Peak 3,372', and Point 2,900', Diablo Mountains, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Essence: Ajo Mountain Drive encircles the Diablo Mountains. Two northwest-bearing ridges fan from the highpoint of the small range, Peak 3,372'. This delightful, half-day hike climbs the neglected summit for uncommon views of the Ajo Range close by in the east. On a whim, we ventured out the more northerly ridge to its end on unranked Point 2,900'. This was somewhat spicy, increasing the level of difficulty. There were obstacles to dodge but all the puzzles were solved easily enough. Both segments of the hike have compelling features created by volcanism. This hike is recommended for people experienced with navigating off-trail in the desert. It is more taxing than the statistics imply. The hike is within the Monument administered by the National Park Service.

Travel: From the Visitor Center, cross AZ 85 and measure distance from the beginning of Ajo Mountain Drive. Pass the mouth of Canyon Diablo and Arch Canyon trailhead parking. Pull out and park on the right at 10.1 miles. The Ajo Mountain Drive guide lists this as Stop #11, 10.4 miles.

Fees and Camping: Consult the Monument website; entrance fees and the camping reservation system have changed repeatedly over the years. 
Distance and Elevation Gain: Peak 3,372' is 3.0 miles with 1,200 feet of climbing, round trip. Point 2,900' adds 1.2 miles and 300 feet.
Total Time: 2:30 to 3:30 for Peak 3,372'; add 1:00 to 1:30 for Point 2,900'
Difficulty: off-trail; navigation moderate; Class 2+ with no exposure; steep slopes. Hike on a cool day and carry all the water you will need.
Map: Mount Ajo, AZ 7.5' USGS Quad
Date Hiked: March 26, 2022
Quote: I am in love with this world...I have climbed its mountains, roamed its forests, crossed its deserts, felt the sting of its frosts, the oppression of its heats, the drench of its rains, the fury of its winds, and always have beauty and joy waited upon my goings and comings. John Burroughs

For travelers on Ajo Mountain Drive, the disordered front wall of the Ajo Range understandably consumes attention. In contrast, the highpoint of the Diablo Mountains seems perfectly ordinary and generally goes unnoticed. And yet, it holds treasures awaiting discovery. The image below was shot from Point 2,900' looking south to Peak 3,372'.

 

Route: From parking on Ajo Mountain Drive, hike generally south to Point 3,020'. Follow the north ridge of Peak 3,372' to the summit. Return as you came. For those going to Point 2,900', return to Point 3,020', turn northwest and follow the ridge over Point 2,930', bypassing a couple of obstacles. To return, retrace your steps 0.2 mile, leave the ridge and cut northeast across the desert back to your vehicle.

There are no cairns on this hike. You must be comfortable using landscape markers as your guide. This image was shot from the parking pullout at elevation 2,500 feet. It looks south to Point 3,020' and a small hill that's hard to distinguish in the foreground. The top of the hill is your first objective.

In 2022, the American West was suffering under a megadrought and wildflowers were scarce. We did see the hearty creosote bush in bloom, a few desert chicory, fairy duster, brittlebush, and a new one on us, American threefold. 

(Thomas Holt Ward, photo)

 

Roll over the little hill at a quarter mile, 2,640 feet. The view opens to the climb ahead and to dazzling peaks in the southern sector of the Ajo Range: Diaz Peak, Diaz Spire, and Peak 3,704'.

 

Give up 50 feet to bridge over to the north ridge of Point 3,020'. The Sonoran flora was particularly lush here with dense organ pipe cactus, palo verde, varieties of cholla, jojoba, fishhook barrel, saguaro, and magnificent hedgehogs. The view was already incomparable. Look down on Estes Canyon and the trailhead for Bull Pasture and Mount Ajo. Packed tightly together but separated by an impassible gap is the Point 4,700' and Peak 4,740' duo and Mount Ajo, 4,808'.

 

Ascend on sheets of tuff with resurrection moss thriving on bits of soil, filling in crevices, and holding rock in place. Together, stone and moss create the ultimate experience in pleasant hiking. The iridescent lime-yellow lichen is a complex life form that is a symbiotic partnership of two separate organisms, fungus and alga.

 

Approach a beautiful wall composed of welded tuff, a product of an explosive volcanic eruption. It was so hot at the time of deposition, volcanic ash and small rock fragments were welded together forming pyroclastic rock. Flank the wall on the right. 

Climb through fallen boulders, pitching steeply back to the ridgetop at first opportunity.

