- Arizona County HP: #7
- Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (on a scale of 4)
- Summit Elevation: 8,421 feet
- Mountain Range: Haulapai Mountains
- Ancestral Lands: Hualapai, Mohave
PLANNING DETAILS
Location: Hualapai Peak is located within the Hualapai Mountain Park, approximately 10 miles southeast of Kingman, AZ.
When to Visit: Spring through Fall. Hualapai Mountain is located in northwestern Arizona. This 8,000-foot peak requires an off-trail boulder scramble to reach its rocky summit. The summit typically has snow on it during the winter months, which precludes visitors from safely climbing the final 180 vertical feet.
Fees/Permits Required: A day-use fee of $12 (per vehicle) is required to enter the Hualapai Mountain Park. Payment can be made by cash or credit card at the ranger station near the park’s entrance.
Getting There: The main hiking trail begins inside Hualapai Mountain Park, which is located on the peak’s northern side.
Directions from Kingman: Follow Route 66 (Andy Devine Drive) east for 2 miles until you reach Hualapai Mountain Road. Turn south on Hualapai Mountain Road and drive 10 miles until you reach the entrance to Hualapai Mountain Park. The trailhead is 1 mile inside the park. After paying the entrance fee at the ranger station, stay to the right and follow the road signs toward Pioneer Park RV Campground and Rec Area #3. The paved road ends at a locked gate, and the trailhead is located just beyond it.
Parking: There is room for approximately 12-15 cars to park in a dirt parking area between Rec Area #3 and the locked gate near the main trailhead. A vault toilet is located uphill from the parking area near the trailhead (about 100 yards beyond the locked gate).
Pets Allowed: Yes, however, they must be leashed at all times per Mohave County ordinance #4-67. There is a dog-waste station (trash can and dog-waste bags) near the trailhead.
Kid Friendly: Due to the length of the trail and off-trail exposed boulder scramble near the summit, this trail is best for children ages 14 or older.
The Summit: Hualapai Peak is covered by large boulders with steep drop-offs. The least-technical route approaches the summit from the east and follows a faint social trail up a steep slope, with a boulder scramble in the final 100 vertical feet. There are two separate survey benchmarks embedded in the highest, most isolated boulders at the summit. A green ammo can is co-located with the higher of the two markers. Traversing between the two summit boulders can be tricky, with steep drop-offs and limited handholds.
TRIP SUMMARY
Date Visited: March 21, 2026
Route Used: Forest Army Way, East Potato Patch Trail, and Hualapai Peak Trail from the Main Trailhead – 8.1 miles round-trip
My first glimpse of Hualapai Peak was in mid-February 2024. I was in the Southwest US and hoped to take on a late-winter hike to the summit. Unfortunately, my visit came right on the heels of a major snowstorm that dumped several feet of snow on Southern California and Arizona. With freezing temperatures, deep snow covering the trails, and a tricky summit scramble, there was zero chance I’d get to bag Hualapai Peak during that trip. I had to postpone it until later.
I returned to Hualapai Peak in March 2026, and the weather conditions were the polar opposite of my first trip. Northern Arizona was under a record-breaking heat wave, and nearby Kingman, Arizona, posted a high temperature of 98°F the first day of Spring! It was a warm and dry winter, and there wasn’t a lick of snow on the mountain for my second visit.
We were on a last-minute trip to Las Vegas, NV, when I decided to attempt this peak the second time. So, it would take a 120-mile drive to get to the trailhead. This meant we didn’t reach the entrance of the Hualapai Mountain Park until nearly 10 am, and it was already nearing 80 degrees, despite the park’s elevation of 6,800 feet!
During our quick stop at the park’s entrance, we paid the $12 entrance fee and received a color map of the park’s trails. From there, all that was left was to follow the road signs toward the main trailhead, located up a curvy, narrow road near the Pioneer Park RV Campground.
The trailhead’s parking area was already nearly full of cars and trucks when we got to the end of the road, but I was less focused on the parking situation than the amenities. After the 2+ hour drive (and a 24-ounce thermos of coffee), my bladder was ready to burst. So I raced over to the bathroom in the nearby Rec Area #3. Unfortunately, the building was locked and clearly undergoing some sort of renovation, given the airy views from its disconnected porcelain toilets.
I scanned the surroundings for an alternative, but couldn’t see anything but trees and a disc golf course. I’d later discover that I just needed to hike about 100 yards uphill — just beyond the locked gate at the end of the parking area — to find the vault toilet that served the trailhead.
