Class 2 8.5 miles 3600 gain 3-5 hrs Out + Back Mar 1, 2019
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Mount Wilson GPX Track

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Mount Wilson is the second-highest summit in the Black Mountains on the Arizona side of the Colorado River. It's generally accessed from Interstate-11 off of Black Joe Mine Road. I had to park pretty close to the highway because Black Joe Mine Road was a bit rough for my taste. The road leads over two miles to the trailhead, marked by a fork with a short dead-end section to the left. You could knock off these miles if you have high clearance. On a subsequent hike to Mount Wilson, I was able to get my Crossover SUV all the way to the upper trailhead, so either the road was improved or my headgame for driving has gotten better.

I crossed the wash to the left and ascended the ridge on the opposite side, where a faint climbers' trail awaited. As I gained elevation, the trail became more defined, although there were moments where it disappeared, necessitating some route-finding skills. Despite the occasional challenges, it's pretty apparent if you're off-route because generally the ridge crest offers the easiest terrain.

The hike itself was a mix of Class 2 terrain interspersed with short sections where the ridgeline is more open and easier to walk on. About a third of the way up the ridge is a false summit with a steep rock outcropping that needs to be wrapped around. There's some Class 2/2+ scrambling to gain the summit, and while it was short, it was a nice ending to an otherwise typical desert ridge hike. I could see Las Vegas, Lake Mead, and Mount Charleston in the distance, and the nearby desert peaks of the Black Canyon looked very small from way up here on Mount Wilson.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Mount Wilson
5445 ft
3205 rise

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Walking along Black Joe Mine Road, Mt. Wilson the obvious peak in the center.
Walking along Black Joe Mine Road, Mt. Wilson the obvious peak in the center.
Image 1 from gallery
Leaving Black Joe Mine Road and headed up the ridge on the left.
Leaving Black Joe Mine Road and headed up the ridge on the left.
Looking back down the ridge.
Looking back down the ridge.
Ascending the rocky ridge on a social trail.
Ascending the rocky ridge on a social trail.
A view toward a false summit along the ridge.
A view toward a false summit along the ridge.
False summit, view toward Mount Wilson.
False summit, view toward Mount Wilson.
View back at my progress.
View back at my progress.
Alternating between rocky terrain and tamer hiking.
Alternating between rocky terrain and tamer hiking.
View back, the social trail quite visible during this section. Fortification Hill seen on the right.
View back, the social trail quite visible during this section. Fortification Hill seen on the right.
Mount Wilson ahead on the right.
Mount Wilson ahead on the right.
A rocky slope coming up.
A rocky slope coming up.
Class 2.
Class 2.
Some Class 2 sections. Nothing crazy.
Some Class 2 sections. Nothing crazy.
The trail seemed to leave the crest for a short time to avoid some rockiness, only coming back to it again shortly after.
The trail seemed to leave the crest for a short time to avoid some rockiness, only coming back to it again shortly after.
Final push to Mount Wilson.
Final push to Mount Wilson.
View northwest toward Fortification Hill (center) and Lake Mead.
View northwest toward Fortification Hill (center) and Lake Mead.
Mount Wilson summit, looking toward the entire ridgeline I just came up.
Mount Wilson summit, looking toward the entire ridgeline I just came up.
Mount Wilson summit, close-up toward the Interstate and the tip of Lake Mead and the bridge over the Hoover Dam.
Mount Wilson summit, close-up toward the Interstate and the tip of Lake Mead and the bridge over the Hoover Dam.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!