Arizona was the first state where I completed 100% of its county high points. When I tell people this bit of triva about myself, I often get the same question: Why did you choose Arizona?
This response is understandable. After all, I do not live in Arizona. I spend most of my time in central Oregon, approximately 930 miles from the closest point of entry into the state. However, I ❤️ Arizona.
My love affair with Arizona’s geographic diversity probably began with my first trip to the Grand Canyon when I was just a kid. Some visitors just see a “massive hole in the ground.” But when I stood on the Grand Canyon’s south rim for the first time, I was a mesmerized.
Fast forward to May 2017, and my best friend and I agreed to fastpack the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-rim (R2R2R). This adventure was intense, grueling, and amazing all at once. And when it was done, I felt invincible!.
With the R2R2R under my belt, my next great Arizona adventure was a thru-hike of the 800-mile Arizona Trail (AZT) in 2022. During that trek, I literally walked across Arizona from Mexico to Utah on one of the nation’s premier National Scenic Trails. This soon became one of my absolute favorite thru-hikes, and I was constantly amazed by the natural beauty of our 48th state.
In 2023, I returned to Arizona yet again to backpack a fantastic National Recreation Trail: the 58-mile Highline Trail, which runs just below the Mogollon Rim. This scenic geologic feature cleaves Arizona into two distinct halves, separating the state’s northern ponderosa forests from its southern deserts. Once again, Arizona’s diverse geography left me in awe.
Highpointing Arizona
Of course, hiking isn’t my only hobby. I love highpointing too.
As I was nearing the end of my U.S. state highpointing quest in the autumn of 2023, I began thinking about what was next on my highpointing bucket list. I’d genuinely enjoyed the “scavenger hunt” aspect of visiting each state. But what I really appreciated about this obscure hobby was seeing so many off-the-beaten-path spots that very few people ever visit.
This passion led me to begin county highpointing (CoHP) in my home state of Oregon. But Oregon is not an easy state. There are 36 counties, and a wide range of skill sets is needed to reach the summit of each county’s highest natural point. Moreover, some of the peaks have a very narrow window to visit due to their elevation, remoteness, or weather.
This brings me full circle back to Arizona. I cannot endure living in the Pacific Northwest all winter long. I have always been a snowbird at heart, and my first choice for a winter (or spring) escape is always the Grand Canyon State. Spending just one or two weeks in the Arizona sunshine instantly recalibrates my mental outlook and well-being.
And so, that’s how I added Arizona to my CoHP bucket list in 2024. I’d already hiked the state high point (Humphreys Peak) in 2020, so I was already 6.6% of the way done. I’d go on to visit the remaining 14 Arizona CoHPs between February 2024 and April 2026. And, like all my prior Arizona adventures, the journey around the state was 100% worth it.
Overall STATS
- My current CoHP tally for Arizona: 15
- Number of counties left: 0
- Percent complete: 100%
- Highest Arizona CoHP I’ve conquered: Humphreys Peak (12,633′)
- Lowest Arizona CoHP I’ve stood upon: Signal Peak (4,877′)
- CoHPs that are “liners” (i.e, summit sits in another county): 1 (Pinal Co.)
- Number of Arizona counties with multiple high points: 1 (Gila Co.)
- Most prominent CoHP in the state: Humphreys Peak
HOW I GOT THERE
- Number of CoHPs visited completely solo: 13
- Number of CoHPs visited with family: 2
- Longest distance hiked for a CoHP’s summit: 15.6 miles round-trip
- Shortest distance hiked for a CoHP: 0.9 miles round-trip (Greenlee Co.)
- Number of CoHPs where you can drive completely to the summit: 0
- Number that required a parking fee: 3 (Hualapai Peak, Mt. Wrightson, Chiricahua Peak)
- Number of CoHPs that required a tribal permit: 1 (Black Mesa HP)
- Cost of tribal backcountry hiking permit: $25
- Number of CoHPs inside a red squirrel refugium: 1 (Mt. Graham)
WHEN I VENTURED OUT
- Number of Arizona CoHPs summited in 2020: 1
- Number of CoHPs summited between 2021-23: 0
- Number of CoHPs summited in 2024: 4
- Number of CoHPs summited in 2025: 1
- Number of CoHPs summitted in 2026: 9
- Number of CoHPs I unknowingly hiked past on my 2022 AZT thru-hike: 5
- Number of CoHPs I hiked past during my 2023 Highline Trail thru-hike: 2
- Percentage of AZ CoHPs I could have (theoretically) tagged on those hikes: 47%
- CoHPs visited in winter (December-February): 5
- CoHPs visited in spring (March-May): 9
- CoHPs visited in summer (June-August): 1
- CoHPs visited in autumn (September-November): 0
TRIVIA FROM MY HP ADVENTURES
- Number of CoHPs located within a county park: 1 (Hualapai Peak)
- CoHPs located on tribal lands: 2 (Black Mesa HP, Mt. Baldy)
- CoHPs located on a National Wildlife Refuge: 1 (Signal Peak)
- CoHPs locating in a Squirrel Refugium: 1 (Mt. Graham)
- Number of CoHPs with ski lifts on them: 2 (Mt. Lemmon, Humphreys Peak)
- Number of CoHPs with an active observatory atop them: 2 (Mt. Lemmon & Mt. Graham)
- Number with a decommissioned observatory: 1 (Harqualhala Mountain)
- Number of CoHPs with an active fire lookout tower: 1 (Mt. Union)
- Number that previously had a fire lookout tower: 1 (Mt. Wrightson)
- CoHPs where I accidentally ended up in a YouTube video: 1 (Harqualhala Mountain)
- Number of flat tires I got while highpointing: 1
- Sketichist drive to a trailhead: Signal Peak
- Spiciest rock scramble to the summit: Browns Peak
