A few aspen stand on the north side of Brown's Peak. Intermediate elevations have produced impenetrable thickets of manzanita, Gambel oak, and pinion pine. Below 4, feet, grasslands blend into the Upper Sonoran Desert and impressively huge saguaro cacti thrive. The narrow canyons are pleasingly shaded with cottonwoods and sycamores. One of the densest black bear populations in Arizona lives in this Wilderness. Other mammals include ring-tailed cats, skunks, coyotes, deer, javelinas, and mountain lions.
Keep your eyes open for rattlesnakes, scorpions, black widow spiders, centipedes, and millipedes. If you climb the mountain be prepared for temperatures noticeably cooler than down below. Lightning storms occur regularly during "desert monsoon season" July and August and flash floods are common. Some people have even done the four peaks traverse, which is a class 4 climb over all four peaks and is over 10 miles. The other 3 peaks are far more treacherous than Browns Peak.
There are a few more technical moves that would be easy class 5. If the wrong route is taken there are quite a few areas that are class 5 that are unavoidable.
In a few areas it is quite a bushwhack up steep loose fertile soil. Dislodging rocks is a big hazard on these mountains. Then there are the cactus and agave plants. This adds to the difficulty of the climb. Small cactus hiding in the rocks in really good hand holds just waiting to prick somebody. These are some of the most difficult mountains to climb around Phoenix that don't require ropes.
The exposure is extreme much of the way. From the top the view is truly amazing. On a clear day Humphreys Peak can be seen. In the Four Peaks Wilderness there is all sorts of wildlife. It has the densest black bear population in the state. It also has ring-tailed cats, skunks, coyotes, deer, javelinas, and mountain lions. The Four Peaks are the only place in Maricopa County that can get considerable amount of snow. To know more about this hike click here.
Turn northeast and keep going till you see the well-marked Four Peaks turnoff. Take FR 18 miles to Browns Peak trail. There is one unmarked fork in the road on the way, stay to the left. The second fork is once you get to the ridge. Take a right and the road follows the ridge line to the trail head. Expect to take over an hour to reach the trail head on FR If the road is really rutted out it can take two hours.
A high clearance vehicle is recommended. It can be 18 miles of pure hell in a car. Four Peaks Trail is a The trail is primarily used for hiking. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Very Nice trail with lots of flowers and bushes. Make sure you wear full trousers on this trail to avoid scratches.
Also you should have good SUV having sufficient ground clearance as the road to the hike start point from route 87 is around 16 miles dirt road with stones. Lots of animals and insects to view. Really well marked trail. On the harder side of moderate due to length and elevation gain.
The way out 6. And about the same on the way back. Unfortunately this hike as mentioned does not take you directly to the peaks, rather is more of a narrow middle mountain ridge with amazing views the whole time.
Lots of trails to explore. Fairly rocky in spots but relatively easy trail for our stock Jeep JK. Love this trail. Its a drive to just get there. I would say this trail should rate higher than moderate. Fun hike for for those who are looking for something with a little extra pop. This trail says moderate. I am an avid hiker and would call this difficult. It's a great trail but make sure you are ready for the conditions.
Lots of steep climbing, fallen trees, dense brush and rock slides. Big climb coming out at end. Drive to trailhead took 1. Highly recommend 4wd. Took the trail last week and was surprised by the amount of windfall on the trail. Huge tree limbs we had to climb over and hike around. We ended up clearing some of the smaller stuff off but at the end of the hike had our share of scratches from going over trees and all the cat claw siding the trail.
Was still a beautiful hike and well worth it as it has been on my bucket list for years. Garmin GPS had us at Bring lots of water! Fun ride, great views, and Butcher Hook has a mean green chili burro! Definitely will ride this trail again.
The above picture is misleading. It takes you to an area with a nice view of Four Peaks from the back side. There are no views of Phoenix to the West. The access road off highway is about 11 miles of unpaved and a bit rough at times.
Not a problem with an SUV. A little more difficult with a car but it can be done if you take your time. The rapid change in elevation produces interesting and unique plant and animal communities. Elevations range from 1, feet near Apache Lake to 7, feet on Brown's Peak. The highlands are covered with Ponderosa pines and some Douglas firs.
There's even a few aspen on the north side of Brown's Peak. Below that you'll find dense thickets of pinon, manzanita and Gambel oak. Below that the grasslandsblend into the ocotillo, cholla, saguaro and paloverde growth of typical Sonoran Desert countryside. Canyons that hold water flows often are shaded with sycamores and cottonwoods. The bulk rock of the uplands in Four Peaks Wilderness is made up of Precambrian granite and schists, although the sheer rock faces of the peaks themselves are a cap of Precambrian quartzite and shale.
South of the main peaks themselves and rising above Apache Reservoir you'll find the Painted Cliffs: a zone of layered ash flows and volcanic tuffs deposited during the Cenozoic age.
As hard as it is to get around in this broken and incised countryside, back in the mining days there were several roads cut into these mountains. Some of them are still in use as hiking trails.
A large fire in burned off a large portion of this property and formerly treed areas still haven't recovered. This area is pretty dense with the black bears but you'll also find skunks, ring-tailed cats, deer, javelinas, mountain lions and coyotes. You'll also want to look out for centipedes, millipedes, black widow spiders, scorpions and rattlesnakes. Visits to some parts of this wilderness can be made throughout the year, using a rather extensive trail system. A Recreation Opportunity Guide 20 pages is available which gives directions to trailheads and describes each trail.
Copies are available from the Mesa Ranger Station.
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