Wildflowers at Oatman, March 2017

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

Black Mesa

Near the summit of McHeffy Butte

Boundary Cone

The peculiar high flat on McHeffy Butte

Nest in a cholla

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

Hiking around Quartzsite

Airway beacon

Mine trail at Granite Mtn

• 
  

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

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

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

Muggins Mountains, Gila Mountains

Muggins Peak summit block

Muggins Peak

The west side route up Klotho

B-17 piston on Bomber Peak

Fortuna Rd at exit 12 on I-8 has a supermarket, gas and dollar stores. Walmart is at exit 9.

• KLOTHOS TEMPLE el 1666 is the high point in the Muggins Mtns Wilderness. The standard route goes up the south ridge, staying west of center near the top to avoid crags. A sheep route goes up the west canyon, over into the south canyon then east out of that to meet the standard route near the letter "g"  at el 1470 shown on the topo. Both routes are class 2 and a loop can be done. , making for the best hike around Yuma. Take 4th Street out of Dome Valley. When it turns to dirt, stay on the main road and keep going east a bit over 5 miles on easy 4wd along power lines to Twin Tanks Wash at the base of the peak. Walk down the wash a fifth mile and go left in a fork at N32 45630, W114 16282 el 500. Follow that fork up to a minor fall blocking the main channel. Use an easy ledge to the right of it to get past it. Then there are three channels to choose from. Two main ones and a lesser one in the middle. Take the one in the middle and it will join the left one at the notch el 1000 where you top out. Go thru then down about 40 feet to the creekbed of the south canyon, right at the top of a big fall. Go up the creekbed to a tricky little fall. A class 3 route climbs up to the right just before the fall, but  a class 2  stairway is right beside the fall. Go up that and angle back to the right a little to a bedrock gully at 45483, 15929 el 1150. Go straight up the gully until you bang your nose into a cliff. Then walk left to a stairway thru the cliff. It's obvious but the reading is 45504, 15854 el 1375. Then angle up to the right and hit the standard trail at el 1470. Cairns there were the first ones we saw. Go left on the trail, marked by a million cairns, to the summit at 45672, 15854. Then go back on the trail and keep going south to peak 1238 where the standard route drops off the south side of the ridge. But don't go that way. Instead, drop west down an easy ridge at 45129, 15954 el 950. It goes down into a drainage then follow that down to West Wash. Just before bottoming out, it's easier to cross over the right rim where someone built a large cairn. Then go down West Wash and turn up a right fork at 45117, 16665 el 400. Follow a sheep trail up and over a low saddle then down into Twin Tanks Wash where you go upstream back to the start. This loop clocks in at under 4 hours and under 4 miles with about 1400 gain. The power line road goes on and on, but an OHV trail forks south from it and likely goes down Morgans Wash and out. They ride all the way around the  wilderness. Posted 2107.
• MUGGINS PEAK el 1424 is a twin crag with a tricky class 3 route. Use 7TH Street in Dome Valley. Drive to the end of pavement. There's  room for RV parking there, but not many. The road goes on another mile and a quarter to a parking area. 2wd trucks and mtn bikes can make it. And some cars. From the parking area, walk the road into Muggins Wash for 7 minutes to a trail on the right bank just before a kiosk. Follow the trail along the wash then it dips into the wash about 1.1 air miles from the parking area. Climb out there on the left bank and go up a drainage at N32 44517, W114 15002. Go on up into the main saddle then walk level over to a bedrock gully at 44632, 15168 el 900. Go up that then move right a little to get into the main gully. Go up until the gully gets vertical then cut over to the right and get on the rim of the next gully reading 44683, 15102 el 1200. Someone put a chicken register there. Go up that gully a short way then go up an obvious bedrock drainage on the right and that gets you into the saddle between the crags. The west crag is considered the summit. Wide ledges zigzag up to the summit block then comes the trickiest part. Go up the center to the top then walk a short knife edge over to the true summit. I was able to scoot back down the summit block on my butt except for one spot where a rock horn was poking up but it was easy to swing around. It took us 3 and a half hours with 1000 gain from the wash. We had a hand line with us but never used it. Any hardcore hiker not afraid of heights can do this, but it would help to have someone sitting on the summit dangling a 60 foot or longer hand line for extra security. Jeeps are allowed to drive up Muggins Wash for nearly a mile beyond the parking area, but walking is faster. Posted 2017.
