Little Picacho Peak Wilderness Trails • Hike • California • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Dec 30 2024

DixieFlyer

Guides 99
Routes 1,487
Photos 16,077
Triplogs 1,377

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Ridge Benchmark, CA

Hiking		Dec 30 2024
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,377

Hiking	4.67 Miles	1,167 AEG

Hiking	4.67 Miles	3 Hrs 33 Mns	1.59 mph
	1,167 ft AEG	37 Mns Break

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Little Picacho Peak Wilderness Trails

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

This was a hike to the Ridge Benchmark (elevation of 1,523 feet and prominence of 743 feet), the highpoint of the Little Picacho Wilderness. This wilderness area is in the southern Chocolate Mountains near the Colorado River. The Imperial National Wildlife Refuge is immediately to the north.

From where I parked I hiked on a road for a little over a mile, going past the Hess Mine along the way. Then I went through a canyon up to a saddle on a good use trail that switchbacked up the canyon. So far so good. At that point I was a little over 1/2 mile to the high point, but to get there I had to rock and boulder hop along a ridgeline, jumping from one basalt rock/boulder to another. The basalt had to be a few feet deep as it was rare to see the ground. That took a lot of time, but miraculously I managed to stay upright.

The views at the summit were really nice so I stayed up there for a while. I located the benchmark and both reference marks. All were stamped "Ridge" and dated 1934.

I returned the way that I came although I was tempted to descend down a steep slope rather than deal with all of the basalt on the ridgeline.

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Basalt Natural Arch

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark False Summit HAZ Rides Height of Light Reference Mark Unknown Peak Survey Flares or Batteries?

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cargo Muchacho Mountains Castle Dome Peak Chocolate Mountains Hess Mine Little Picacho Wilderness Pasadena Mountain Picacho Peak Senator Wash Reservoir Stud Mountain Thumb Peak

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Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

Jan 31 2022

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Little Picacho Peak Wilderness Trails

Inland, CA

Little Picacho Peak Wilderness Trails

Inland, CA

Mtn Biking		Jan 31 2022
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Mtn Biking	9.81 Miles	335 AEG

Mtn Biking	9.81 Miles	2 Hrs 15 Mns	5.77 mph
	335 ft AEG	33 Mns Break

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This was an exploratory bike ride from my walk-in campsite at Squaw Lake. I rode out through one of the big long-term visitor sites, and passed the back road to Ferguson Lake, and a sign that said "Little Picacho Wilderness." It was a very satisfying ride because although these two-tracks see a lot of motorized use, the surface was very hard, not too sandy or gravelly. In fact, it was a pretty blissful ride, since I went mostly uphill from camp all the way until I turned around, and then had a nice easy ride back to camp.

I had not ridden my bike much at all for a month, and was glad I still had some fitness.

My intended stay was a week. I left on Tuesday afternoon, after only two nights, due to the big windstorm coming in. (And it did.) I hope to go back before the cool season is over with.

Squaw Lake is just about my favorite place to camp in western Arizona. Endless opportunities for paddling, hiking and biking. Camping out on the peninsula in the walk-in sites is quiet and private, even when the RV section is crowded. The only exception to this will be big holiday weekends. Anyway, the camp host has 4 wheelbarrows for you to use. You can have a campfire, have your boat right next to your camp, and be very happy.

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There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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