Peak 7571 - Mazatzal Mountains, AZ

Overview
Peak 7571 is an unnamed peak in the Mazatzal Mountains; its elevation of 7,571 feet is marked on topographic maps, and it has prominence of 1,531 feet. Peak 7571 is right on the Yavapai County-Gila County line, and is 3.5 miles north of Mazatzal Peak.


Hike
The first 5 miles of the hike is on the Rock Creek Trail #42. As of the date that this guide is written, the Rock Creek Trail is somewhat overgrown and could use some maintenance. It wasn't terrible, but most hikers would want long pants and a long sleeve shirt.The trail is fairly steep, gaining about 3,000 feet in elevation in the first 4 miles. After 3.3 miles you'll come to a seasonal waterfall with a couple of pools of water; this is a good place to stop and take a break. After that point, the trail gets more overgrown and the tread gets rockier. After about 5 miles, you'll go off-trail for about one mile to the summit of Peak 7571. There is very little bushwhacking in this off-trail portion of the hike, and it is less brushy than the last 1.5 miles of the Rock Creek Trail. There are some manzanita and other bushes along the way, but it is easy to find lanes around the brush. Once leaving the trail, you'll head east toward Peak 7559; instead of climbing up to Peak 7559, you can save a little distance and elevation gain by skirting south of the peak. Then you'll go southeast to the summit of Peak 7571.

There are no trees and very little vegetation at the summit, and you have great 360-degree views. Enjoy the views and then return the way that you came.

Synopsis
This is a tough hike over some rough and rocky terrain that is typical of the area. There is great scenery throughout the hike, along with some interesting geology. If you like solitude, you'll likely find it on this hike.

2022-04-15 DixieFlyer