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| Bighorn Benchmark 3183 Maricopa Mtns Gila Bend, AZ | |
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| | Bighorn Benchmark 3183 Maricopa Mtns Gila Bend, AZ | | | |
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Bighorn Benchmark 3183 Maricopa Mtns Gila Bend, AZ
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| Hiking | 8.10 Miles |
1,630 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.10 Miles | 6 Hrs 40 Mns | | 1.47 mph |
| 1,630 ft AEG | 1 Hour 10 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Had this one on my list to do for quite some time. Marana's high temp was 73 today, so I felt it could be a few degrees hotter here and it definitely felt like it. I arrived around 10.30 am. There was a pull off from I-8 and after that there was an unlocked gate which I needed to open to drive through. I was able to drive about 600 feet. Then, there was a sign saying no motor vehicles allowed past that point. So, I parked and began my hike down the road.
Thanks to Matthias, Wade, and Jesse for posting routes. I ended up taking a more direct approach on the way up, similar to Jesse's route but with a little more zig-zag, and then followed the easier route down avoiding a lot of the class 3 on the way down.
Starting out there's only one good way to go. I took the road for about 1.4 miles before it ended near the edge of a wash. Then, I got into the wash. This wash was relatively fast moving because it was wide in many spots. There were areas with a few branches and even trails that exit and re-enter the wash, but it's OK to stay in the wash the entire way. I only remember there being a few areas where there was thorny brush, sometimes catclaw, that you needed to carefully squeeze through. There were 2 or 3 rock formations in the canyon that looked like obstacles from a distance but when I got closer I could see a way through. In at least 2 of the cases I needed to stay on the left side and there was sort of a rock chute that I was able to climb up.
Stay in the wash/canyon for 1.2 more miles. After you have hiked 2.6 miles, look for a way to exit the canyon to your left. If you go beyond this you will see a deeper windy canyon and can exit to your left at about the 2.75 mile mark, like I did on my ascent. Once out of the canyon you should have a clear view of Bighorn benchmark and you will continue North through a flatter area toward the canyon closer to Bighorn. In that canyon, I would recommend staying low and taking my down route up. If you enjoy class 3 and want more of a challenge, take my up route. It is quite steep and I needed to zig-zag a bit. But, I didn't feel like I was in danger in any way. I just took it slow and safe. As I got closer to the top, I saw some goat trails which I followed at times. Then, at the top I saw the bighorn sheep skull that Jesse talked about. Thanks to Jesse for carrying this up here. It belongs at the summit where it can be seen. Evidence that bighorn live out in this area, but I didn't see any live ones the day I was there. Of course they really don't want to be around people.
There was also a registry near the skull with only 2 pages. There were only 2 other entries besides mine in the last month or so. Jesse in Dec 2025 and a guy named Howard from New Mexico from early Jan 2026. Not sure what happened to the older registry. This area is pretty remote and you can see mountains in all directions. Looking North I believe I could see the Maricopa mtns high point which I hiked a few yrs back. Looking SW I could see the semi-famous 'squaw perks', at least according to the topo map. Because of political correctness it has been renamed, but I will continue to call it squaw perks cause I love that name. Nobody should be offended by the name squaw perks. It was never meant to be offensive. I'm sure it was something meant to be admired and that peak is one that many will continue to hike into the future because of it's unique shape (and name).
I had a late lunch and then decided to head down the known class 2 route. I needed to use my hands in a few spots but it wasn't nearly as steep as my route going up. There were some rugged rock formations that I needed to go around on the way down. I stayed close to the ridgeline and found some sheep trails lower down that were helpful also. I zig-zagged down into the canyon. Once in the canyon, the hike was a bit easier. In a few places, I found sheep trail that went around the messy sections in the canyon but in general found that staying in the canyon was fine. When I got lower, I curved to the right and merged back in with my original trail. I saw a canyon to my left and right so I stayed between them and almost ended up at a dead end. Both canyons ran into a deeper canyon that crossed in front of me. I was able to turn right and find a way down into the canyon in front of me which was where I needed to be anyway. This was the same canyon I was in earlier in the day and used this to get back to the road. I made better time in the canyon and even better time on the road. Just as I got back to my vehicle a few rain drops fell but I didn't get rained on the entire hike.
Overall it was an enjoyable hike since it had a mix of road, wash/canyon, ridgeline, rock formations, sheep trails, the sheep skull at the summit, etc. The only thing I don't remember seeing was water.
Stats:
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Distance (round trip): 8.09 miles
AEG: 1,630 feet
Strava moving time: 3 hrs 36 mins -- I didn't take 3 hours in breaks! I believe my real moving time was closer to 5 hrs 30 mins
Strava elapsed time: 6 hrs 40 mins
Driving Directions:
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From Tucson, take I-10 West toward Phoenix.
When getting close to Casa Grande, take I-8 West.
Take exit 199 for I-8 W toward San Diego, continue for 1.1 mi
Continue onto I-8 W for 43.2 mi
Destination will be on the right
Look for a gravel pullout and an unlocked gate on the North side of the highway
Once through the gate you can drive in about 600-700 feet.
It is a rocky road but a regular sedan should be able to handle it fine if dry.
Park off the road near a sign. |
| _____________________
Michael Williams
IT Professional
Rocky Point Vacation Rentals
Ocean Front Condo in Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico
www.beachfrontmexico.us
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