• FORTUNA BENCHMARK el 2154 aka BOMBER PEAK is the high point in the public part of the Gila Mtns. A hiker trail goes up the north gully by way of a B-17 crash site.  JESTERS PEAK el 1954 is the next peak west. It has a better trail. Take  I-8 to Foothills Rd at exit 14 then get on the south side frontage road and go east a couple of miles to Ave 15E. Turn south on that for half a mile to a road that is on private land reading N32 39131, W114 22525. That is a direct route to the Bomber Peak TH. We only came out that way because it's not posted at the far side. For Jesters TH, we drove on down Ave 15E to 48th St then turned east on private land and went up a ridge at 38598, 21911 . To avoid private land, go a little more south on Ave 15E to state land and turn east and go up the northermost ridge you can for easier driving. Signs there say permission is required, but the locals don't bother with that to drive across to BLM land. Everybody is using the private land as of 2018. Whichever way you go, it's a couple of miles to the Jesters TH at 38231, 20808 el 720. We hiked both peaks from Jesters TH  because it's a long and winding road over to the other TH. Jesters Peak is a 2 hour hike with 1300 gain. At el 1700 the trail goes parabolic and class 2. For Bomber, we walked from the Jester TH over to a wash at 38383, 20648 el 680 then went up that a short way then over the low left rim to a faint trail at 38582, 20363 el 680. We followed that up a wash then climbed up to the left rim to the Bomber TH at 38570, 20211 el 800. That trail goes directly up into the north gully. Most wreckage is in a right fork at 38160, 19816 el 1650. A hiker trail goes on up the fork to the summit which is at 38063, 19771. We could see down the NW gully so that's how we descended. Two hikers posted this loop route on the internet, but they started at the freeway. They were carrying 40 pound packs, so we figured we could do it with 5 pound packs. The Bomber Peak loop took us 3 hours, 10 minutes with 1700 gain. Access to this area might get harder. The frontage road along I-8 east of Ave 15 is already fenced off. The roads we used are easy 4wd. Mtn bikes would work but it's bumpy. Posted 2017.
• TELEPHONE PASS TRAIL - this is the "in" place to go hiking around Yuma. It goes to the towers on the north side of I-8.  Take  I-8 to Foothills Rd at exit 14 then get on the north side frontage road and go east to the end where a dirt road angles off to the left to a wash. The trail goes up that wash then on to connect to the steep, paved road that goes up to the towers. On the return, a steep trail that starts near some benches can be used to come down the south rim. This is the dullest hike we did in the area, but would make a suitable moonlight hike. The trail is at N32 39810, W114 21652 and not to be confused with one near there that goes steep up to a cross. A jeep road right next to the freeway might get closer. This is mainly a place to go cruisin' for hot chicks. And if you like your chicks really hot, do it in July or August. Posted 2017.
• GILA BENCHMARK el 1616 is a prominent peak in the north Gila Mountains. A decent route goes up the NE canyon by way of the mine shown on the topo, which turned out to be fictitious. Take US 95 to mp 38 and turn on a canal road. Go nearly 2 miles then stay right at a main fork. Go another couple of miles along  the RR tracks to a trailer house next to a trestle. Go under the trestle and get on the correct road in a wash at N32 45300, W114 22060. Follow that for a mile and a quarter to the NE canyon at 44516, 22674 el 450. The target saddle can be seen from here. Walk up the canyon for 250 feet then use the left bank. Go up to the correct fork at 44456, 22873 el 600. Follow that up to the saddle at 44404, 23119 el 1100. A tent pad and mine are in the saddle. Now it's easy to walk the ridge up to the reg in an ammo box at 44243, 23284. 2 hours, 1200 gain.  A geoglyph is nearby at 45027, 21851. A road goes to it from  the trestle. An Indian trail goes from the geoglyph to the big canyon to the south then a mine trail goes on for 20 minutes to some deep shafts. Posted 2107. 
• GILA CITY BENCHMARK el 1080 is the high point of  the Laguna Mountains. An easy sheep route goes up the NE ridge. This is barely inside the YPG, but we saw no signs or fences. Turn off US 95 at N32 47921, W114 22880 and drive or mtn bike half a mile on a crude road. Walk over to a bench at 47834, 23454 el 300 then go up the ridge directly ahead then just keep going up. 90 minutes, 800 gain. Posted 2017.

