Approach
From Robles Junction at the intersection of AZ 86 and 286, drive about 29 miles south on AZ 286 to milepost 16. About 0.2 miles south of milepost 16, turn right onto a
dirt road and drive about 2.7 miles to a fork. You will pass through a gate shortly after the turnoff. At the fork, turn right and drive northwest about 2.8 miles to a second gate. Drive through this gate, and drive about 2.2 miles to a locked gate, passing by a windmill in the process. Park here. The elevation here is about 4,500'.
Route Description
This route is also known as the Forbes Route. From the parking area, you can clearly see
Baboquivari Peak towering above you to the west. You can also see a prominent saddle just to the right of the peak. You will climb up to this saddle on the trail.
From the parking spot, walk through the hikers gate, then start walking west up the road. After about a third of a mile or so, you will pass by a ranch. Walk past the ranch, where the road soon turns into a use trail. Follow the trail as it climbs along the bottom of the scenic
Thomas Canyon. The route is brushy in places. The trail will then turn slightly to the right, and the
climb will steepen as you start your push for the
6,400' saddle located just northeast of the peak. The trail leads all the way to the saddle, but it ends there. From here on out, it's mostly a rock scramble and bushwhack. Baboquivari Peak can be seen towering above you from this
point.
From the saddle, start heading towards the peak on the west side of the saddle. There is a faint use trail here and there. You will have to bushwhack your way in places as you climb up to the base of the first pitch. Some guidebooks say you should aim for a
deep notch at a 250-degree bearing from the saddle. Climb up the faint use path along the western base of the cliffs until you can go no higher. At this point, you will reach the notch in the cliffs. Hike into the notch until you reach the cliffs on three sides of you. The first pitch is on the right cliff face. There are two routes here. One goes directly up through an opening beneath a
chockstone, and the other goes just to the right of the chockstone. This Class 3/4 pitch is about 20' high or so.
Once above the first pitch, start climbing up the use trail to the base of the
second pitch, which is only a short distance away. The 40' high second pitch is the easiest of the three pitches. The rock is knobby and rough, which provides lots of friction. Once above the second pitch, you will continue climbing up some
sloping rock slabs. Continue to follow the faint use trail as it angles up and to the right through the brush, where you will arrive at the
base of the Class 4 third pitch at 7,400'. This is the most difficult of the three pitches. As you
climb up the pitch, you will angle up and to the right to reach a ledge about 50' or so above the ground. This is the
belay point, and some good anchoring points are available here. Once you reach the ledge, climb up the
rocky and brushy slope about 50' or so until you reach more level ground, where you will pick up the use trail again. The route then turns to the left and starts heading up a
brush-filled gully. Climb up this gully, then turn right and make the final push to the
summit, where you can enjoy the desert views.
Hiking Distance: About 9 miles round trip.
Elevation Gain: About 3,400'.
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MDSF - Nov 29, 2021 12:00 pm - Hasn't voted
Babo East Side Update--Nov2021This Thomas Canyon post has some excellent Beta on the rock, but lacks some important details on the approach. TNC has abandoned this ranch some time ago, so the last 3.5 miles of road will demand a real 4WD truck style vehicle, and you need to bypass the first mile of the User Trail by walking in the arroyo instead. Brushy does not begin to describe the dense Catclaw (!) and Mesquite now growing in the old road, which you should avoid at all costs if you value your legs and pants. Once past the first mile, look for the User Trail cairns which show it descending the right bank, and crossing to the left. If you miss it, no worries as it is then only 30' up on the left side for at least 1/3 mile after crossing, and provides a faster way up than scrambling the rocky arroyo bottom. Regarding water, you will likely find seeps a half-mile before the last gate at an upwelling, and then above the ranch for at least a mile. These are most welcome for dogs, washing the sweat off, and providing relief from the unrelenting desert sun. Finally, the East side route does require a bit more work to get on the rock, but the incredible 500' sheer granite faces of the East and South sides make up for it. The West/Fresnel approach gives you no views for the first miles, and then you see the much gentler ascension face the rest of the way. As long as the Papago have closed this access, Thomas Canyon is your only real option, but it could be the preferred one always , if Tucsonans put a few days work into the trail and removing boulders in the road.