I know I wasn’t the only person confused by the bathroom’s hidden location, either. The park tried to remedy the issue with a small sign by the gate, but I’m not sure how effective it was amid all the other larger, brighter visual clutter. There were half a dozen other signs in the vicinity about camping, fire warnings, and pets vying for one’s attention. C’mon, everyone knows you don’t have time to read when your bladder is ready to burst.
With my urgent toilet needs addressed, it was time to get hiking. I planned to hike to the summit solo, but Keith and the dog were on hand to accompany me for the first miles of the adventure. So, the three of us picked up the trailhead and began hiking up toward the Potato Patch Loop.
Hualapai Mountain Park has an interesting network of trails. And finding your way up the Hualapai Peak Trail is a choose-your-own adventure. Hikers can use the Levi Levi Camp Road, Forest Army Way, West Potato Patch Trail, or East Potato Patch Trail.
After 0.9 miles on the Forest Army Way trail, I made it to the Potato Patch Loop junction, where I bid goodbye to Keith and the dog. The rest of the hike was far too long for the pooch on such a warm day. Plus, I knew there was zero chance she was going to make it up the “spicy” rock scramble to the summit. It was better for them to just return to the rec area where they could relax under the shade of the tall ponderosa trees and wait for my return.
As I turned left onto the East Potato Patch Trail, the sunshine and heat began to hit me. There were no leaves on the deciduous trees yet. And the coniferous trees had clearly seen their share of wildfires over the past few years. Thus, every small sliver of shade or warm breeze felt like a godsend as the mercury crept toward 90 degrees.
When my Garmin watch showed I was 1.6 miles into the hike (from the main trailhead), I spotted a nice bench near a switchback. It was too early for a break, and there wasn’t a lick of shade in sight, so I only took a quick stop to take in the views of Pine Lake down below me. It was such a clear day, I’m pretty sure I could see 10-15 miles to the east from this vantage point on the mountain.
Beyond the bench, the trail curved around the south side of Aspen Peak, and it began to descend for the next half-mile toward my junction with the Hayden Trail. This was also where I got my first look at the summit and the giant boulders covering it.
One of the rock slabs seemed to be horizontal, almost like a ledge or fin protruding from the side of the mountain. As I got closer, I’d discover that the rock ledge was as big as a school bus and posed a major impediment to anyone hoping to approach the summit directly below it. The better route up went around it.
At mile 2.3, I reached the Hayden Peak trail, which was essentially an old logging road covered in pine needles that ran between Hayden Peak and Aspan Peak, and then south toward the park’s boundary.
Large signs were posted at the junction to make sure hikers didn’t get lost. If I turned right here, the road would connect me to the West Potato Patch Trail – thereby forming the Potato Patch Loop around Aspen Peak. If I turned right, I’d head south toward Hualapai Peak.
An orange trail marker pointed me toward the Hualapai Peak Trail, and I made the turn to begin walking south on the pine needle-covered dirt road. At first, it felt a bit counterintuitive to hike in that direction. I knew the summit was to my south, and I was definitely heading in the correct direction. But the route was also descending, which was the opposite of what I’d been expecting.
In reality, I’d hike a roller coaster of hills over the next half mile as the trail dropped down to cross several creeks before heading back uphill again. Both creeks had a trickle of water flowing in them, but there wasn’t a lick of snow anywhere, so I’m not sure where the water was coming from.
At mile 2.8, I passed a yellow metal sign posted to a tree that indicated the park boundary. The hiking trails to Hualapai Peak were mostly inside the county park. However, the summit itself was not. It sits on BLM land managed by the Kingman Field Office. That’s why some highpointers who don’t want to pay the park’s $12 entrance fee detour over to Flag Mine Road and hike north to the Hualapai Peak Trail instead.
It’s possible to use the 0.4-mile Browning’s Bugout (see the dotted red line on the park’s trail map above) that follows a ravine uphill from Flag Mine to the Hualapai Peak Trail. But Browning’s Bugout isn’t a real trail. It’s a fire evacuation route, that’s completely unmaintained and very steep.
Near mile 3, I reached the ridge where the Browning’s Bugout connected with my route and gave it a once-over. The evacuation trail down to Flag Mine wasn’t even visible. It would be a miserable bushwhack in desert terrain for anyone considering that alternate option up to the high point.
Meanwhile, the trail leading uphill toward Hualapai Peak was also in less-than-ideal condition. I was now directly west of the peak’s summit, and the trail was noticeably steeper for this final mile of the approach. Dead trees blocked my path at times, but it didn’t matter much. I definitely wasn’t racing up this sharp incline.