Indian Pass Wilderness

I didn't spend much time in this area. Burros have overrun most of it.

• QUARTZ PEAK el 2178 is the high point on Peter Kane Mountain and the highest in the Indian Pass Wilderness. Take highway 74 to mp IMP     and turn at the sign for Black Mountain Rd. Go 2.7 miles on graded road and park at a huge camp area where pavement starts. I prefer a route with the fewest tire tracks. Walk over to the bank of a wash reading N33 06043, W114 51360 el 1150. Walk along the wash and just keep going SE on easy ground to a deep wash. Drop down into it then pop right back out again on a flat at 05650, 50398 el 1300. Use the flat to shortcut a bend in the wash to get to a game trail at 05524, 50115 el 1350. Walk 200 feet on that then it's easy to cross to the left bank. Follow the left bank and a game trail stays up on the left bank all the way under the peak. The easiest way to go up is to follow the canyon up into a saddle at 05375, 49535 el 1850 then go thru into an easy drainage and up that to another saddle el 1950. Then go up the ridge to the reg at 05343, 49378. 3 hours, 1000 gain but you notice half of it. The Black Mtn Rd goes on for 5 more miles to towers but with a lot of big potholes. Not one of the towers is Verizon. That paved part would be a good bike ride for the hardy. Posted 2017.
• MICA BENCHMARK el 1400 is the second highest peak in the Picacho Peak Wilderness as far as I can tell. An easy 4wd road comes in from the south as shown on the topo and it's good for mtn bikes. Take the Ogilby Rd to N32 55840, W114 50868 and turn at the sign for Hyduke Mine Rd #659. Stay on 659 for 4.8 miles to road #913 reading N32 57144, W114 46710. Go 3 and a half miles then go left at N32 59721, W114 45227 and then another fifth mile to the end of the legal road el 900. Of course everyone keeps on driving but it's less than a half mile to the end of the road at a wash. Go up the wash on a trail to another trail at N33 00325, W114  44864 el 950. Follow that  trail up the right fork for a quarter of an air mile then the creekbed turns toward the peak. To avoid crags, go up along the creekbed to the main saddle then go left up to the reg at N33 00428, W114 44396. 90 minutes with about 300 gain that matters. This short hike is mainly an excuse to take an easy mtn bike ride into the middle of nowhere. Posted 2017.
• INDIAN PASS RD can be used to drive between the Indian Pass Wilderness and the Picacho Peak Wilderness and proceed on to Yuma on the west side of the Little Picacho Wilderness. It's about 42 miles of dirt and was all maintained but for 7 miles in the middle, but in 2021 there had been no grading for a while and there is some sand before the pass.  Leave the Ogilby Rd at mp 12.4 at the sign for Indian Pass Rd. Go 9 miles on good road to the pass. An Indian trail crosses on the north side of the pass. The road drops down for half a mile into Gavilan Wash. That's the hardest part. It's trying to wash out but still easy for 4wd. The road goes down the gravel wash for half a dozen miles then enters the state park where it's maintained again but still 4wd. It cost $10 per vehicle in 2017 just to drive thru. It's about 8 miles thru the park then miles of washboard to Yuma. Little Picacho Peak is one hike along here. I read that one party went up a north gully to a cliff band then went west to a class 3 route to get up. I wouldn't take a car anywhere in here. Posted 2017, 2021.
• PICACHO PEAK el 1920+ is class 3 all the way to the main summit ridge, as long as the 2 ladders are in place. Then a false summit has to be passed using ropes for the last little bit. Use the graded Pichacho Road on the east side and turn off into Little Picacho Wash at N32 58702, W114 38196. It's nearly a mile on easy 4wd to the end of the road. Keep going up the wash on foot thru a boulder jam. After that, it opens up and a jeep  road appears on the right. But stay in or along the wash around a right bend then the main hiker trail climbs out at a side wash. The trail goes right up into the SW gully and tops out in a V notch. Climb up to the right and back a little thru a keyhole then it's obvious how to zigzag up to the first ladder, a short wooden one. Right after that is a crack, like a short slot canyon. Some jump across but we climbed down in to get across. Next comes a tall aluminum ladder then it's smooth sailing to the false summit on top. Some go over it, but we're not climbers so we rapped down the left side of it (east) from a boulder. It's 15 feet or so straight down to a shelf then an easy walk on to the real summit. We came back and used Tiblocs to ascend the ropes to get back up. It took us 5 hours total. We were over prepared. Next time we would take two 50 foot ropes ( or a 100 foot rope to double over), a 15 foot sling, ascenders, helmet, knee pads, and the usual harness gear. An ibis hook would help if the ladders start getting iffy. We might go back and just do the class 3 part to the false summit. It's practically on top. The Picacho Rd is the real obstacle here. It's miles and miles of washboard hell. Posted 2017.

