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| Hiking | 6.71 Miles |
2,077 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.71 Miles | 6 Hrs 5 Mns | | 1.10 mph |
| 2,077 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | The Woolsey Peak Wilderness was a place I had never hiked in, so off I went  . Located in the lower desert, December is a nice time to be there. I figured a good way to experience this wilderness would be by hiking to the summit of Woolsey Peak.
The drive to get there wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. From Old US 80, I turned on Agua Caliente Rd and headed west. This road is nicely graded and in excellent condition (with a few minor washboard sections). After 5.6 miles, the road splits into two directions. I turned left onto Agua Caliente (South fork) which heads southwest (turn is at 33.25495, -112.88906). This road soon becomes Woolsey Wash Road, and it eventually follows along the eastern boundary of the neighboring Signal Mountain Wilderness. After 5 miles, I found a nice spot to pull off and park next to the road (33.19268, -112.91651). The road is definitely high clearance and involves one section that steeply goes down a short hill into a narrow wash (on the way out, I used 4WD to get up this hill). There are a lot of roads out here, and I did find a nice 2WD bypass road that goes around the 4WD section (bypassing along the east side of Woolsey Wash Rd). I wish I had recorded my driving route :-(
There are no trails, so after parking I headed E/SE across the desert. Volcanic rocks are scattered everywhere, and to avoid tripping, I had to pay attention to them at all times while walking. It's a rather amazing landscape to see. I gradually started turning to the south towards Woolsey Peak to head up its northern slope. The summit really looked impossible from below, but then as you get closer to the top, it starts looking more and more possible. The hike up was a matter of dodging cactus, bushes and boulders. There are several black volcanic rock slides parallel to each other on this northern slope (like streaks of giant-sized scree) - some had to be crossed and some had to be hiked upward. Once above the rock slides, it became steeper and more hands-on for the last quarter mile or so. But at no point did I feel in danger of any serious injury.
It sure felt rewarding to reach the top  . Volcanic rocks and short chollas cover the top. There are a lot of large boulders clustered near the spot where I reached the top. Several had modern writing on them (but no petroglyphs that I noticed). Someone took the time to make a rock-lined path. I followed the path, which headed west towards the survey markers (they are stamped as Gila Peak rather than Woolsey). Saw a couple of large rock-lined circles also. I wandered around the summit and looked at the spectacular views and the beautiful cholla forest.
After spending about an hour up there, I decided I'd better head back since the daylight is so short right now. Having to secure footing in some loose rock areas, it took a lot more time going down. Surprisingly, I had cell service most of the way down in this very remote area. Made it back to my vehicle just in time for the last moments of daylight. I didn't see a single human or vehicle all day.
Overall I liked the volcanic beauty and the peace & quiet here. I am definitely planning on returning to do more exploring of this large, magnificent wilderness area. |
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