I caught several more glimpses of Hualapai Peak’s summit as I huffed and puffed my way up the next mile. Physically, this was the hardest part of the climb. I might be out of shape from my limited winter hiking. Or perhaps it was the warm sun beating down on me. Either way, it was a chore to get up this steep trail.
At the 4-mile mark, I reached the final switchback on the northeast side of the peak. I’d read other trip reports that told me to keep my eyes peeled for a social trail heading uphill at this last turn. The designated trail would peter out in another 150 meters or so, and it wouldn’t get me (or any other hiker) to the summit.
That final leg of this adventure was going to require a bit of cross-country travel and boulder scrambling, all while avoiding the cactus and catclaw that created another obstacle to the top of this peak.
As I slowly worked my way up the rocks, gusts of wind began to pound me more and more. Twice, I nearly lost my hat to the wind before I finally gave up and tucked it safely inside my daypack.
Eventually, I made my way up to the highest boulder I could see. I thought I had struck gold when I saw a survey marker embedded at its top, but I had to wait for a break in the strong gusts of wind to try to stand up and take a photo of the marker. It seemed like the wind was determined to blow me off this summit.
When I finally got my chance to stand up, though, my heart fell. This wasn’t the true summit. About 20 feet away, I could see a second boulder that was a few inches higher, with both a survey marker and a green Army ammo box atop it.
From where I stood, the majority of my body was physically higher than that second summit. But I wasn’t on the true top of Hualapai Peak, despite the deceptive survey marker at my feet.
Unfortunately, there was no easy way to my goal. There was a 20-foot chasm between the two boulders containing the survey markers, and everything around me dropped off at a sharp angle. I spend the next 10 minutes trying to find the safest way over to the second summit, all while trying to avoid getting blown off balance from the strong gusts of wind that continued to pick up around me.
There were no great handholds on the second summit, and the risk of a fall on this exposed climb was high. One wrong step or slip would likely result in major injury. I feared I would fall dozens of feet and potentially land in a deep crevasse between the rocks or fall off the mountain entirely.
After a lot of effort and careful maneuvering, I was close enough to place my hand on the top of the second summit. However, there was zero chance I was going to try to actually stand atop it in the increasingly strong gusts of wind, let alone open that ammo box and have everything fly out. Signing the summit register wasn’t my goal here. Touching the summit was.
After calling it a success, I scooted back down the rocks as quickly as possible to find a break from the wind and some safety. I hate sketchy summits like this one. My fear of falling was making my knees shake involuntarily from all the adrenaline. I was all alone up here, and I wasn’t willing to take any unnecessary risks as I descended back down to safety and out of the precarious wind.
It took me two hours to hike the 4 miles to the top of Hualapai Peak and do all the rock scrambling at the summit. My stomach was growling with hunger, but I needed to get back onto the Hualapai Peak Trail again before I could remedy that problem. I didn’t escape a fall on the summit only to risk an injury from the cactus dotting the lower boulders on this off-trail route.
My return hike to the trailhead was noticeably faster, taking me about 1 hour and 40 minutes. And as I descended, the air got warmer, and I was sweating like it was summertime while I guzzled the last of my water.
Once reunited with Keith and the dog near the trailhead, it was time to head back to Kingman and then resume the 120-mile drive back to Las Vegas. I had my 7th Arizona county high point finally under my belt, and was looking forward to another summit. Here’s hoping it’s less “spicy” and windy than this one.
BONUS MATERIAL
Public camping nearby:
- Hualapai Mountain Park offers camping just outside the park’s entrance and inside the park. This county park campground is open seasonally (usually May 1 to Oct. 31) and offers 17 tent sites (dry camping), 37 full-hook up RV sites, and 24 cabins, picnic tables, and a disc golf course. Cost: $20/night (dry camping), $45/night (RV sites), $90/night (cabins). Reservations are required.
- Wild Cow Springs Recreation Area is located 5 miles south of Hualapai Mountain Park. This BLM campground is open year-round and offers 20 campsites, picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets. All sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and a high-clearance vehicle is recommended to access the campsites. Cost: $8/night.
- DW Ranch Road (dispersed camping) is located 9 miles east of Kingman, AZ. This BLM area is open year-round and offers 10 gravel dispersed campsites. There are no amenities, and sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Cost: Free.
Resources:
- Overview of Hualapai Peak (Summit Post)
- Hualapai Mountain Park (Mohave County, AZ)
- Trail Map of Hualapa Mountain Park (Mohave County, AZ)
- Hualapai Peak hike via Potato Patch Loop (All Trails)
