American Peak - Patagonias, AZ

Overview
American Peak is an open country hike that is southwest of Harshaw, AZ, in the Patagonia mountain area. A good route to this peak is to first hike to Hermosa Hill, which is to the north, and then hike to the saddle just north of the peak and hike up the north ridge of American Peak.


Hike
Start walking back down the road you came in on and look for a gully that parallels the main road. Follow this gully north using the instructions for Hermosa Hill. After reaching the top of Hermosa Hill, American Peak will be the higher peak that is visible to the south. It's basically an open country hike to this high point with not a lot of brush. Most of the brush is oak or pine and it's pretty easy to find paths that weave through the trees and brush. Keep heading up the north ridge and you will eventually reach the peak. There are a few oaks and pines at the summit. You'll also see a registry in a rock pile.Once at the peak, there are 2 ways to get back down. One is to return the way you came. The second route involves hiking further to the south and looping back around to the road. This route is more difficult mainly because of the brush but you may be able to find a better route. I ended up hiking down a ridge line that was quite steep in some areas. The route down was definitely harder than the route up. If you'd prefer an easier hike, I'd suggest going back down the way you came up.

2023-05-05 Mike_W