go 2 and a half miles on a crude road and park at the wilderness boundary. It's mtn bikeable and some 2wds might get there. I took a 30 foot RV in for a third mile. Hike a mile across the flats straight toward the peak and an obvious gully route appears on the left of the peak cutting thru cliffs. Go up to the south saddle el 2020 then it's easy to the reg at N34 14786, W114 42311.  For a loop back, retrace back down the gully to the base of bright cliffs on the right and walk a sheep trail around to the rim of the canyon and on thru a saddle at 14385, 41797 el 1600. Then it's just a matter of walking a pretty wash for about a mile to the road on the left bank. That wash is the best part. 3 hours, 1200 gain. Posted 2015, 2023.
• PEAK 3072, 3025 - these two peaks are just a stroll apart on the same ridge. Climb one, get one free. A class 3 sheep route goes up the NE ridge of peak 3025.  Take US 95 to mp 15.7 and turn on BLM road #665. Stay on the high ground for 3 miles to a left fork reading N34 16183, W114 40962. Turn there and go a mile and a third on easy 4wd to the end at a sharp wash el 1480. Hike up the wash for nearly half an air mile to a main fork. Take the left fork and use the right bank to a tricky fork at 16112, 42788 el 1700. The right fork works best to get to the main saddle el 1920 at the head of the canyon. Then walk across a valley to one of the peak's east canyons and go up to the first class 3 spot at 16129, 43704 el 2300. There is another class 3 spot just above then comes a minor saddle and there is only one way to go. Just keep going up the rim past a couple more class 3 spots then there are sheep trails circling around the west side of peak 3025 and on to peak 3072 at 16167, 44065. Don't forget to retrace back on the ridge and claim your free peak 3025. Then retrace back to the first class 3 spots el 2300 but there is an obvious option to skip those by dropping to the main canyon on a sheep trail. Then walk to a rim at 16441, 43240 el 2050 and drop down to a divide and walk that to a break at 16582, 42938 el 1800 to get into the starting canyon. 5 hours, nearly 2000 noticeable gain. There was no sign of humanity but sheep were once thick on these peaks. Drought may have forced a retreat. Posted 2020.
• The TWINS are 2 crags about 2 miles north of Negro Peak. Take US 95 to mp 15.7 and turn on BLM road #665. Stay on the high ground for 3 miles to a left fork reading N34 16183, W114 40962. Turn there and go a mile and a third on 4wd to the end at a sharp wash reading 16177, 41987. Hike up the wash and soon it turns toward the crags. I went up the main left fork (where I saw a little red-spotted toad in a tiny pothole) to get in the valley behind the crags. I took a detour up onto the bedrock ridge connecting the crags. I resumed going up the valley to the saddle at the north end where I saw a crag I could climb, peak 2688. But a big ditch was in the way. I went down from the saddle a short way to the first little drop then took a sheep trail up to a bright ridge at 16735, 43841. I followed the trail over that and on to the main saddle next to the crag. The route up was obvious. The top is at 17189, 43807. I  came back to the main saddle then south down the canyon. When I got to open country I went south to a saddle with a break at 16582, 42938 to get me down to the wash I started in. It took me 6 hours but you can make shorter loops. The terrain is easy to navigate. Posted 2015.
• PYRAMID BUTTE is on the east side of US 95. Use BLM road #642 at mp 20.9. It's a decent road. A rougher road goes in at mp 21.9.
• KETTLE BENCHMARK el 3460 is a plateau south of Mopah Peak. A route is up the NE ridge. Take US 95 to mp 21.9 and then turn on BLM road #634.  Go about 4 miles on that crude road and park at a camp area next to a wash. Mtn bikes and some 2wds can get there. Walk along the wash and get on the right bank at N34 19602, W114 43582. Soon it turns SE for over half a mile to where it turns SW. Get on the left bank there at 19023, 43344 and walk that until it fizzles and then go up again between forks at 18248, 44188. Walk a tenth mile then move to the left bank and it's a pleasant walk to the base of the mountain. The route up is obvious. I started up the NE ridge at 17536, 44817 el 2200 and stayed left of a line of little crags and soon picked up a sheep route.  When the ridge hits the high cliffs, the sheep route splinters. It's obvious again at 17162, 44938 where it crosses a nasty talus field. Stay on it for another 250 feet and from there on you have the option of going up to another route at the cliff base. The break in the cliffs is 300 feet before the Kettle BM. A sheep trail goes hard right at 16965, 44843 and switches up. I didn't see a reg. 6 hours for the whole hike, 1500 gain from the valley floor. The valley gets rocky which is why there was never a jeep road in it. Posted 2015, 2025.
