Herder Mountain 3,693 – Beeline Highway

TRAILHEAD COORDINATES: 33.731, -111.51

I have had my eye on Herder Mountain for a long time. It is accessed off the Beeline Highway from the Mesquite Staging Area, just 2 ½ miles south of the Ballantine Trailhead.

I have scoped the area, and determined the best route. Essentially there is a mixture of bike trails, roads, and washes that lead up to the base of the mountain. Once at the base it is about 2/3rds of a mile off-trail to the summit. Generally, the terrain is rather open, unlike further north towards the Mazatzal Mountains.

There’s a lot of great trails up here shared by mountain bikers and ATVs. Some folks do go shooting in the vicinity, but generally only limited places near Beeline Highway. So, that shouldn’t be of concern.
By going to the area and scoping it out, I was able to cross-check with Google Earth to determine the best path to stay within trails, roads, and washes up to the base of the mountain. I will try and maintain that as we go to make for the easiest approach.

The total hiking distance is 8-9 miles round trip, with an elevation gain of about 2,000’.

READ THE FOLLOWING: The Organizer of this trip is a VOLUNTEER, not a "leader". The organizer IS NOT trained in first aid and is not a bonded expert mountain guide. You will need to bring your own experience and judgment. If you want to enjoy the benefits of traveling in a group, then we suggest that you stay with the group on the trip.

The waitlist is created to give preference to hikers who have demonstrated the ability for tougher hikes and consistency of showing up when they RSVP. Those who have RSVPed multiple times and have always cancelled or been a no-show will be kept on the waitlist until others who are more likely to come are given an opportunity to RSVP. The waitlist also ensures we do not overwhelm parking, as this area doesn’t have infinite parking.

Assess the route and conditions as if you were going to do this trip solo.

About your organizer: My name is Dan. I moved to the Phoenix area in early 2017. I have organized over 200 hikes for various groups – including in Arizona, the Sierras, and Northern Nevada. I tend to choose mountain summits I have never done before. I do as much preparation and mapping as I can to ensure we take the correct trails. However, when driving to and hiking in a new area, there are always surprises and unknowns.

This hike is subject to cancellation or rescheduling due to fires or inclement weather.