Harquahala Pack Trail Basecamp Trailhead

The Harquahala Pack Trail Basecamp Trailhead was the staging area for hikers and the delivery of necessary supplies to the Harquahala Peak Observatory, built in the 1920s. Located near Salome, AZ, about 120 miles west of Phoenix, the road, trailhead, and reconstructed observatory are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). At the Harquahala Pack Trail Basecamp Trailhead, the BLM's responsibility is to manage a delicate environment while allowing visitors to explore a relic from the past. 

The observatory atop the mountain results from the assertion by Dr. Samuel Pierpont Langley that the sun affects weather patterns on Earth. By 1924, his protégé, Dr. Charles G. Abbot, saw the facility built atop the remote Harquahala range, and testing began. To supply the observatory, a pathway with a trailhead reachable by a dirt road at 2,230 feet traveled up the mountain for 5.4 miles to an elevation of 5,681 feet. The final 0.75 miles of the trail elevates over 1,499 feet, making it one of the most difficult trails in Arizona. By late 1925, the observatory shut down, but gold miners, engineers, and others continued to maintain the trail to supply their ventures until the BLM took control in the 1970s. Today, the BLM has refurbished the observatory, improved the access road, and constructed picnic areas and restrooms to service the basecamp area. Travelers visiting the unique environment found at the Harquahala Pack Trail Basecamp Trailhead find themselves within reach of several national parks. A drive of 117 miles to the east takes you to the borders of Saguaro National Park, while Petrified Forest National Park lies 280 miles northeast, and Grand Canyon National Park is only 400 miles to the north.