• UMPAH PEAK el 3553 is the high point of the Mopah Range. The east valley offers a long, easy route to the base. Take US 95 to mp 21.9 and then turn on BLM road #634. Go about 4 miles on that crude road and park at a camp area next to a wash. Mtn bikes and some 2wds can get there. Walk along the wash and get on the right bank at N34 19602, W114 43582. Soon it turns SE for over half a mile to where it turns SW. Get on the left bank there at 19023, 43344 and walk that until it fizzles. Get on the left bank again at 18247, 44246 and go another half mile to where the wash makes a hard right. Get in the wash and go up it and you can stay in it or cut a corner on the right bank at 18046, 44916. You have to get out on the left up a point at 18136, 45110. Follow a low ridge to a viewpoint at 18196, 45458. You can look up and see the NE gully spiraling up the peak. The plan is to go to the obvious major saddle el 2600 north of the peak and come back to the gully. From the viewpoint, drop down to a wash on the right and walk the left bank. When you hit gullies, get on the right side and go up into the saddle. Then walk a sheep trail to a break at 17941, 45826. Go up there to the base of  the tall cliffs and walk the trail on into the NE gully. Now it goes parabolic. Where it tops out, drop down the other side a  few feet then walk level a few feet and then zigzag up thru some class 3 rock. After that it's easy to the south side of the summit where there is more than one route for the final push. Go to 17813, 45882 and look up at an overhanging rock. The easiest route goes up a wide class 3 crack toward that rock. 7 hours for the whole hike, 1700 gain from the wash. There is nothing harder than class 3. I never had to come down backwards on anything.  Posted 2015. In 2019, I found a good pothole at 18703, 44941 el 2000 in a minor canyon that backpackers could use to set up a basecamp near the Mopah Peaks. That pothole won't dry up for weeks and sheep haven't been around in years. That little canyon flows shortly into a main wash where there are some smaller potholes.
• .MOPAH PEAKS VALLEY LOOPS - easy loops can be done on the low ground near the peaks. I followed the Umpah Peak hike as far as N34 18526, W114 44061 el 1800 where I turned up a side canyon and walked toward Mopah. I saw a little canyon with a dry fall, so I went up that and hit light brush then a major pothole at 18703, 44941 el 2000. I kept going up the ridge to a peak with survey junk at 19101, 45268 el 2650. Then I walked east 300 feet and dropped off the rim but should have stayed on the rim a little farther to find a more solid route down. And I did just that in 2021. I walked east from the summit for .14 mile then down a gully at 19044, 45138 el 2600. I had more solid footing down to a gap in a cliff at 19117, 45030 el 2200. There I could either walk the cliff base into Mopah Spring canyon or go east into a another canyon or stay on the ridge for more little peaks.  That took 4 and a half hours with 800 noticeable gain, but the peak could be skipped and instead return in the Mopah Spring canyon. Posted March, 2019, 2021
• MOPAH PEAK el 3530 has a route up the east gully with some narrow ledges and a short class 4 spot. Turn off US 95 at mp 21.9 and follow BLM road #634 to the closure in a bit over 4 miles. 2wd trucks might make all but the last half mile. Most hike the old road, but I like the Indian trail and it's more direct anyway. Head across the flats to the trail at N34 19953, W114 43928. Soon it meets an airstrip then resumes at the far end. It goes along the bench then drops into the wash. A fifth mile up the wash is where it gets easy to walk the left bank. It resumes on the right at 19470, 44740 and goes a fifth mile then crosses to the left side. It goes along the base of the slope for over a third mile then back into the wash. Go on up the wash to a fork at 19240, 45580 el 2000. If you just want to go to Mopah Spring, stay in the main wash another 3/4 air mile and a trail on the right bank is obvious. It goes to the spring in a quarter mile. For the peak, go left at the fork. In less than half a mile, start gradually climbing the base of the peak to a viewpoint at 18584, 45628 el 2300. Here you can see up the east gully. Go up it until blocked by cliffs then angle up to the right and merge with another route. The route starts to curve up to the right on a wide shelf then comes the first headache, a tricky class 3 climb with exposure. Hand holds are very good. Above that the next thing is a narrow chute. But don't go too far up it. Just go a short way to a narrow ledge on the right and follow that around to the hardest part which is a class 4 wall about 8 or 9 feet high, but a fall from there would be 20 feet. In 2015 a handline was in place. That's the last obstacle and it's at about the 3300 level. If the handline is gone, it will take a fearless climber to go up it. Take 30 feet of handline.  Lynne Foster's book says a Chemehuevi Indian  first climbed this in the 1870s.  The spring had a small, clear puddle. No running water. Posted 2015.
• MOPAH SPRING LONG LOOP - a long but easy loop goes on from the spring over into Vidal Valley then back in the next valley to the south.  Turn off US 95 at mp 21.9 and follow BLM road #634 to the closure in a bit over 4 miles. 2wd trucks might make all but the last half mile, cars could go a mile or more and mtn bikes could do it all.  Head across the flats to the trail at N34  19953,  W114 43928. Soon it meets an airstrip then resumes at the far end. It goes along the bench then drops into the wash. A fifth mile up the wash is where it gets easy to walk the left bank.  It resumes on the right at 19470, 44740 and goes a fifth mile then crosses to the left side. It goes along the base of the slope for over a third mile then back into the wash at a fork. Past the fork, the trailless left bank can be walked for a fifth mile then it's back to the wash for a tenth mile then the trailless left bank can be walked for nearly half a mile. Stay left of a hill on that. It's hard to judge if these trailless banks save any time, but they are firmer. Go on up the wash to 18981, 46314 where the trail goes up the right bank.  It goes to the spring in a quarter mile. The trail goes on from the spring on the right bank to the main saddle then splits. Take the faint one on the left that goes down on the right side of a drainage. At 18500, 47165 it bends away to the left and hits a mega wash. Stroll down that to 17760, 46568 and turn up a side canyon that leads to the north saddle of Umpah. Drop down a sheep route at 18095, 45967 that leads to the left bank of a main wash then when that ends get on the right bank then it bends right. Be back on the right bank again at 18034, 44632 and when that fizzles the left bank works until a fork cuts thru. Go back to the right bank there then on to a hard left and get on the left bank there at 19103, 43306. When that fizzles get in the wash then at .4 mile from the start, leave the wash and head straight back. That took 5 and a half hours with 500 noticeable gain but not strenuous. The app has it at a dozen miles. Posted 2022.
