Harquahala Mountain Back Country Byway

The Harquahala Mountain Backcountry Byway offers something for everyone! The road itself is rugged and challenging for off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts. High-clearance vehicles and four-wheel drive vehicles are required.

The summit is the highest point in southwest Arizona with breathtaking 360-degree vistas. For hikers, a pack trail leads from the summit down the mountain through the Harquahala Wilderness Area designated in the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act of 1990. The trail has several difficult and steep portions.

For the nature lover, it has beautiful Sonoran Desert scenery with blooming flora March through May and distinct ecosystem variations can be seen with changes in elevation. In addition to the typical desert reptiles and critters, bighorn sheep may also be spotted.

For the history buff, the drive displays old mining debris, shafts and stone houses from earlier miners. The grand finale is realized at the summit with the Harquahala Peak Observatory . The observatory was built by the Smithsonian in 1920 to measure and record solar activity. It was abandoned in 1925 and in 1975 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has since been stabilized.