Climbed up the west ridge. Took longer than expected, but back to car in about 3.5 hours. Black Joe Mine Road is good with 4WD and high clearance, just a couple small rough spots.
I took the west side route from Black Joe Mine Rd. The road was pretty rough with a gnarly wash crossing after 0.4 miles and a steep eroded section requiring high clearance and 4x4 after 0.5 miles. The rest of the road was just rough and rocky which is why I decided to park my vehicle about halfway in. The hike itself is straight forward as you can see the entire ridgeline and the scrambling was fun. Great views!
gimpilator - May 5, 2017 1:48 pm Date Climbed: Mar 28, 2017
70 Peaks In 30 Days
This was part of a month long solo peakbagging trip in which I hiked every day and got 70 peaks in 30 days. I hiked the 4 peaks of Frenchman Mountain before driving over to do Mount Wilson in Arizona later the same day. Nice ridge route!
For numerous photos and brief route descriptions see the trip report.
scgrant - Feb 4, 2016 4:41 pm Date Climbed: Jan 21, 2016
Mount Wilson
Hiked up from the west, starting at the end of Black Joe Mine Road. Great to get a low elevation prominence peak, in dry conditions after spending the last several months hiking in the snow. Did this peak on the way to Sedona.
RaymondShevsky - Dec 21, 2013 9:04 pm Date Climbed: Jan 4, 2011
Another Arizona classic
Beautiful hike up from Horsethief Canyon.
jdmorehouse - Mar 14, 2013 5:54 pm Date Climbed: Dec 15, 2012
Up Twice in One Week
The first time up it was cold and there was significant snow on the north slopes and summit. We went back the next weekend and it was sunny and mild. On the way out the sun set and moon rise (full) occurred simultaneously. It was gorgeous.
ShinLV - Jan 8, 2013 12:48 am Date Climbed: Apr 28, 2011
Via Black Joe Mine Rd. (West Ridge Route)
3 of us climbed from the West Ridge route. We drove the off road off I-93 from the Black Joe Mine Road to the base of the mountain.
The hike was mostly steep class 2 and few class 3(easy 4).
rlawson - Apr 15, 2012 10:42 am Date Climbed: Apr 1, 2012
Mt. Wilson
Hiked from highway via the Pinnacle, then south summit to north summit, and down via Cleaver Crack. Hard day of scrambling.
surgent - Jan 23, 2012 1:09 pm Date Climbed: Jan 22, 2012
Cool day, great hike
Went with Scott Peavy, we took the Missouri Springs Route, but followed ridges moreso than drainages and had a fantastic climb. For an AZ peak, it sure felt like Nevada, with very little cactus on the slopes. Main ridge with rock pinnacles was fun and made us earn the summit.
fedak - Mar 13, 2011 8:37 pm Date Climbed: Mar 12, 2011
From Missouri Spring
Angled a bit too far south and hit the ridge about 1/2 mile south of the summit.
Geotrash on the summit. Don't understand that activity at all.
Nice one! Flowers were great, though the wind was pretty strong. Hiked up the road a bit, then picked our way along ridges up to the main Wilson Ridge. Over a couple false summits and some minor boulder-hopping to the great views of Vegas, Lake Mead, and the Mojave. Saw a wild horse on our return, which was pretty cool.
Tracy - Dec 5, 2009 11:41 pm Date Climbed: Mar 19, 2010
via ridge route
Hiked up this one with Bristol Ellington via the ridge route that starts near the end of Black Joe Mine Road. That was almost 8 and and half years after (11/2/01) we had hiked up to the 4,000' level from the end of Horse Thief Canyon Road and 3 and a half months after (12/5/09) I climbed North Wilson with Steve Stembridge and Les Rekve. The North Wilson hike started from the vicinity of Teakettle Pass near the end of the Nat. Park Svc. Road that goes from Kingman Wash up to the Fortification Hill trailhead and beyond. North Wilson up and back took us about 4.5 hours.