• GARY PEAK el 3400+ is what I call the peak on the north side of Mopah Spring canyon.  A long loop or shorter one can be done from the spring over the top then down to Gary Wash. Drive to the standard Mopah Spring TH. Head across the flats to an Indian trail at N34 19953, W114 43928. Soon it meets an airstrip then resumes at the far end. It goes along the bench then drops into the wash. A fifth mile up the wash is where it gets easy to walk the left bank.  The trail resumes on the right at 19470, 44740 and goes a fifth mile then crosses to the left side. It goes along the base of the slope for over a third mile then back into the wash at a fork. Past the fork, the trailless left bank can be walked for a fifth mile then it's back to the wash for a tenth mile then the trailless left bank can be walked for nearly half a mile. Stay left of a hill on that. It's hard to judge if these trailless banks save any time, but they are firmer. The trail that goes the last quarter mile to the spring climbs out on the right and is obvious. Just before the spring, I got on high ground at 18906, 46515 el 2200 and walked the left bank of a canyon that leads to a ridge then up that to a main sheep trail. It goes on up the ridge then it angles up to the right and goes between two spires reading 19070, 46789 el 2600. It levels off there and goes along a cliff base losing nearly 100 feet then shortly starts up a slope to get on the ridgetop. The remaining route to the summit is obvious from there. I went up the final ridge thru a class 3 break left of center, but it's easier to swing wide left. The SW summit is at 19847, 46664. It took 3 hours to get there. There are two loop options. The short version is to walk along the top to a sheep trail at 20091, 46378 el 3300. You can look over the rim there to the east and see the routes. The trail goes north down the main ridge to 20254, 46312 el 2950 at the base of peak 949. I went straight down a ridge there to 20263, 46225 where I dropped left into a drainage. The left bank soon is easy then at 20279, 45982 el 2350 I cut left to the rim for a stretch. At Gary Wash, I walked the right bank at 20634, 44699 all the way back to the start. That loop takes 5 hours, 40 minutes. For the longer loop, keep going north on the easy summit ridge, staying on the easiest ground right of center. Aim for the shallow saddle at 20147, 47266 el 3200. Keep going north another mile to the end of the high ridge el 3200. A small flat is visible below. I went right down the ridge center then across the flat and on down to a viewpoint at 21197, 47946 el 2800. I could see a small smooth spot directly down the slope. I went down to that and kept going down the easy ridge to Gary Wash. That turned out to be a good route down. It's nearly 2 hours down the wash to the faint  road. 7 hours for the long loop, 1300 gain from the spring to the summit. Posted 2015. Revised 2017.  THIRD VERSION - another loop can be done by walking west from the summit on the high ridge then drop down at 19578, 47629 el 3100 and drift to the right to follow smoother ground down a ridge to the wash. Go down the wash to a trail at 18685, 47497 el 2350 then follow it to the pass and on down to the spring. Posted 2019, 2022.
• BOLSON PEAK el 4231 is a major peak about 5 miles NW of Mopah Spring. The AAA map is the only one I've seen it on. It's an 11 hour hike because it's nearly 20 miles in and out. I spread that over 2 days. I went 5 miles up Gary Wash in the moonlight and set up base camp. Next day, I walked to a canyon at N34 20613, W114 50096 and stayed in the main wash up along the east side of the peak. At 19787, 51056 el 3250 I came upon a minor fall with a tiny flow. A tenth mile after that was a smaller fall with a good flow. This water was from a major storm a week earlier. A few feet after the water I took the right fork and went up along the right slope of that to get on the south ridge of the peak at el 3750. Then I went up the ridge to el 4100 and went around a corner where a route goes up the NE side of the summit block. The peak is at 19926, 51633 and had some cairns and a battery. On the descent I went back down to the corner el 4100 and directly down the ridge from there. Only the last 300 feet of the route is steep. Posted March 2017.
• WILDFLOWER PEAK el 3400 is what I call the first major peak north of Gary Wash. A dramatic class 2 loop can be done thru the cliffs. Take US 95 to mp 24.7 and turn on BLM road #495. It's reasonable 4wd for the first 3 miles then rubbly segments slow things down. At 5 and a half miles in is the first washout at cabin ruins. From there, the road can be seen going NW up a canyon. Walk across the washout and take a right fork then go on up the canyon. The road will fade in the wash, so just stay in the wash for half a mile or so then the road emerges and goes to a mine in a left fork. The plan is to go up that fork, but not in the rough creekbed. Climb up to the right rim next to the mine at N34 22988, W114 46557 el 2000. Then go up to a sheep route on the left slope at 22824, 46705 el 2300 where you can see how to zigzag around falls to get to a saddle at 22769, 46815 el 2550. Go thru the saddle on a shelf to a corner where you can see the rest and pick your route. A canyon is in the way and must be crossed. I went down 100 feet and crossed at 22687, 46906 el 2500 then up a sheep trail on the other side at 22644, 46850 el 2550. Shortly after that I turned directly up to get on the east ridge then on up to a big crag el 3000. A sheep route goes up to the right along the base of that then it's every man for himself to the summit cairn at 22510, 47177. The last 400 feet goes parabolic but no backsliding. For the descent, go back down the east ridge to el 2800 where you could drop into the SE canyon. But if you want some more drama, stay on the ridge and go left around a peak to a gully at 22475, 46564 el 2600. Go down that then it's obvious how to move to the right for a way down. I went down a natural pathway at 22424, 46501 el 2400. 