Cargo Muchacho Mountains

Boiler dated 1891 at Pasadena Peak.

Helicopter Hill with Picacho Peak behind.

Dead hiker on Pasadena Peak. C'mon man. The peak's not that hard.

Junk that was flown onto Helicopter Hill

Graffiti fields

The paved Ogilby Rd runs along the west side of the range, shown on maps as S34. At exit 164 on I-8 there is a gas station but it was nearly two dollars higher than Yuma. Posted 2017

• CARGO MUCHACHO PEAK el 2217 is what hikers call the high peak. An easy route goes up the NE canyon and an Indian trail helps. Take Ogilby Rd to mp 8.9 at N32 53924, W114 50376 and turn on a crude road. It goes a mile to a wash. I rode a cycle a half mile up the wash, 4wds might make half that and some jeeps make it a mile up. Walk up the wash. If it gets rocky, the left side of the canyon floor usually works. Stay off the higher banks. Get on the trail at 53896, 48255 el 1000. It goes high up the right bank and on to the NE canyon at 53759, 47743 el 1400. It's obvious from there. Go up canyon to the main saddle el 1800. Then up the ridge to el 1950 where a wide shelf angles up to the north side of the summit where it's easy to go up to the reg at 53558, 47900. It needs a jar. That took me 3 hours, 11 minutes with 1200 feet of gain that matters. Posted 2017.
• PEAK 2217 LOOP - a loop can be made around the peak using Indian trails in the canyons and return thru the Tumco Mine area. This is my favorite hike in the range. Take Ogilby Rd to the Tumco sign at mp 7.8. Go half a mile to the TH and leave a bike. Then drive to mp 8.9 and turn on a crude road. Go half a mile then walk to an Indian trail at 54176, 49806 el 750. Walk it to a road that leads into the main canyon.  If the canyon gets rocky, the left side of the canyon floor usually works. Stay off the higher banks. Get on a trail at 53896, 48255 el 1000 on the right bank. It stays mostly on the right bank all the way to the main saddle el 1600. I lost it and found it again at 53737, 47674 el 1500. It goes thru the saddle then down the canyon on the other side. When the canyon levels off, it goes over to the left bank then that fizzles and it comes back to the right bank and gets faint. Stay on the right bank then step up a little to 53044, 47016 el 1000 to get past a gully then go on another 400 feet and thru a notch. Then drop to the wash and go down a tenth mile then turn right up a minor fork and follow a jeep trail over the main saddle el 1100 and into the main south fork. Go up that roadless fork on a spotty trail. I saw a waterhole in there at 52681, 47240 el 1050. It had hundreds of gallons a month after rain. The easiest way into the next canyon south is to use an Indian trail before the waterhole at 52626, 46993 el 1050 that goes up along the left side of a side canyon into a saddle el 1200. It goes down the other side on the left but fades then reappears at 52442, 47053 el 950 on the right bank then hits the floor of the north fork of American Girl Wash. Then just stay on the right bank for a quarter mile then cross to the left and keep going to 52508, 47795 el 1000 where the trail goes up on the left bank again and on to the main saddle el 1150. Go thru the saddle then the trail goes left and down to the easy banks of a wash. Cross soon over to the right bank and follow a spotty trail to tailings. A trail goes up the left side of the tailings then on top is a main road that goes on thru the Tumco Mine area and on to theTH. That took 4 and a half hours with 1000 noticeable gain then I had an easy mile and a half bike ride back to the start. Without a shuttle there is a spotty Indian trail at 53169, 49891 el 600 that can be walked on the flats back to the start. These are good looking canyons and not too hard to walk in but rocky. TUMCO MINE - one point of interest is a concrete reservoir. It's outlined in blue on the topo just SE of the four tanks. Walk in from the main gate to 52738, 49315 and look right to see the dam and a narrow road leading up to it. A trail goes on past it up to the saddle then down along the cliff base and into the next saddle to the west then down past the tanks. Then a road at 52896, 49397 can be walked back out past the peculiar cemetery.  Posted 2020, 2021.