The same day we bagged Mount Wilson, we hiked down the southeast ridge to start our way back to our vehicle and I bagged South Wilson along the way. We hiked the whole circle in about 5 hours.
There were summit registers atop all three peaks.
oldadit - Aug 5, 2008 12:47 am Date Climbed: Jan 18, 2003
Wilson from east
Got Honda to closure on jeep road, but it vehicle
was not all that happy. Rocky bushwack to top, but
bet this is easier than east side. Good to see Vegas folks
climbing this peak - it is off the radar of most AZ hikers.
jimegan - Feb 7, 2008 6:52 pm Date Climbed: Feb 1, 2003
mt wilson
climbed with Alan Nakashima and Ali Haghi
MoapaPk - Jan 14, 2008 9:16 pm Date Climbed: Dec 28, 2002
standard
We went up the standard route on the west side, came down a more interesting gully with dryfalls.
Years later, I crossed over to the peak to the north -- a very wild trip. That ridge is a lot rougher than you would infer from the topo map. The hike brought me through pools, marshes, and cottonwoods, quite unexpected on the west side of the ridge, during one of the driest winters in memory.
Anya Jingle - Jan 28, 2007 12:42 am Date Climbed: Jan 18, 2007
Nice hike from the highway. Found an old car (from the 40's or 50's, I dunno) in a wash along the way. Some decent class 3-4 scrambling on the granitic upper south/southwest ridge. Nice views from the summit.
streeyyr - May 31, 2005 9:33 am Date Climbed: May 15, 2005
GlennD - Jul 23, 2020 10:58 pm Date Climbed: Jul 23, 2020
Mt WilsonClimbed up the west ridge. Took longer than expected, but back to car in about 3.5 hours. Black Joe Mine Road is good with 4WD and high clearance, just a couple small rough spots.
mstender - Apr 3, 2018 2:22 pm Date Climbed: Apr 2, 2018
Road was rough!I took the west side route from Black Joe Mine Rd. The road was pretty rough with a gnarly wash crossing after 0.4 miles and a steep eroded section requiring high clearance and 4x4 after 0.5 miles. The rest of the road was just rough and rocky which is why I decided to park my vehicle about halfway in. The hike itself is straight forward as you can see the entire ridgeline and the scrambling was fun. Great views!
gimpilator - May 5, 2017 1:48 pm Date Climbed: Mar 28, 2017
70 Peaks In 30 DaysThis was part of a month long solo peakbagging trip in which I hiked every day and got 70 peaks in 30 days. I hiked the 4 peaks of Frenchman Mountain before driving over to do Mount Wilson in Arizona later the same day. Nice ridge route!
For numerous photos and brief route descriptions see the trip report.
scgrant - Feb 4, 2016 4:41 pm Date Climbed: Jan 21, 2016
Mount WilsonHiked up from the west, starting at the end of Black Joe Mine Road. Great to get a low elevation prominence peak, in dry conditions after spending the last several months hiking in the snow. Did this peak on the way to Sedona.
RaymondShevsky - Dec 21, 2013 9:04 pm Date Climbed: Jan 4, 2011
Another Arizona classicBeautiful hike up from Horsethief Canyon.
jdmorehouse - Mar 14, 2013 5:54 pm Date Climbed: Dec 15, 2012
Up Twice in One WeekThe first time up it was cold and there was significant snow on the north slopes and summit. We went back the next weekend and it was sunny and mild. On the way out the sun set and moon rise (full) occurred simultaneously. It was gorgeous.
ShinLV - Jan 8, 2013 12:48 am Date Climbed: Apr 28, 2011
Via Black Joe Mine Rd. (West Ridge Route)3 of us climbed from the West Ridge route. We drove the off road off I-93 from the Black Joe Mine Road to the base of the mountain.
The hike was mostly steep class 2 and few class 3(easy 4).