5 hours, 1600 noticeable gain. The best flower hotspot was next to the road an air mile from the cabin at 22690, 45759 el 1800. A water barrel is near there at 22611, 45695. Someone rode a mtn bike in, apparently just to look at the flowers. Posted mid March 2017. Flowers were there in 2019.
• CARSONS BENCHMARK el 3700+  is the high peak in a craggy area at the north end of the Turtle Mtns. The Coffin Spring trail provides a route part way to the SW saddle. Take US 95 to Turtle Mtn Road at mp 35.7. Go west on that easy 4wd road for  about 11 miles in a straight line then BLM road #477 forks to the left. Take that for about a mile to road #480. If you stay right you'll come to the Lost Arch Mine camp area in nearly 2 miles. But for the peak you want  to go left on #480.  The Coffin  Spring TH is at a closed fork reading N34 25474, W114 48931 el 1900. But you can keep going on the legal road another 800 feet and park. Hike up the closed fork. It will soon enter a major wash and vanish. Keep going up the wash to a fork at 23853, 49060 el 2300. The road resumes up the bench between the forks and goes to a metal tank. Trails go from there to the spring at 23711, 48755 el 2500. For the BM, stay on the bench until it fades then keep going up the canyon to the saddle reading 23242, 48759 el 3200. Now just go NE up the easy ridge on sheep trails to the BM at 23380, 48472. The reg was in pieces so I placed the pages under a rock on the BM. I could look down and see an inviting plateau to loop back on. I went back to the saddle then down scree a short way then took a faint trail over to the plateau. At the far side reading 23366, 49132 el 3000 is where I started down a canyon using a trail on the left bank. The trail went along the slope and made the going easy. At 23441, 49234 is where I went down to the canyon bottom and walked on down to the spring trail. 5 hours for the whole hike, 1500 gain from the main wash. The spring had about 6 ounces. You'll be needing a coffin if you're counting on that. The road runs on past the Coffin Spring TH for 3 and a half miles along the wilderness boundary to another meager spring at 23723, 46804. I saw 3 pairs of toads there trying to make tadpoles. The last 2 miles follows along an Indian trail. It comes over from the Coffin Spring route. That road makes for the most scenic mtn bike ride for hundreds of miles around. Posted 2015, 2019. 
• CARSONS BENCHMARK VERSION 2 - a  loop can be done by going up the scenic canyon east of Coffin Spring, which I call Water Canyon, then over the peak and down by way of the spring. Start out at the same TH as version 1 above but cut thru a saddle at 24585, 48573 to get into Water Canyon then stroll up and get on the right bank at 23988, 48257 el 2350. Go on up a fifth mile to a cave with a spring and water dripping from the ceiling. The flow was like a kitchen tap. It's easy to stay on the right bank past the cave to more flowing water on stretches of bedrock with big potholes. Go up canyon and exit left on a sheep trail at 23528, 48217 el 3200 that goes a tenth mile to the 1016 meter saddle el 3333. Follow the trail around the left side of a crag to the next saddle then a bowl has to be crossed. I started across it at 23463, 48337 el 3550 and followed sheep trails to the last saddle at 23422, 48427 el 3600 which is 350 feet before the summit. That last 350 feet is class 2. Now it's easy to descend the SW ridge to the main saddle el 3200 and it's obvious how to walk the rest back to the start.  I returned on the plateau route as in version 1.  5 hours for the whole hike, 1500 gain from the main wash. It would be a 3 hour hike to the cave and back and not much steep. The cave is at 23845, 48260 el 2600. Water Canyon is the most gorgeous canyon and had by far the most water I've seen in the range, but no sheep tracks. It rained a week earlier. Los Angeles will find out and build an aqueduct. Posted March, 2019.
• MOHAWK SPRING has some mine relics in the vicinity. Take US 95 to Turtle Mtn Road at mp 35.7. Go west on that easy 4wd road for  about 11 miles in a straight line then BLM road #477 forks to the left. Take #477 and keep going SW nearly 3 miles to Lost Arch Mine camp area. There is one shaded table and grill, no outhouse. The trail to the spring is 250 feet west of the table. It goes up along the right slope of a wash. It takes half an hour to get to the spring with 300 gain. Only a mesquite tree and some diggings are there. A trail coming in from the other side is bound to be an Indian trail. It goes west a mile into a valley. Maybe it connects to Coffin or Mopah springs. I couldn't find a trail going east to the river. Shortly past the spring I could see a lot of climbable crags, including the big one towering over the camp area. The spring is at N34 25923, W114 50801. Posted 2015. I posted more info about the Indian trails on the 2019 page.