• NORTH INDIAN TRAILS LOOP - hikers can use a trail cutting thru the range in the canyons north of peak 2217 then return on trails on the flats to the north. Take Ogilby Rd to N32 53924, W114 50376 and turn on a crude road. It goes a mile to 54246, 49731 el 700 where a trail crosses. Park there then walk the road into a canyon then go up it. If it gets rocky, the left side of the canyon floor usually works. Stay off the higher banks. Get on a trail at 53896, 48255 el 1000 on the right bank. It stays mostly on the right bank all the way to the main saddle el 1600. I lost it and found it again at 53737, 47674 el 1500. It goes thru the saddle then down the canyon on the other side. When the canyon levels off, it goes over to the left bank then that fizzles and it comes back to the right bank and gets faint. It's obvious how the Indians had to go. Aim for a game trail at 53102, 46903 el 1000 and follow that along a side draw for 350 feet until a hidden gap comes into view then walk thru that to a major canyon running north. A bad jeep road goes up it used by suckers who don't know a dropoff awaits. The road tops out at a saddle then a trail runs on the right bank. Go on down that to another road then go left on that and cross a gully at 53991, 46586 and then on to a trail at 54304, 46565. Walk that to 54557, 46934 then 54744, 47197. Next comes waterholes then the trail is visible again at 55066, 47673. It follows along a road then merges with it. After a fifth mile on the road the trail forks right, but leave it and head for a gully at 55233, 48549. Cross over and follow tire tracks and soon another trail merges in. Follow it to 54851, 48830 then on thru a minor canyon back to the start. That took 4 and a half hours with 800 noticeable gain, not steep. The canyons are pristine but not the flats. Posted 2020.
• PEAK 1687 has Indian trails wrapped around it and some mine stuff.  Turn off the Ogilby Rd a fifth mile north of the RR tracks at the sign for the American Girl Mine Rd #710. Go 2 miles on that then keep left at a main fork for 2.3 more miles on #710 to a fork. Go left a fifth mile and park at American Girl Wash. Walk up it to N32 51706, W114 47017 el 700 where an Indian trail runs along the left bank of a side canyon. Walk it nearly half a mile then over a saddle el 850 and into the north fork of AGW. Stay on the left bank for nearly a fifth mile then the trail crosses to the right bank and goes past a rocky hill then starts up a side canyon. Leave it there and walk the right bank of the main canyon for a quarter mile then cross to the left and keep going to 52490, 47769 el 1000 where the trail goes up on the left bank again and on to the main saddle el 1150. From there I could see likely routes up to the peak, but a cold wind caused me to save it for another day. The trail goes down the other side of the saddle and fades when it hits bottom. Get on the right bank and walk it until a crag forces you to the left bank where an unused road leads to a huge mine area. A train size tunnel is on the right facing south. Keep going south on a jeep road to the flats and avoid an Indian trail shortcutting left past rock ruins. It goes into tedious plowed up ground. Stay on the road and follow the base to the trail again at 51663, 48089 and it goes past a foundation then into AGW and then go upstream back to the start. It works well to walk the right bank of AGW for the last half mile. 3 hours and there isn't any strenuous gain. Posted 2020. In 2026 I took a side trip up to the summit by going up a north canyon at 52499, 47820 and up into the east saddle then a drainage left of center was obvious. That version took 3 and a half hours and the 600 feet gain up the canyon is moderate and easy terrain. I put a track on peakbagger.
• PASADENA PEAK el 1574 is infested with mines and trails. Loop hikes can be done. Turn off the Ogilby Rd a fifth mile north of the RR tracks at the sign for the American Girl Mine Rd #710. Go 2 miles on that then keep left at a main fork for 3 more miles to the huge AGM pit. Cars can make it to within a mile then mtn bike the rest. Start hiking south along the rim of the pit on some faint tire tracks at N32 51411, W114 47000 el 650. When the rim peters out, drop down a game trail to the wash below that feeds into the pit. Go up the wash on a road to a 4-way. Go straight thru to the end of the road at some mine ruins. Get on the trail there at 50809, 46685 el 1000. The trail forks at el 1150. Both go. The left fork goes to a mine at el 1350 then a ridge can be ascended to the summit. The right fork goes up a drainage then veers right to a hidden fork. Both