technicolorNH - Oct 24, 2020 7:35 pm Date Climbed: Oct 22, 2020
clearing the way
Glad I brought my club; I was smashing dead branches apart from the lookout all the way across the ridge to the high point. Took two hours and forty minutes from parking area to high point with much wood flying everywhere. The TH is located just after an orange and black striped road drainage sign. Easy to miss because of the way the vegetation has grown back in the area.
mstender - Apr 10, 2018 8:42 am Date Climbed: Apr 7, 2018
Fun hike!
Hiked the trail to the lookout and then across the ridge to the highpoint. I went the way back. Very pretty area and great views deep into Mexico. I really enjoyed this hike. The area was teaming with border patrol.
Paul McClellan - Dec 31, 2015 10:21 pm Date Climbed: Dec 31, 2015
Ideal weather, nice views
Hiked the trail to the Atascosa Lookout, then dropped down the north ridge and up the south ridge of Atascosa Peak over rock and through some brush. Looked for but was not sure of the footpath traversing around the lookout summit towards the peak summit. On the return could not find the traversing footpath, so climbed over the lookout again. Perhaps the recent fires and subsequent brush growth has hidden this footpath.
Iron Hiker - Dec 27, 2011 8:22 pm Date Climbed: Dec 27, 2011
Burned by fire, but still nice
Climbed with my mom and dad. Mom waited at the lookout site while Dad and I made the almost 2-hr traverse to the summit and back. The entire area was burned by fire in the summer of 2011 which sadly consumed the lookout, but the views are still very good and the area feels tranquil and quiet.
There isn't that much of a "path" between the lookout and the summit, but rather a cairned route. Cross-country travel isn't too tough (the hardest part is the first stretch down from the lookout which involves a little scrambling and/or awkward sidehilling), and it's relatively easy to avoid whacking through burned brush/trees. It was a fun game at times figuring out the best route to take.
Our entry in the register was the first since before the fire, but I'm sure others have been up since. Great hike!
utahjimk - Nov 9, 2011 4:10 pm Date Climbed: Mar 19, 2009
utahjimk
wonderful views of Basin & Range country. Did the Lookout only.
Having been to the lookout several times, decided sometime in spring of 2006, to go behind and along ridge at time to peak. Some ups and downs. Found path and mostly followed it. Nice views but similar to those at lookout.
oldadit - Aug 7, 2008 6:23 pm Date Climbed: Aug 17, 2003
Abbey was here
Hiked trail to 5800', bushwacked to Peak, then backtracked
to Lookout. Nice register in lookout, with comments
on Ed Abbey, who worked in this lookout.
hans.schenk - Sep 20, 2007 11:00 am Date Climbed: Dec 10, 2005
3 peaks
The goal of the day was Castle Rock (Pena Blanca), Atascosa Lookout, and Atascosa Peak. Successful on all three accounts. I had an engagement later that day and we didn't have a lot of time, but we made the traverse from Lookout to Atascosa in under 45 minutes...great fun!
LandonQ - Jan 8, 2006 10:57 pm Date Climbed: Jan 8, 2006
Route Climbed: Forest Trail 100 Date Climbed: 1-8-06
Climbed with Chris on 1-8-06. Nice little hike. After riding out the 6 miles of bumpy road in his lowrider we got under way and it didn't take to terrible long to reach the shack on top of Atascosa Lookout. We hung around there noticing the migrating ladybugs and taking mock pictures with the bottle of Jack Daniels kindly left inside the structure. After downclimbing a bit we picked up on the trail heading over to Atacosa Peak. The "Beaten Path" could've use a little more beating, especially towards the beginning. After a true schlep over a minor peak and over the saddle we climbed a few hundred feet up to the tallest summit in the range.
technicolorNH - Oct 24, 2020 7:35 pm Date Climbed: Oct 22, 2020
clearing the wayGlad I brought my club; I was smashing dead branches apart from the lookout all the way across the ridge to the high point. Took two hours and forty minutes from parking area to high point with much wood flying everywhere. The TH is located just after an orange and black striped road drainage sign. Easy to miss because of the way the vegetation has grown back in the area.
mstender - Apr 10, 2018 8:42 am Date Climbed: Apr 7, 2018
Fun hike!Hiked the trail to the lookout and then across the ridge to the highpoint. I went the way back. Very pretty area and great views deep into Mexico. I really enjoyed this hike. The area was teaming with border patrol.
