The Harquahala's

It looks like you on top of the world.  That's what my wife Rose said the first time she was on top of the Harquahala Mountains summit.    The Harquahala Mountains Wilderness area is one of my favorite areas for hunting upland quail as well as deer.  You can even find Bighorn Sheep and Lions haunting the summits of this mountain range.  The United States Congress designated the Harquahala Mountains a Wilderness Area in 1990.  The wilderness area encompasses a total of 22,880 acres. 

Lion Tracks I found during this years hunt.

Harquahala means "running water high up" in the language of one early native tribe. The Harquahala's reach a high point on the western side on Harquahala Peak at 5,691 feet.  This is the highest elevation in the southwestern part of the state. From the summit of the peak the panorama includes Alamo Lake, Lake Pleasant and on a clear day you can see the San Francisco Peaks.  The terrain has high peaks and foothills, deep rocky canyons, valleys, and ridges.  You can also find old homesteads and numerous mines.   Sunset Canyon falls 1,600 feet from the steep east rim of the mountains and Brown's Canyon, which stretches for nine miles across the northeastern portion, is seldom visited because of its inaccessibility.

In the 1920s the Smithsonian Institute built an observatory on Harquahala Peak and a rough trail for mules to carry up supplies. The obscure Harquahala Peak Trail runs about 5.4 miles one-way to the ruins of the observatory; rock Cairns mark the way. More about the Smithsonian Institute Observatory

  How do you get there?  Well I guess I'll have to tell ya.  Head west on Route 60 from Phoenix until you come to Aquila Az. and take Eagle Eye Road south. You will find several jeep trails turning off the pavement into the mountains but stay on Eagle Eye until you come to the BLM sign indicating the Jeep Trail to the summit, There is a staging area for offloading jeeps or quads complete with information about the area, a bathroom and picnic tables and grills along the route.  This road is a designated four-wheel drive road, which is maintained and does reach Harquahala Peak.  Be careful though, erosion and steep grades will be encountered. Some private lands are located around and within the wilderness and are not federally administered. Please respect the property rights of the owners and do not cross or use these lands without their permission.  Remember; Please take care of our wilderness areas.  Let's make sure our children and grandchildren are able to enjoy Arizona's great outdoors. 

Game and Fish Management Unit 44A

For more information contact:
Bureau of Land Management
Phoenix Field Office
2015 West Deer Valley Road
Phoenix, AZ 85027
(623) 580-5500