go, but left is shorter up to a saddle el 1450 SE of the summit which is at 50954, 46571. The descent trail drops off the NE ridge at 51030, 46508 el 1400. It drops down to the north for a distance of 200 feet then veers left to the NW saddle el 1200 where another trail is cutting thru. Take that trail down to the north to more mine ruins at the base around the Pasadena Mine then walk the high road back to the start. That loop took me 3 hours with about 600 feet of noticeable gain. And I took a side trip. LOOP 2 - another loop covers the east side. Keep driving past the AGM pit for a mile to a fork at N32 51646, W114 46259. Go left up a wash then the road will climb onto the bank then park at the next fork in the road. Walk the right fork to the end at the start of a trail reading 51136, 46035 el 850, just past the Guadalupe Mine. Vic Hanson and I went up this trail to the summit. We came back to a fork at 50931, 46404 el 1400 and stayed right and walked down to a canyon bottom on the south side at 50831, 46097 el 850. We went up the other side of the canyon on a trail and over the rim el 1100 to a road at 50744, 45758 el 850 then up that to a divide el 1100. A short trail goes up from there to a mine with a long pipe that was likely for jackhammers. Continuing over the divide we walked a trail down along the left side of the road to get back to the start. That took us nearly 4 hours with 1300 gain but it was closer to 3 hours next time I did it. Posted 2017, 2021.
• AMERICAN GIRL PEAK el 1200+ is what I call the peak on the SW side of the AGM pit. A loop can be done around the pit. Turn off the Ogilby Rd a fifth mile north of the RR tracks at the sign for the American Girl Mine Rd #710. Go 2 miles on that then keep left at a main fork and go another 2 miles then park near the ascent canyon which is at N32 51336, W114 47612 el 650. A major saddle is in view at the head of the canyon. Go up to it then turn left to the reg on the summit at 51117, 47407. There are obvious ways to descend the east canyon. I went down then cut over to 51076, 47358 el 1150 then 51033, 47302 el 1050 and then down to a wash and walked a trail on the left bank. That led me to a road in a wash that drains into the pit, but it would have to be rappelled. Instead, I used a game trail at 51120, 47110 el 750 that goes onto the rim of the pit then cirlced back. It's a 2 or 3 hour hike with 700 gain, not too steep. For another hike nearby, a twin peak el 900+ is 2/3 mile to the west of the pit with a road spiraling up it. The road starts on the north side at a metal tank. Either park on the east side and walk to it or drive back out to road #812 at 51074, 48458 and drive around. ATVs can make it part way up the peak. When the road ends, it's either go straight up on rubble to the reg on the east summit, or take a less steep route by staying on the trajectory of the road and angle up on bedrock to the west summit which is what I did. I descended the rubbly route and it wasn't bad. Posted 2020.
• PEAK 2084 has a decent route up the NE canyon to the east saddle. Take Ogilby Rd to Hayduke Rd at mp 11.2 reading N32 55837, W114 50871. Turn and go 1.8 miles to a long, bumpy crossing. On the far side, turn right on road #662 then go 2.2 miles to road #828 then go right on that for a third mile to waterholes near a huge cairn. Indian trails cut thru  the area. Now turn south toward the peak for half a mile to the mouth of the canyon at 54663, 47492 el 900. Get on the left bank and stay on it using a spotty mine trail to 54247, 47675 el 1300 where the rest is in view. Just go on up the main canyon to the east saddle el 1950 where 2 shelves go up left of center. Both go to the final ridge then it's easy bedrock to the summit at 54040, 47767. I was expecting a reg but there wasn't even a cairn. 2 and a half hours, 1200 gain but only half could be called steep. These roads are on the topo but might need 4wd and are mtn bikeable. Posted 2020.
• PASADENA MOUNTAIN el 1500+ has a trail up the south side. The graded Sidewinder Rd connects I-40 at exit 164 to the Ogilby Rd where the RR tracks cross. About midway along that 8 mile stretch is where power lines with huge steel towers cross the road. Turn there and go .4 mile then go left for nearly a mile to the trail reading N32 48564, W114 45747 el 450. Cars can no longer make it due to sand but an ebike can. There's nothing to lock a bike to but there's no crime in California anyway. The trail tops out at el 1350 then a faint trail marked by cairns goes on to the peak at 49323, 45688. 2 hours, 1200 gain. OGILBY HILLS HIGH POINT el 788 is on the south side of Sidewinder Rd. We parked at N32 48647, W114 48221 el 400 and went up an easy creekbed to the reg at 48655, 48524. Posted 2017.