Wildflower Peak, top center.

This little toad is the guardian of the range. You have to get permission from him if you want to hike there. But it's easy to sneak past him because he snoozes a lot.

Near Martins Well

Martins Well

Water Canyon had more water than the rest of the range combined.

Whipple Mountains

Monument Peak

Copper Peak

RV camp areas start at mp 138 on highway 62 and more are to the west. Shea Rd has RV camp areas. Parker has a Walmart and dollar stores. Posted 2019.

MONUMENT PEAK NORTH SUMMIT el 2768 is the best peak hike in the range. There is a route up the SW side. From Earp, go east up the river road about 7 miles to mp 6.84 at a self storage business. Turn there into a paved lot and go to the far end to drop into Bowman's Wash and go a bit over 6 miles up the main wash to a side wash on the right reading N34 16215, W114 16385. Drive up the side wash a quarter mile to a camp area at a boulder jam. The road to here is easy 4wd but wavy. Take a trail on the right bank to get past the boulders then start up a ridge at 16484, 16198 el 1300. Go up to 16578, 15934 el 1700 where you can get on top of the lower cliff band. Walk along the shelf above the cliffs and it gradually climbs to take you to a notch at 16666, 15875 el 1900. Go thru and you're on the main ridgetop. Go up that to a view point at the base of the final cliff band reading 16768, 15767 el 2200 where you stop climbing for now. Here you can see most of the remaining route. Drop a little and follow a sheep route on the obvious wide shelf. Right before the shelf tops out, an obvious easy slope appears on the right and it's a fifth mile to the summit reg at 17086, 15710. The last tenth mile is defended by a cholla field. I went high left, but should have gone around the right side of it. The reg had not been signed in 6 years. A 17 year gap preceded that. 4 hours, about 2000 gain, nothing scary. A sheep was looking down on me as I took a break on the shelf. If I drove a 4wd in here I'd camp out and do Copper Peak the next day. Posted 2015.

COPPER PEAK el 3012 is what I call the peak on the west side of Copper Basin. It's the highest for miles. A loop can be done using washed out mine roads west of the peak. Drive the same as Monument Peak but keep going up Bowman's Wash another mile and park near the mine road which reads N34 16908, W114 17024 el 1350. Walk the road NW up a canyon to a fork in the road at a major saddle el 2000. The mine up to the left still had rails. Take the right fork to a faint trail at 18167, 18240 el 2000. Follow the trail as it runs along a wash and up into the major saddle el 2100 which is west of the peak. An obvious route up can be seen. A trail goes up from the saddle but soon fades. Keep going up to the high cliff band then turn right toward a fat spire. Walk along the shelf even with the top of the spire then on to the reg at 18100, 17137. I came down a route below the spire but had a long class 3 slab to deal with. Return to the saddle then go left on a trail. It drops down a canyon to some potholes then resumes on the left bank. Eventually the trail strays too far left. Cross over a low rim at 17463, 17083 el 1550 to get back to the main wash. Walk a trail on the bank and soon it morphs into a road that takes you back. 5 hours, 2000 gain. There is no public road out thru Copper Basin. Posted 2015.

ZAGER AND EVANS PEAK el 2525 is what I call the peak 2 miles west of Monument Peak. Peak 2710 is the next peak north. Both peaks have mine roads and trails for a loop. Start at the same TH as Copper Peak and walk that hike for a mile then get on a mine trail to the left of the road reading N34 17238, W114 17882 el 1800. Walk that up to a saddle el 2000 then just keep going up the class 2 ridge staying right of center to the summit of Z & E peak reading 16891, 17745. From there you can see the roads and trail on Peak 2710. Descend back to the road and walk NW up that, staying left at forks, to the main saddle el 2000. Now you can see the road above you need to walk. Take it to where it tops out and then it's a short side trip to the summit of peak 2710. Resume walking the road to its end at a mine where a hand winch was left behind. It's easy to walk down a ridge to the lower mines then get on the trail back down. 4 hours, 2000 gain. Posted 2016.

SAGUARO PEAK el 3357 is what I call peak 3357 in the central part of the range. A good loop can be done using the south canyon. From Earp, go west a mile and a half on highway 62 to mp 140.5. Turn north on a graded road for 4 and a half miles to the graded aqueduct road. Go right for a fifth mile to a main fork. Stay left for a mile and a half to BLM road #800. The reading here is N34 13174, W114 19753. Turn north on easy 4wd for 2/3 mile to a fork. Take the right fork and go up the wash a mile and a half to a main fork in the canyon. Park here if you're doing the loop, keep driving as far as you can up the left fork if you just want to do the peak. Walk up the left fork for 3/4 air mile and use a trail on the right bank at 15572, 20457. It soon crosses to the left bench. When that one ends, you drop back in the wash a few feet to get past a side canyon then the trail resumes on a higher bench and takes you into a gorge. A guzzler is here and a tiny stream. The water looked good but burros have trashed the area. Soon the gorge ends and useful trails appear again. Keep going up the canyon to a steep ridge on the right bank at 16755, 21550 el 2050. Go up the ridge and soon it eases up and a trail appears that you can follow. The ridge circles to the left then comes back to the right and tops out on a divide el 2600, right below a saguaro cactus. Drop down the other side of the divide just a little and walk up the canyon to the main saddle el 3050.Or better yet, walk up the divide to crags and go left around those on a faint trail and it will merge into the canyon then go up to the main saddle.  Now just go left up easy bedrock to the reg at 17212, 21055. To return using the main SE ridge, go back to the main saddle el 3050 then walk level to the left around a corner and you'll see a massive block in the way. Walk under that on the left side and stay at about that level to get around peak 3085 and you'll be back on the ridgetop at 16790, 20603 el 2900. Soon the ridge drops off, but there is a handy little class 3 chute down to the left that gets you down to a saddle el 2700. Keep walking left of center to 16583, 20284 to get past a little cliff blocking the way.  Then angle up on easy ground a little but stay left of center under rough stuff to get past peak 2835. It's easy to walk around that peak and keep going on the easy ridgetop to the descent ridge at 16246, 20017 el 2600. Go down that easy ridge on a sheep route to the main saddle el 2000. Turn right on a trail going down the fork. You should be reading 16060, 19677. It's a mile and a half back to the start. It took 5 hours to do the loop, the only gain you'll notice is the 1300 feet from the main wash to the summit. Placed in 1979, the reg had only one entry in the next 36 years. Posted 2015, 2019.