Paul McClellan - Dec 31, 2015 10:21 pm Date Climbed: Dec 31, 2015
Ideal weather, nice viewsHiked the trail to the Atascosa Lookout, then dropped down the north ridge and up the south ridge of Atascosa Peak over rock and through some brush. Looked for but was not sure of the footpath traversing around the lookout summit towards the peak summit. On the return could not find the traversing footpath, so climbed over the lookout again. Perhaps the recent fires and subsequent brush growth has hidden this footpath.
Iron Hiker - Dec 27, 2011 8:22 pm Date Climbed: Dec 27, 2011
Burned by fire, but still niceClimbed with my mom and dad. Mom waited at the lookout site while Dad and I made the almost 2-hr traverse to the summit and back. The entire area was burned by fire in the summer of 2011 which sadly consumed the lookout, but the views are still very good and the area feels tranquil and quiet.
There isn't that much of a "path" between the lookout and the summit, but rather a cairned route. Cross-country travel isn't too tough (the hardest part is the first stretch down from the lookout which involves a little scrambling and/or awkward sidehilling), and it's relatively easy to avoid whacking through burned brush/trees. It was a fun game at times figuring out the best route to take.
Our entry in the register was the first since before the fire, but I'm sure others have been up since. Great hike!
utahjimk - Nov 9, 2011 4:10 pm Date Climbed: Mar 19, 2009
utahjimkwonderful views of Basin & Range country. Did the Lookout only.
C Wenker - Jan 25, 2010 3:59 pm
Day hikeBushwack up west ridges, then traversed to lookout; maybe 1996/97?
RedRoxx44 - Aug 25, 2008 8:05 am
Makes a short hike more funHaving been to the lookout several times, decided sometime in spring of 2006, to go behind and along ridge at time to peak. Some ups and downs. Found path and mostly followed it. Nice views but similar to those at lookout.
oldadit - Aug 7, 2008 6:23 pm Date Climbed: Aug 17, 2003
Abbey was hereHiked trail to 5800', bushwacked to Peak, then backtracked
to Lookout. Nice register in lookout, with comments
on Ed Abbey, who worked in this lookout.
hans.schenk - Sep 20, 2007 11:00 am Date Climbed: Dec 10, 2005
3 peaksThe goal of the day was Castle Rock (Pena Blanca), Atascosa Lookout, and Atascosa Peak. Successful on all three accounts. I had an engagement later that day and we didn't have a lot of time, but we made the traverse from Lookout to Atascosa in under 45 minutes...great fun!
LandonQ - Jan 8, 2006 10:57 pm Date Climbed: Jan 8, 2006
Route Climbed: Forest Trail 100 Date Climbed: 1-8-06Climbed with Chris on 1-8-06. Nice little hike. After riding out the 6 miles of bumpy road in his lowrider we got under way and it didn't take to terrible long to reach the shack on top of Atascosa Lookout. We hung around there noticing the migrating ladybugs and taking mock pictures with the bottle of Jack Daniels kindly left inside the structure. After downclimbing a bit we picked up on the trail heading over to Atacosa Peak. The "Beaten Path" could've use a little more beating, especially towards the beginning. After a true schlep over a minor peak and over the saddle we climbed a few hundred feet up to the tallest summit in the range.
PeakMule - Jul 4, 2005 12:30 pm
Route Climbed: Forest Trail 100 Date Climbed: 3 July 2005Hiked to the peak to snag Geocache GCKM0F. Used the lookout shack as a convenient spot to stash extra water. Great hike!
streeyyr - Mar 18, 2005 9:15 pm Date Climbed: Oct 18, 1994
Atascosa PeakA small but worthy desert peak.