• PASADENA MOUNTAIN CANYONS LOOP - a loop can be done up the east canyon then down the north with an optional side trip to the summit. Take the Sidewinder Rd exit 164 off I-8 and go north for 2 miles then stay right at a main fork. Stay on the main road #622 along the east side of the range to fork under power lines at N32 48906, W114 43743. Take the left fork into Araz Wash then go up a half mile or so. I parked on the right bank then walked up a fork at 49475, 44948 el 600. I went up that and stayed left at a main fork then on to 49146, 45575 el 1050 where I took an easy angle up the left slope for 350 feet then went straight up to the rim. I walked on to 49166, 45690 el 1300 where I could look NW for a tenth mile and see the low saddle el 1350 which is SW of the summit. I dropped down about 30 feet to easy ground and on to the saddle where the standard route to the peak passes across. I skipped the peak but that's where I would detour to it. I down the other side of the saddle and stayed on the left bank all the way to the main canyon then walked down it to a road at the mouth. I turned right and soon came to a fork. I stayed right and had an Indian trail to my left. I followed the road thru two low saddles then the trail forks to the right and took me back to the start. That took 2 and a half hours with less than 500 noticeable gain. This is a little patch of wilderness. Posted 2020.
• STUD MOUNTAIN el 2130 has a mine trail up Araz Wash to el 1200. Take the Sidewinder Rd exit 164 off I-8 and go north for 2 miles then stay right at a main fork. Stay on the main road #622 along the east side of the range for a bit over 5 miles then turn left on road #715 reading N32 50354, W114 42964  then go 3.3 miles to road #829. Turn north on that for a third mile to the end at the TH reading 50818, 45474 el 850. I could have rode an ebike that far in 2021.    Follow the trail along the creekbed to the end then keep going up and left into a major saddle el 1500. Then go up the ridge for 250 feet to a viewpoint at 51299, 45278 el 1650 where the rest is in view. Just stay left of center to a gully at 51308, 45209 and either go up it or any point thereafter to get on the main ridge.The reg is at 51456, 45160. 3 hours, 1300 gain. Road #715 goes on another half mile to the Surprise Lakes which had water on one of my visits. Road #622 goes on north for 4 miles to a flat top volcanic formation el 1112 that I call HELICOPTER HILL. Military choppers were making repeated landings on it. They must have hauled the vehicle up there. We hiked up the NE side with no problem. Beyond that is what I call the EAST HILLS. The high point of that is a short but steep hike. We followed the main road over to it then used game trails along a wash at N32 53991, W114 45167 el 850. That wash goes right under the south side of the peak then it's obvious how to go up into the west saddle then up to survey junk on top at 54337, 44993 el 1416. After that we went to Yuma by going back to the south side of Helicopter Hill then taking road #830 at 52720, 44861. Then we followed GPS to the GRAFFITI FIELDS at 53231, 41540. The main road runs SE thru the fields for a mile and a half then on another 7 miles to pavement at Yuma. Mtn bikes would work on these roads but OHVs kick up dust on weekends . Posted 2017.
• PEAK 1314 INDIAN TRAIL - this little peak is on the east side. An Indian trail cuts thru north of it and a loop can be made around the peak on sheep trails. BLM road #662 runs along the west side. Park along it and then walk to a jeep road at N32 53690, W114 45063. It goes into a canyon with a trail on the left bank. Walk the trail over the main saddle and down the other side then into a wash. Exit on the right bank at 54081, 44631 and walk the base on faint trails around to an easy canyon and get in the correct fork at 53775, 43969. Soon there is sheep trail on the right bank and it goes to the main saddle and splits. Left is the short way down to the floor then get on the right bank at 53207, 43884 where a trail goes to the right thru a low saddle to get back to the west side. 3 hours, hardly any strenuous gain. I came in off the Ogilby Rd on the American Girl Rd and parked on the bank west of peak 965. An Indian trail cuts thru along that wash. I walked it to the trail at peak 1314 and had a 4 hour hike. Posted 2021.
