Peak 2654 - Maricopa Mountains, AZ

Overview
Peak 2654, in the South Maricopa Mountains, has an elevation of 2654 feet. There is no trail and this hike involves some light rock climbing, but nothing that would require ropes if you choose your route wisely. There's not much brush, except for in some areas of the upper canyon. Your main obstacles will be rocks and boulders!


Hike
If you parked near where I parked, walk South toward the railway line. There should be a break in the fence somewhere in this area. You'll need to cross the tracks and then cross one more fence. Start heading South through the desert. You'll notice that it's easy hiking here. You won't see a lot of cacti, just a few scattered saguaros, a lot of creosote, some ocotillo, and palo verde trees near the washes. I was wondering what happened to the prickly pear and the cholla. No complaints but this area seems to be missing all of that.Check my published route and enter the canyon at that location. You will see some huge boulders in the lower part of the canyon. You should be able to walk around them to the left or right. If you're adventurous like me, you might choose to hike/climb through and over the boulders. One past the boulders, you can stay in the canyon for a while. It should be sandy here with not a lot of brush, but you will need to zig-zag around a lot of rocks. When the canyon starts getting messy, climb up the left side and you will see a clearer way to go. Sometimes there are huge boulders to climb over/around and sometimes you will be on dirt. Way up high, you will see a notch in the canyon. You will watch to travel in that general direction. Pass through the notch if you are inside the canyon, or climb around it. Use whichever route is easier for you. After passing this area, you should have a clear look at the peak and the path leading up to it. I approached the peak from the northeast side but there was more than one good way to go.

At the summit, I found a registry that had not been signed since September 2020. This peak doesn't get too many visitors because it is so remote. If you look to the south, you should see I-8 which is 5 or 6 miles away. Because you're quite high up, the highway is pretty easy to see. Looking east and slightly south you should see the Maricopa Mountains high point. Looking north you will see Maricopa Road and the railway where you started. If you're lucky, you'll see a train go by from the summit and curve around some of the mountains in the distance.

On the way back you can take the same route back or follow my route which goes a slightly different way. I found the canyon to be an interesting place, full of huge boulders and unusual rock formations.

2023-12-07 Mike_W