SAVAHIA PEAK el 2695 is isolated to the west. There is a route up the west side.Take highway 62 to a mp that says 128.50. Go a few feet west of that to BLM dirt road #665. Turn north a short way to the canal. The road goes thru a gap in the canal. After about 5 miles there is a water tower. Just past that is a tricky fork reading N34 15825, W114 32815. Go left there for 3/4 mile to a closed right fork. Walk that into a wash and go up that for about 100 feet then get on the right bank. Hike up the obvious drainage to the right of the peak. When it tops out, go left on a shelf and gradually you'll climb up to the reg and Peanuts BM at 16561, 31965. 2 hours, 1300 gain.  The road in is easy 4wd. Mtn bikes would work. Posted 2015. GOLD STANDARD PEAK 2550 is another hike nearby. Road #676 goes along the east side of Savahia, but the fork that goes to the SW side of peak 2550 is gone. It's better to walk around the north side of Savahia and get on a low ridge at 17062, 31587 el 1750. When that ends, drop left into the wash and get on the left bank at 17342, 31262 el 1850. Walk that until gullies get in the way then move higher to skirt those to 17567, 30985 el 2050 where the west saddle is in view. The summit is at 17666, 30925. 3 hours, 500 noticeable gain. This is a pretty basin. Posted 2020.

 PEAK 2240+ is north of Savahia next to peak 2230. A loop can be done in the north washes. Take US 95 to mp 20.9 and turn on easy 4wd. Stay on the main road and keep right at forks for 9 miles to a wash at N34 18986, W114 32614. A mine road goes along the left bank for a tenth mile then walk up the wash and get on the right bank at 18602, 32629. Go .17 mile then get on the right bank again. That will fizzle then get on the right bank again at 18192, 32797. Go a tenth mile then cut over to the left bank and follow the topo around to the fork along the NW side of the peak. Go high on the left bank of that to get on the NW ridge. A sheep trail goes over the summit then up and over the right side of peak 2230 and to the south saddle of it. Drop down there to a wash and it soon makes a right bend and the right bank works from there to the main wash. The left bank of that works a little then at 18138, 32231 there is an option to get on the right bank. In half a mile there is a trail up the left bank to get back. 2 and a half hours, 300 noticeable gain. This is a pristine area. The road is ebikeable and I saw a compact car 4 miles in on it. Posted 2023.

WHIPPLE WASH is the most spectacular gorge in the low desert. A loop can be done using the Cupcake Mountain trail to the north of it. From Earp or Parker Dam use the west side river road to get to mp 15.3. It's about a mile down from the dam. Turn on a paved road there and go 6 miles to a sign for Havasu Palms. Turn left on a dirt road there and go 2 miles to BLM road #056. Turn left there and go nearly 3 miles to where the road bottoms out and crosses Whipple Wash. Vehicles are not supposed to drive up the wash, but everyone is so I went up half a mile and parked at a side wash on the right that I call Cupcake Wash el 750. Hike on up Whipple Wash. It's easy but for an occasional boulder jam. At N34 19047, W114 19148 el 1400 go up a right fork. I went up the creekbed, but google earth shows a trail on the left rim. In nearly half a mile is a series of falls and a mega pothole. Use a trail that goes up around the left of the falls and comes back in the wash. Then it's easy walking again. Get on a trail at 20001, 19650 el 2000 and follow it as it heads west of the peak then comes back to the right and thru a minor saddle then down a little to the base of Cupcake Mtn. Start up the SW end of the peak and easy slopes near the top will carry you back to the left to a double arch. Go right there a short way to a class 3 chute which puts you on top. It's easy to the high point at 20768, 19497 el 2873. Next to the high point is a gully cutting north thru the cliffs. An obvious trail goes down it which is the standard route. At the bottom the trail crosses a saddle. You could drop to the right into Cupcake Wash, but the north rim has a trail. Be on it at 21032, 19166 el 2050. In 3/4 mile the trail goes left around a crag. On the back side of the crag is where you drop to the wash. Many trails go down, so aim for a main trail on a point near the bottom at 20663, 18243. Then it's a stroll back to the start. One useful trail on the right at 20942, 17525 keeps you on the easier right bank all the way to Whipple Wash. 6 hours, 2200 gain. There is a stretch of over a mile in Whipple Wash that burros can't get to and trash. Cupcake Mtn is a major landmark seen from Lake Havasu City. Posted 2015. LOOP 2 - another loop can be done thru Copper Basin to the south. Go up Whipple Wash from the mouth for less than a mile to the first main south fork. Go up that or stay in the main canyon a bit more to a trail on the left bank at N34 19945, W114 17605. That trail cuts over into the south fork. Go up the wash on trails switching from bank to bank to a mine road up on the right at 19118, 16736. A burro trail goes to the road but I missed it. Walk the road to a mine trail on the right at 18622, 16257. Follow that around a corner to an unmapped road going south. Walk that and soon another trail can be seen ahead cutting left over a ridge. Get on it at 18196, 16174 and go over the ridge. The trail soon fades but keep going on easy ground to a heavily used road at 17955, 15779.  That road has some tricky forks, but stay on the road in the main wash. Go SW for a couple miles into Bowmans Wash and then up a washed out road in a canyon on the right reading 16908, 17023. Stay on that road to a main saddle el 2000. A mine trail starts here at 17548, 18132 and goes down to a major fork of Whipple Wash. It's mostly easy gravel until some boulders that block burros. That burro free zone lasts a mile but people have no trouble scooting thru the intermittent boulders and soon you're back to the main fork you turned up. That's a 15 mile loop starting from the wilderness boundary taking 8 hours.There are two ways to shorten it. Backpack to the main fork. A major water hole is a half mile up from the main fork in the burro free zone at 19711, 18132. Doing the loop from there would be a dozen miles. The other way is to start at the Copper Peak TH and do the dozen miles. That's what I did and it took 5 and a half hours. Springs shown on the map are a joke. Posted 2016.