• LOOP AROUND THE RANGE - jeeps and cycles can do a 30 mile loop around the range using the Ogilbly Rd one the west and BLM road #662 on the east. Ebikes can do a shorter loop by cutting thru the range on the American Girl Mine Rd. The topo doesn't show the section along the west side of peak 1416. Take Ogilby Rd to Hayduke Rd #659 at mp 11.2. Turn and go 1.8 miles to a long, bumpy crossing. On the far side, turn right on road #662 then stay left at main forks and the road will go off the map but there's only one main road to follow and it will resume on the map. Ebikes will soon want to cut thru the range at a fork. It will go into a rocky wash for nearly half a mile then up the left bank. But it comes back down in a tenth mile then it's easy on out past the American Girl Mine . Back on 662, the road will follow steel towers then pull away and there's a choice. Staying left leads to the interstate. Staying right (that's what I did) with the towers leads to Sidewinder Rd and back to Ogilby Rd at the RR tracks. It took me nearly 2 hours on a Yamaha  XT350. I would rather do the ebike loop because that's the best scenery. It's hard to get a heavy cycle thru the range. Posted 2021
• PEAK 1112 INDIAN TRAILS - an easy loop can be made around this east side peak on trails. Take the AGM road from Ogilby and on past Obregon as the topo shows and then at N32 51708, W114 46219 the road goes up on the right bank of a wash. It soon drops back down but stay on the bank to the end in a few feet then walk down to the wash. A trail is on the low left bank. It ends at a left bend then stay in the wash on the bad road. The road will go up on the right bank then a trail goes left up a hill and on out to the flats where it forks. Pick up the right fork at 52251, 45590. It goes along the base of peak 1073 for .36 air mile where it splits. Keep right on the higher trail then on and veer left for a quarter mile to a wash at 52422, 44261. Drop in and go left 400 feet to get on the far bank then walk 100 feet or so away from the bank to hit a trail. Walk it to 52990, 44529 and it goes along a wash then cuts over to the left bank of the wash and then at 53609, 45304 a skinny trail goes up to a road. The return trail is at 53516, 45445 and goes to 53307, 45398 then 53103, 45318. Next, it crosses a huge wash and resumes at 52729, 45444. But a minor cliff is in the way. So leave the trail a fifth mile before the resume point and go left around a low hill to get down the cliff and on to the trail and back. 3 hours and 7 easy miles. All roads easy 4wd and ebikeable. Posted 2026.
• 1891 BOILER LOOP HIKE - a bad road can be walked to the boiler from the Padre Madre Mine then back by way of the Cargo Mine. I put a track on peakbagger under Pasadena Peak in 2026 showing the boiler. Drive in on the graded American Girl Rd to an active mine just before the PM Mine. A high clearance road goes on along the right side of the mine then in a quarter mile park along side an open pit. Then walk the roads to the boiler as the topo shows. Then go back SW to a trail at N32 50675, W114 46885. It goes thru a saddle then left to another saddle then go down a road to a left bend where a trail goes along the left side of a canyon to a fork at 50147, 46764. The left trail goes up to the swimming pool at the Cargo Mine. Then go down a road there and work over to a trail at 50017, 46879 and it goes over to a wash then on the left bank at 49984, 47067. It goes SW a third mile or so to adobe cabin ruins which is the tiny black square on the topo. Then a road goes north over into a valley then walk that north to the open pit. 3 hours, 5 miles, easy grades. Any wuss can do this hike. Posted 2026

PILOT KNOB el 880 is on the south side of I-8. Exit at Sidewinder Rd then go south a fifth mile then veer left to a quarry. Some hikers use a road on the west end of the quarry. But a real trail is east of the quarry at N32 44200, W114 44604. It goes up to the airway beacon foundation which is the high point then down to the bad mine road that leads to the quarry . We could see another trail coming up the NW canyon. 1 hour with 500 gain. Posted 2017.

Indian trail cutting across north of peak 2217