Overview
This is an interesting route with a lot of natural interest from petroglyphs to cactus, palo verde trees, and flowers. I saw a group of four bighorn sheep the day that I hiked it. There is a small amount of class 3 rock.
Getting There
From Phoenix drive about 30 miles east on US Highway 60 to King Ranch Road. Turn left and drive 3 miles to a cattle guard. Turn right on Baseline Avenue and drive 0.2 miles. Turn left here on Mohican Road and go 0.4 miles to Valley View Drive. Turn left on Valley View. Turn right on Cloudview Road and drive 0.5 miles on poor dirt to the end at a carpark with a toilet. The hike starts here.
Route Description
From the carpark hike about 0.25 miles east on a maintained path to a wide trail. Turning left (north) here and hike about 1.0 mile to the mouth of Hieroglyphic Canyon. Continue another 0.5 miles into the canyon on a sometimes thin trail. Look right up to a ridge with an obvious balancing rock (see photo). Climb east up the slope just to gain the ridge running south of the peak. Continue generally east on a faint use trail over point 4402 and then to the summit. There is a rock band between poin 4402 and the summit that requires about 15 feet of class 3 rock climbing.
Essential Gear
None
External Links
Alex Amies Photos
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Marmaduke - Apr 1, 2011 1:43 am - Hasn't voted
Hieroglyphics?Why is this canyon named this? You don't mention it on your page, are they there somewhere?
DougHemken - Oct 24, 2011 1:01 pm - Hasn't voted
Hieroglyphs (sic)The trail you follow soon after you leave the parking lot is the "Hieroglyph Trail". The petroglyphs are in the rocks where the trail drops into the wash (where the trail ends), on the West side of the wash.
Marmaduke - Nov 25, 2011 2:54 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Hieroglyphs (sic)I will look for them next time in the area. Somehow hoe we missed them Thanks.
Vic Hanson - Feb 15, 2015 11:48 pm - Hasn't voted
No restroomWas out there today and the road is now paved all the way to the parking lot but there is no restroom. There are also nice signs at each turn that say "Hiking" with an arrow showing which way to turn. The trail past the petroglyphics is in pretty good shape and plenty of cairns to make it easy to follow.