CUPCAKE MOUNTAIN HIKING TRAIL - this peak el 2873 is prominent viewed from Lake Havasu City. A trail goes up the NE ridge. From Earp or Parker Dam use the west side river road to get to mp 15.3. It's about a mile down from the dam. Turn on a paved road there and go 6 miles to a sign for Havasu Palms. Turn left on a dirt road there and go 2 miles to BLM road #056. Turn left there and go nearly 3 miles to where the road bottoms out and crosses Whipple Wash. Keep going on the long and winding road for 3 and a half miles to the sign for the TH at N34 22238, W114 18728 el 1150. Skimpy parking is another 200 feet beyond. The trail is easy to follow until the base of the peak where it goes up a rocky gully. At 20789, 19458 el 2650 it becomes easy to follow again. It goes up to the final cliff band then makes a hard right across a gully then up the next gully to the top. No GPS is needed if the cairns are up. 3 hours, 1800 gain. The last 700 feet is steep. 2wds might get in here but they'll be slipping on the steep hills. Posted 2016.

WHIPPLE MOUNTAIN el 4130 is the high point of the range. A good sheep trail goes up the NW ridge to the 3250 level. Use the paved Havasu Lake road north of the range. At mp 9.7, turn SE on a good power road. This is BLM road #056. Go along the towers for 6.8 miles and turn right on easy 4wd. Go about 4 miles then left for 2 miles to the War Eagle Mine. A narrow road goes another 3/4 mile past the mine. It crosses the main wash and fades in a wide valley. It's not rough but has a steep hill. Cycles can make it a half mile up the wash from the mine. Hike up the valley to a trail at N34 20495, W114 26471 el 1700. Follow the trail then veer right to a saddle at 19885, 26509 el 1900. Go thru to a wash and walk the left bank. Soon there is a major fork. Between the forks is another trail that goes to the ascent ridge at 19484, 26611 el 2000. Go up to 19147, 26295 el 2400 where the sheep trail is apparent. It goes along the right side of the ridge below a rough section then back up to the top. It's easy to follow to the 3250 level where it goes left around a bump. It forks there. Take the right fork and it ends in a few feet behind the bump. It's easy to keep going up the ridge to 18674, 25116 el 4000+ where you can see the summit a half mile to the NE. Now just contour toward it on easy slopes then down a bit over 100 feet to a saddle to get to it. It took me 5 hours, 15 minutes with nearly 3000 gain. Road #056 gets you to Parker Dam but it takes forever. Posted 2015. ALTERNATE DESCENT - in 2021, I descended using the standard route. But it's rough with light brush, so next time I would retrace down the NW ridge to a saddle el 3200 then drop NE to join the standard route in a canyon. The canyon has no issues but it's lined with stinky burro shit ( the north rim could be used to avoid that ). I strolled down canyon to a slanting fall at 19435, 25865 el 2300 then got on the left bank and walked a trail. Trails are on the banks at bends and near the mouth the trail is on the left bank. Posted 2021

WHIPPLE MOUNTAINS CIRCUMNAVIGATION - a 94 mile loop can be done around the range on a dual sport motorcyle or jeep. It starts near Pyramid Butte and goes east along the north side of the range to a power road then south to Parker Dam. Start on US 95 at mp 20.9 el 1319. Follow the main road staying right at forks for 7.8 miles to a fork at N34 19863, W114 33205. Go left and stay left at forks for 3.5 miles to a T at a wash near BM 1721. The reading there is 18927, 30627. Go north down that wash for 5.8 miles to a fork near BM 1309. Go right and the road will bend toward Lake Havasu and hit a power road in 8.2 miles from the fork. Follow the lines south for 20 miles over deep canyons and hit pavement then go right and it's 50 miles back to the start. It took me 3 and a half hours to ride the 44 mile dirt portion on my 1998 XT350. It's nearly all hard packed with little sand. I'm a conservative 67 year old coot and ride like one. I had a 16 tooth front sprocket and went back to the 19 tooth on the highway. Jeeps have the option to come in on the sandy Chambers Well road from Vidal Junction but expect severe washboard. My odometer is off but not enough to be an issue. All roads are on the topo and there is a Verizon tower near the start to download maps. Posted 2023.

