Class 3 3.1 miles 1300 gain 2-4 hrs Out + Back Oct 26, 2018
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Muggins Peak GPX Track

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On your way to the trailhead, you'll get to a public works gated off square. Turn left here, at 32.721767,-114.2790236, avoiding the "no trespassing" signs.

Starting from the parking area, head down on the Jeep road and through a wash until you get to the official Muggins Wilderness Trailhead, complete with a billboard. This is where a five mile loop circles around Muggins Peak, but I was more interested in finding a route up the peak itself. Muggins Peak looks pretty daunting from here, but it's not too bad. Continue up the wash, and head right when it splits. When you have the gully between the two Muggins Peak peaklets (east and west), beeline to that gully and begins scrambling. The first obstacle is a fun Class 3 dryfall, followed by a bunch of loose Class 2 for a while until you reach a grotto just beneath the saddle. Maybe there's an easier way up to the saddle (or rather, less loose and scary), but my Class 3+ scramble brought me there and I didn't see any obvious easier ways up.

From the saddle, I went to Muggins Peak East first. Keep working up the south side, passing one particularly scary move due to the nature of this awful rotten rock. After this summit, the West peak went more easily. It's sketchy to go directly up the ridge, so head southwest beneath the peak and then zigzag back up to the ridge, passing a couple of fun moves on fairly solid rock, and a small knife-edge ridge on to gain the summit. This would be a really fun, quick outing if not for the mostly treacherous, breakable rock.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Muggins Peak
1424 ft
664 rise

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Starting from the parking area, you can see Muggins Peak poking out.
Starting from the parking area, you can see Muggins Peak poking out.
Short narrow section before getting to the official trailhead, where a information kiosk mentions a 5 mile loop around Muggins Peak.
Short narrow section before getting to the official trailhead, where a information kiosk mentions a 5 mile loop around Muggins Peak.
Beeline through the desert to the gully between the two Muggins Peak pinnacles.
Beeline through the desert to the gully between the two Muggins Peak pinnacles.
Approaching the gully.
Approaching the gully.
Image 4 from gallery
Class 3 move to get into the guly.
Class 3 move to get into the guly.
Looking down the Class 3 section.
Looking down the Class 3 section.
Continuing up the gully, both peaks of Muggins Peak visible.
Continuing up the gully, both peaks of Muggins Peak visible.
Looking down the way I came, approaching the crux.
Looking down the way I came, approaching the crux.
Heading farther up the gully. I went all the way into a small grotto (center) and did a sketchy Class 3+ section (maybe there's an easier way?). Loose rock everywhere from here up. Be careful.
Heading farther up the gully. I went all the way into a small grotto (center) and did a sketchy Class 3+ section (maybe there's an easier way?). Loose rock everywhere from here up. Be careful.
Above the sketchy Class 3+ section, at the saddle of the two peaks.
Above the sketchy Class 3+ section, at the saddle of the two peaks.
Looking toward the eastern peak. Keep right when in doubt. It's all scary and not super fun. More beta in a later photo.
Looking toward the eastern peak. Keep right when in doubt. It's all scary and not super fun. More beta in a later photo.
Summit of east peak looking to the west peak.
Summit of east peak looking to the west peak.
Back at the saddle, heading around the south side of the west peak to avoid really sketchy stuff.
Back at the saddle, heading around the south side of the west peak to avoid really sketchy stuff.
Looking north at the west peak - more reasonable than just going straight up from the saddle.
Looking north at the west peak - more reasonable than just going straight up from the saddle.
Looking down at the saddle. I came up from the right side in this photo.
Looking down at the saddle. I came up from the right side in this photo.
Small knife-edge to gain the summit.
Small knife-edge to gain the summit.
Looking back toward the small knife edge and the east peak from west peak of Muggins Peak summit.
Looking back toward the small knife edge and the east peak from west peak of Muggins Peak summit.
Close-up of east peak for beta. Locate the small cave in the center of the peak - you'll scramble up to this cave and pull a sketchy move to the right side of the cave, then keep to the right and spiral up to the summit.
Close-up of east peak for beta. Locate the small cave in the center of the peak - you'll scramble up to this cave and pull a sketchy move to the right side of the cave, then keep to the right and spiral up to the summit.

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!