Hike Tres Alamos Tres Alamos Wilderness Area BLM, AZ

Jan 18, 2023 — Tres Alamos are a set of three peaks visible from AZ-93, and after seeing them on various drives I grew compelled to visit the Tres Alamos Wilderness Area. My friends Matt and Petey did the high point a few months before I found time to get out there and outlined driving directions for me, so I became more excited to go. I was hoping to include the two other summits on my outing, but I ran out of time due to an unexpected lengthy hike in. Leave pavement here (34.24594, -113.07951) and follow the main dirt road. An unlocked gate with information regarding obtaining an AZ State Land Trust permit is posted clearly, so I recommend doing so. After following this pretty good road (decent clearance and tires required), I parked within a small area of private property before a gate crossing since the next little arroyo I'd have to drive through was very muddy and I didn't want to risk getting stuck. You could likely get a Crossover vehicle another few miles if there hasn't been rain, reducing the hike distance by 5 miles or more. However, this recent washout was particularly bad and I'm really not sure the road even exists anymore, hence why my stats include the entire hike that I did, including this long road walk. The added time prevented me from trying to reach the other two peaks that comprise Tres Alamos, so I was only able to reach the high point.

I reached the end of the long road walk at a wash after watching Tres Alamos slowly inch closer, then just headed in an arc generally northwest up a somewhat cactusy slope. The bushwhacking was minimal, but I had to do some catclaw and palo verde avoidance moves. You'll notice two lines on my attached map. The southern was my ascent route, which I opted to do because the slope angle was far less steep than my more direct descent (the northern line). I headed up the slope, which included an occasional little Class 2 move on thigh-high outcroppies. After reaching the ridgeline I headed north, ascending steeply, and then continued on some Class 2 talus along the crest.

I gained the summit of Tres Alamos and looked over at the two other peaks. The middle peak was unranked, so I didn't care much to make the effort. The farther one was a true peak, but it looked like a heinous ascent. The cliffs were daunting, and zig-zagging scree slopes looked to be the only viable options and would likely not be fun. With plans in Phoenix I realized I definitely didn't have the time to explore a route option and descended from here. It was nice to check out the area, but the peaks definitely looked more interesting from below.