Petroglyphs along the Indian trail are the only ones I've ever seen in the range.

American Eagle Mine

INDIAN TRAIL LOOP HIKE - an Indian trail runs next to the road that goes NE from the War Eagle Mine on the west side of the range. It shows on the sat image. I puzzled over that trail for more than a year, but then by zooming out on the map it became obvious that they were shortcutting a bend in the river. It cuts over the range a bit over a mile east of the American Eagle Mine. A loop can be done from the south side. Go east on highway 62 from Vidal Jct for about 4 miles to mp SBD 129.8. Turn there on road #682 and go north about 5 and a half miles to road #683, which forms the wilderness boundary. Turn right for half a mile and park at a bad hill. It's easy 4wd to there. Walk north on a low ridge to a major wash at N34 16424, W114 28418. Go up and get on the far right bank at 17141, 28558. Stay low on that then it ends and get in the wash and use the right bank again at 17470, 28608 then left bank at 17615, 28666. When that ends it's easiest to stay in the wash to the main saddle el 2200 at the head of the canyon. Go down the other side on the right bank then left and cross back to the right at .23 mile past the saddle. Cross some minor gullies and the last one is crossed at 18786, 29358 then follow the easy ground down into the wash at a point. Go down the wash and exit on the right at 19037, 29554. Go up an easy ridge there to a sheep trail at 19084, 29278 that goes to the right into a saddle on the south side of peak 2187. Go down the other side on the left bank then get on the right bank at 18944, 28812 and follow a trail to bypass a rough section. It drops back in at a point then go down the wash a fifth air mile and exit on the right bank and cross some gullies to the Indian trail at 18819, 28114. It goes into a canyon then in the wash then on the right bank at 18360, 28259. At 18199, 28317 it goes up the left bank and on to the main saddle el 2150. It's easy to follow down the other side then at 17215, 28360 it crosses to the right bank and stays there most of the way back to the start. 5 hours and hardly any strenuous gain. Posted 2021.

PEAK 3807 is just SW of the range high point. I did a loop from the south. Take highway 62 to mp 135. Go north on a decent road for nearly 2 miles to the canal road. Keep going across that road on 4wd road #683 for several miles and park at a closed road reading N34 15552, W114 28063. Stay left at a main fork along the way. Walk the road to a faint Indian trail at 16062, 27557 el 1550. Follow it on high ground to a major wash then go up that to a fork el 2300. Go up bedrock between the forks reading 17571, 26138 el 2400 and soon it's easy to move left on a smoother ridge. Go on up to a viewpoint at 17829, 25607 el 3500 where the last saddle is in view. Walk a sheep trail into it then it's a fifth mile to the summit. A sheep trail goes left of center for that last bit. Then retrace to the viewpoint el 3500 and stay on sheep trails to the south rim of the ascent canyon which is obvious. At el 3000 some minor crags get in the way. Drop left a little and walk under it and merge into a saddle el 3000 then go up over the left side of peak 3058 and stay on the rim down to a ridge at 17287, 26527 el 2300 that drops to the right down to the wash then retrace back out. 6 or 7 hours with about 2000 noticeable gain. The Indian trail can be used sooner. I'll figure that out next time. They must have been after water that runs at the fork el 2300 after wet spells. Sheep use that too. This is one of the better areas because burros can't trash it. Posted 2021.

THE WHIPPLETTS is what I call a scenic cluster of rugged little peaks on the south side of the range. An easy loop can be done. Take highway 62 to mp 134.9. Go north on a decent road for nearly 2 miles to the canal road. Keep going across that road on 4wd road #683 for 3 miles and park on the bank of a major wash. Stay left at forks along the way. Walk the bank then drop in and take the first right fork reading N34 14702, W114 26833. Go up that for a mile or so and exit up to the right at 15431, 26637 and cross over to the next major wash. Walk the bank of that one until forced in, then walk up the bed and exit on the right at 16208, 26450 (or it might be easier to take the next right fork). Go over the rim then angle down the other side to the right and hit a sheep trail in the creekbed. Follow that down to a major wash at the base of the highest Whipplett. To climb it, circle around the north side in the wash until an ascent route thru a boulder field comes into view. This is where I saw the only burro impact. There is an easy path thru the boulders then it's obvious how to go on up to the summit at 16111, 25648 el 2100+. There are various ways to return to the start. I went back the same way down into the major wash and walked down that to a trail on the right bank at 15293, 25950. Then I walked SW on the lowest ground back to the rim of the starting wash at 14820, 26700. The loop took me 4 hours and the only noticeable gain was the 400 feet up the peak, but you could skip that. Sheep tracks are all over here. They know a good hike when they see one. Posted 2016. In 2019, I dropped off the peak to the south side and liked it better. That time the loop took 3 and a half hours.⦁ VIDAL BENCHMARK el 948 is south of highway 62. It's covered with WW2 roads. Take highway 62 to mp 129.4 and turn on a high clearance road that is mtn bikeable. Go a mile and a half to power lines then take a left fork on the high ground to the base el 800 of the peak. Nobody has been driving beyond there but it looked driveable. I walked on up to the BM at N34 09630, W114 30151 dated 1932. The summit a quarter mile to the NW has a BM dated 1972. Short hike. Posted 2022.