Reiley Peak 7,631’ | Winchester Mountains Arizona High Point | Ariz History | Huachuca Hiking Club

Can you imagine if you had a mountain peak named after you…and they spelled your name wrong? That’s exactly what happened with Reiley Peak, named after James Reilly! Scroll down below for the details. This is a 6½ mile loop route with about 2,400’ of elevation gain, and it starts in the middle of nowhere. Okay, not quite nowhere. It’s at the end of Forest Road 659, and it’s a pain in the neck to get to. The nearest town is Willcox, Arizona, a small town in southeastern Arizona. There's no official trailhead or trail, but there are plenty of large rocks, cholla cactus and cow pies. You could also do the hike as an out-and-back along either ridge shown in the video. My advice: Maybe skip this hike.🙂 But if you insist on doing it, look up at Reiley Peak, pick one of the ridges and head on up. It's slow going, but there are beautiful views along the way and at the peak.    / @karenflynnhikes  

This was another great hike with the Huachuca Hiking Club. Thanks to Ryan D. for suggesting it and for the peak/thumbnail photo at 0:12, and to Barry D. for the group photo at 2:06. As you can see, the HHC doesn't just hike in the Huachuca Mountains. They also hike in the Mule Mountains, Rincons, Chiricahuas, Dragoons, Mustangs, Santa Ritas, Canelo Hills, along the San Pedro River, and anywhere else in the area where there’s good hiking to be found. If you want to get on trails with an experienced and knowledgeable group of hikers, this is it! More information is here: https://groups.io/g/HuachucaHikingClub

TO GET TO THE TRAILHEAD: Search Google Maps around Willcox and see where Forest Road 659 ends. That's where you start. There's no trailhead sign or any other designation. The last 7-8 miles is especially rutted, bumpy and slow-going, and you'll need a high clearance vehicle. A Subaru Outback would probably bottom out a couple times. As of January 2024 you can probably get away without 4WD.

From "Arizona's Names (X Marks the Place)" by Byrd Howell Granger: James R. Reilly (b. Oct. 1830, Ireland; d. 1906) served as a soldier in Arizona (1857-1859). After his discharge, he became a freighter from Fort Buchanan to Magdalena, Sonora (1861-62), but when Indians stole his assets, he moved to Sonora, later killing a Mexican, for which he was exiled to La Paz, Baja California. In 1866 he went to Yuma and had a store and hotel. He studied law, and by 1878 he was in Phoenix, publishing a newspaper. By 1880 this peripatetic jack of all trades was a justice of the peace in Tombstone, soon thereafter establishing a ranch and stage station near the peak with has his name. The name Reiley is incorrect. Indians called the station Zill-Tarts-on-ar, but I don’t know what they called the peak. Ref: AHS, James Reilly File; Smithsonian.