Crest Point 3,020' at 0.8 mile. This is the pivot location for those going on to Point 2,900' later in the hike. The highpoint is revealed and so is the challenge it presents, primarily a high-angle slope. First, give up 80 feet traversing to the base of "Yellow Hill." (THW, photo)

A 12-foot-high wall straddles the ridgeline. My partner climbed it easily while I poked around and found a quick bypass on the east. 

 

Going up and over Yellow Hill is one of the best features of the hike. The tuff comes at you in multiple stacked sheets like a layer cake with oozing frosting. The ascent is gradual and passes by a series of caves. (THW, photo)

Stand on the tuff dome at 1.2 miles, 3,040 feet. If you are tapped or running short on time, Yellow Hill is a worthy destination. We had no trip reports for the Diablo Mountains so this entire hike was a mystery that unraveled as we walked. From the hilltop we formed a plan for the climb. We went to the right of the apricot-colored tuff wall and worked our way up past a big cave. The incline was quite steep but there were no major obstacles. Most of the material was well seated but not all. It pitches more radically near the summit with plates of rhyolite talus on the upper cone.

This image looks down on the slope and the absolute perfection of Yellow Hill. (THW, photo)

 

Mount the zenith of the Diablo Mountains at 1.5 miles. The summit is broad, the apex of the horseshoe-shaped ridgeline above Canyon Diablo. Point 3,080' marks the end of the ridge on the south side of the chasm and Point 2,900' is the terminus of the more northerly ridge. Pinkley Peak, shown, is due west in the Puerto Blanco Mountains. Sierra Cubab in Sonora, Mexico rises mightily above the border town of Sonoyta. The peak register was placed in 2001 with one yearly entry on average since then. Peak 3,372' is literally and metaphorically in the shadow of the Ajo Range.

As indicated in the register Canyon Diablo is an appealing alternative route to the summit. Tillotson Peak is the colorful, isolated mountain to the northwest. It could be combined with Peak 3,372' in one day from different trailheads. From this vantage point we decided to explore out the ridge toward Point 2,900'.

 

The descent from Peak 3,372' looks like a precipice at the top. Use caution and intention to keep the plates stable.

  

Return to Point 3,020' at 2.3 miles. If you have had enough, retrace your steps to your vehicle. It is one mile from here to the end of the ridge and takes about an hour. From the pivot point we could see strong obstacles out in front and figured we'd have to be charmed to make the entire passage. 

We walked through an ocotillo forest and crossed a bridgeway made of tuff. The first obstacle was a bulbous, billowing blob of welded tuff at 2.6 miles. We did a work-around on the southwest which enveloped us in a world of welded stone. It appears that you could also bypass on the right but we did not try that.

We returned to the ridge and walked across a red flat that was a magical synergistic community of plant and stone. Below, Point 2,930' is just ahead, image-center. However, first we had to negotiate a 60-foot drop at the end of the flat. We bypassed south which required a four-foot drop but there may be other options.

 

From Point 2,930', the landscape was so irresistible and we were having so much fun we continued onward. We walked over the top of a cone composed of rhyolite plates (image-center), yet another premier feature on this enthralling adventure.

 

To reach the end cap, you may either go through the gap on the north or climb straight up the ridgeline.

Elation! Point 2,900' (3.3 miles) is a tiny pinnacle with big drama. We could have been stopped by any number of obstacles but the ridge gave us a pass. The airy outpost was void of even a summit cairn. Please see the feature photo at the top of this post for a look down into Canyon Diablo and across raw space to Point 3,080'. (THW, photo)

To return, we down-climbed the summit block and retraced our steps while looking for a good exit downslope.

 

We reclimbed the dome of slabs and then left the ridge 0.2 mile from the outpost. We could see our vehicle from the ridgetop and used dead reckoning to stay on course. To do that, we found a spot in the Ajo Range (Point 4,700') that corresponded with our vehicle's location and aimed for that. Ridge to parking was only 0.7 mile and took 20 minutes. The upper slope was rubbly but we avoided all the cliffs. The route was good but surely there are other options.

 

If you are a peak-bagger, climb the highpoint and call it good. Wander on out to Point 2,900' to prolong your communion with Nature, revel in beauty, and have the pleasure of solving navigation puzzles.

 

Point 2,900', Peak 3,372' above the mouth of Canyon Diablo, and Point 3,080' are seen together at just the right vantage point along Ajo Mountain Drive.