Here is my report.
http://www.vegashikers.com/pic/20110428/p1.html
rlawson - Apr 15, 2012 10:42 am Date Climbed: Apr 1, 2012
Mt. WilsonHiked from highway via the Pinnacle, then south summit to north summit, and down via Cleaver Crack. Hard day of scrambling.
surgent - Jan 23, 2012 1:09 pm Date Climbed: Jan 22, 2012
Cool day, great hikeWent with Scott Peavy, we took the Missouri Springs Route, but followed ridges moreso than drainages and had a fantastic climb. For an AZ peak, it sure felt like Nevada, with very little cactus on the slopes. Main ridge with rock pinnacles was fun and made us earn the summit.
fedak - Mar 13, 2011 8:37 pm Date Climbed: Mar 12, 2011
From Missouri SpringAngled a bit too far south and hit the ridge about 1/2 mile south of the summit.
Geotrash on the summit. Don't understand that activity at all.
Pics and commentary are here.
sbkelley - Apr 8, 2010 2:20 pm Date Climbed: Apr 3, 2010
east slopesNice one! Flowers were great, though the wind was pretty strong. Hiked up the road a bit, then picked our way along ridges up to the main Wilson Ridge. Over a couple false summits and some minor boulder-hopping to the great views of Vegas, Lake Mead, and the Mojave. Saw a wild horse on our return, which was pretty cool.
Tracy - Dec 5, 2009 11:41 pm Date Climbed: Mar 19, 2010
via ridge routeHiked up this one with Bristol Ellington via the ridge route that starts near the end of Black Joe Mine Road. That was almost 8 and and half years after (11/2/01) we had hiked up to the 4,000' level from the end of Horse Thief Canyon Road and 3 and a half months after (12/5/09) I climbed North Wilson with Steve Stembridge and Les Rekve. The North Wilson hike started from the vicinity of Teakettle Pass near the end of the Nat. Park Svc. Road that goes from Kingman Wash up to the Fortification Hill trailhead and beyond. North Wilson up and back took us about 4.5 hours.
The same day we bagged Mount Wilson, we hiked down the southeast ridge to start our way back to our vehicle and I bagged South Wilson along the way. We hiked the whole circle in about 5 hours.
There were summit registers atop all three peaks.
oldadit - Aug 5, 2008 12:47 am Date Climbed: Jan 18, 2003
Wilson from eastGot Honda to closure on jeep road, but it vehicle
was not all that happy. Rocky bushwack to top, but
bet this is easier than east side. Good to see Vegas folks
climbing this peak - it is off the radar of most AZ hikers.
jimegan - Feb 7, 2008 6:52 pm Date Climbed: Feb 1, 2003
mt wilsonclimbed with Alan Nakashima and Ali Haghi
MoapaPk - Jan 14, 2008 9:16 pm Date Climbed: Dec 28, 2002
standardWe went up the standard route on the west side, came down a more interesting gully with dryfalls.
Years later, I crossed over to the peak to the north -- a very wild trip. That ridge is a lot rougher than you would infer from the topo map. The hike brought me through pools, marshes, and cottonwoods, quite unexpected on the west side of the ridge, during one of the driest winters in memory.
Anya Jingle - Jan 28, 2007 12:42 am Date Climbed: Jan 18, 2007
Via Ridge RouteNice hike, but I like the Missouri Springs route more. Slideshows are here: Wilson via Missouri Springs , Wilson via Ridge Route
redsplashman23 - Dec 10, 2006 2:02 am Date Climbed: Dec 9, 2006
Mt WilsonIt was a windy day. Nice scrambling.
cp0915 - Apr 17, 2006 2:38 pm Date Climbed: Apr 14, 2006
S/SW ridgeNice hike from the highway. Found an old car (from the 40's or 50's, I dunno) in a wash along the way. Some decent class 3-4 scrambling on the granitic upper south/southwest ridge. Nice views from the summit.
streeyyr - May 31, 2005 9:33 am Date Climbed: May 15, 2005
Mount WilsonA rugged and impressive desert peak.