Harquahala Mountain Summit Road

BLM ran dozer to the summit. Ran down high spots, filled in low spots and widened the road in places for pull outs. Not complaining, it was still a great day on the trail. And thankfully they didn’t blade the road to townsite. You will need a spotter and a high clearance rig to get down and back. Broke trailing arm mount on the way back up from the townsite. It was quite an adventure getting back to the staging area.

This trail is definitely harder than rated. I would say 4x4 required. Pretty bumpy all the way with some steep loose climbs. Made it up with my new stock Gladiator Mojave but I had to pick some lines carefully. Definitely worth the trip!

This is our third time on this road and holy moley Batman, the monsoons were not kind to this road. Definitely a 4WD road right now. Tons of imbedded rocks and just incredibly rough all the way almost every yard of it. Took us over 90 minutes to go the 10 miles in a lifted Jeep. Met a guy from CAP ((they own the tower up top) and he said they’d have a guy work on the road later so hopefully it will improve soon. One other couple was up there in a side by side and the first thing said was how much worse the road is.

This BLM Back Country Byway is a great trail for a day trip or to spend multiple nights. We’re on Day 4 after driving to the top and spending the first night there, then due to cold wind, making our way down to one of the many designated camp sites (with metal fire rings and picnic tables) lower on the route. While “easy,” it’s steep in spots with loose rocks and some high-clearance bits, but for such a remote, steep two-track, very well maintained. Nothing scary if you have confidence in your driving and your vehicle, but we both (two Jeeps) used low range in stretches, and the steep switchbacks and shelf drops render the roughly 1.5 or 2-hour trip up (10 miles, but you’ll stop a lot to enjoy the views) somewhat exhilarating and super rewarding for those of us not in the rock-crawler category. While this is probably doable in 2WD with high clearance, I would not try it (though the first few miles it would be fine). Fantastic 360-degree view from the top (clouds formed right UNDER our noses the first morning), and wonderful views from several of the other camp sites. Lots of history to the abandon science station at the top, and some of it is spelled out in worthwhile metal posters that are more than half unreadable due to weathering. Super quiet, except for the distant roar of military jets a few times each day. We arrived Sunday afternoon, saw 2 or 3 ORV groups leaving the staging area at the bottom, then only 3 other rigs in 4 days, both doing same-day ups-downs. We hear it’s busier on weekends.

This trail is less than 2 hours from my home, so when I got a bit of cabin fever yesterday morning, this was close and remote. Great decision! This trail is just enough to get the butterflies going, but mild enough to conquer with ease and easy on your vehicle. It almost feels like cheating; you get an epic 360 view without having to break a tie rod or anything. I smiled the entire last quarter of the trail. Spent the night in RTT… The moonrise, sunrise and the cloud show made the wind worth bearing. Didn’t sleep much from the tent noise. Next time will sleep downstairs in the jeep. Epic overnight experience! Spent the next two nights at the campsite at the base of the mountain about 1/3 the way up the trail. It was serene and gorgeous and much less windy.

We were fortunate to have cool(er) temps due to the monsoons over the weekend which made it tolerable for this time of the year, though the humidity was killer. The trail is in good shape. It’s quite a climb and using 4 low on the way down certainly helped save the brakes. The view at the top is amazing and offers views all the way from Phoenix to California. We did take the Monterey Mine trail at Waypoint-4. This narrow trail leads up to the mine that has three levels and is pretty cool. As far as seeing artifacts, the mine area is pretty cleared out so there is not a lot to see in that regard. Bats are present and so is a rattle snake so watch where you step. The trail up to the mine and its three apparent levels is very steep, very rocky and very rutted in places with sharp switch backs. It is rated at least a 5/5 or 6/6 at some of the hardest obstacles at the time of this writing - so know your and your vehicles limits. There are no bypass opportunities. Wheel gouges are promised. On a previous trip my buddy punctured a new BFG KO2 (a tough tire) and destroyed the rim and tire getting to a flatter spot to change to his spare. Of course this weekend he went back for more :-).

Arizona National Forests and State Lands are back open for travel. There are still some very important fire restrictions in place. These restrictions can often change by specific areas.

Due to extremely high fire danger, exceptional drought conditions, resource availability, and increased fire activity, the Department of Forestry and Fire Management and the Arizona State Land Department will implement closures to State Trust Land throughout Arizona. These closures are also in conjunction with our USFS partners. As of 8am on June 25, 2021, closures will be implemented on state-owned and managed lands in all 15 counties. All state-owned and managed lands are closed to entry for recreational purposes, including hunting, camping, and off-road vehicle use. Target shooting and fireworks are prohibited year-round. AZ State Land Closures Notice

Ran this trail for the first time on Saturday with a group of folks from the valley. Good mix of other vehicles not from my group on this particular day with no one acting too crazy. Lots of great views on the way up/down and from the top. The switchbacks can be tricky/blind so take your time navigating those. Trail is in overall good condition for as much use as it gets. There are some rocky and washed portions that are manageable. I would recommend 4 Low from about half way up to the top. I used 4 Low from just past the turn off to Monterey mine all the way up then all the way back down to the same point.

This was my first trail and loved getting all the way to the top. Steep rocky inclines the last few miles up, amazing views and history at the top

Trail is dry and in good condition. Blind switchbacks as you round corners on way up; easier to take wide on way down. Gorgeous views up/down and at the top. No Trespassing sign on CAP fence had me chuckle, as there is no water anywhere nearby...lol. Not a "challenging drive" or technical but it is a good drive that delivers awesome views. 4wd will be needed towards the top due to incline/rocky surface. Kiosk at bottom has a lot of information and good spot to air up/down. It'd be nice if the information placards were replaced at the top, they have deteriorated due to sun/weather.

Beautiful Drive up the Mountain! There was snow on the summit, and some mud on the trail, but still an relatively easy drive. Fairly busy trail - saw other jeeps, UTV's, and Dirt bikes. Gorgeous views up on top, plus some cool history and geology.

This is a great trail. A few spots that may require 4WD due to steepness. Fantastic views from the top and great camping at the bottom! Some sites even have picnic tables!

The Arizona Bronco Club took 4 rigs on Saturday. The weather was windy, clear skies, Temps were in the low 90s. with the wind, it made it very comfortable. The trail rating is still easy. With the rains, there were some mild washouts but nothing to change the rating. In fact, an older Rav 4 made it to the top with street tires along with their companion in a compact Chevy S10 Blazer. The trail is steep and narrow in places as mentioned. I was surprised at the number of campsites along the trail. There is a ton of history here, and if you know what you are looking at out on the horizon there is much more history to see. The area mines make for fun rock n gem gathering. The wash had some heavily modified buggies having fun that day. This is a fun trail for everyone.

Did a run with 4 2014+ Cherokee KLs of various flavors (3 Trailhawks, 1 75th Anniversary) and a JKU Sport. We met up at about 7am for the run before the heat kicked in. Was a pretty easy, but gorgeous drive to the top. 4x4 necessary in a few spots due to the steep ascent and loose rocks, but no one in the group had any trouble. The descent needed some engine braking/hill decent, but all in all it was a great way to spend the morning. Trail was in good condition as far as I could tell. Bone dry, no water (run was pre-monsoon). A lot wider in the switchbacks than I expected based on various reports I've read, but that might be my perspective as a the KL is a lot smaller and more nimble than a JKU. There's a ton of history up there, quite a few structures and a sort of outdoor museum of sorts with lots of information. There is currently a weather station/observatory at the top. If you're into camping, there are camping sites all along the trail, including at the summit. I can only imagine the look at the stars you can get from the top./