The Mountains of Arizona
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Peak 4377 • Peak 4456 • Peak 4628 These three peaks lie near one another, about five miles from the town of Duncan in Greenlee County, fronted by the Gila River to the east and highway US-70 to the south. I was familiar with these peaks based on my previous times through the area. They're just three of about twenty such peaks in the immediate area, all volcanic mounds of various shapes and sizes. The most notable peak nearby is Ash Peak, which I climbed four years ago. These three peaks, in particular, looked to be logistically easy, with good roads, unfettered access (being mostly Public/BLM land here), and gentle slopes. I wasn't interested in a long brushy hike with rolling rocks and cliffs. I just wanted an easy day of peakbagging. I left Bisbee about 5:30 a.m. and was in Safford about 7:30, the sun very low in the east, and the sky covered over in a cloud layer. It was chilly but not cold, in the low 50s. The clouds did not appear threatening, and no rain was forecasted. After gassing up in Safford, I continued east on US-70 about 25 miles, getting into the hills that line the Gila River. The road I wanted is called Burma Road on the maps, but is not signed at the actual intersection. It was easy to find, being the only obvious main road that went that way. I went north and northwest on it. It's mostly graded dirt, and passable by most any vehicle when dry.
Date: January 4, 2026
• Elevation: 4,377 feet ✳
• Prominence: 539 feet
• Distance: 1.1 miles
• Time: 40 minutes
• Gain: 470 feet
• Conditions: Overcast and cool
Arizona
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Main
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PB
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LoJ
Peaks 4377 and 4456 rise beside one another, Peak 4377 to the north. I went in a little under three miles on the road, driving to where the road reaches its highest point on the east flank of Peak 4377. There was a convenient cleared area where I stashed my car.
This would be the shortest and fastest hike of the day. The summit was a little over a half mile away, about 450 feet higher, all on open gentle slope with little brush.
I went very light. No pack, not even a bottle of water. Just me, my poles, wallet, camera, car keys and the spirit of adventure.
It was still cool and cloudy, a very gray morning. I started walking about 8:15 a.m., and I was on top the humble peak about twenty minutes later. The terrain had behaved as I hoped: it lay back and the rocks stayed put. It was about as easy an uphill hike I've ever done.
The top is rocky with some good views into the surrounding canyons and low hills. Ash Peak rose to the west, and I could see Duncan to the southeast. The register was busted and the papers completely rotted. Lists of John show just three other visitors here going back thirty years. I'm sure a local or two come up here now and then.
The hike down took just fifteen minutes and I was back to my car, the time not yet 9 a.m.. This was perfect. For just a tiny bit of effort, I got another peak into the records. The next peak was just a three minute drive away.
Elevation: 4,456 feet ✳
• Prominence: 378 feet
• Distance: 3.2 miles
• Time: 75 minutes
• Gain: 830 feet
• Conditions: Overcast but with some sun
PB
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LoJ
In just a matter of minutes I was at the parking spot for Peak 4456, which rises to the west, a rounded summit at the end of a long ridge. A track leaves the main road and goes in about a half mile, but I parked in a cleared area near the side track.
This time I wore a butt-pack. It was still cool but there was no breeze and with the low clouds, it felt humid. I walked the track downhill, losing about 50 feet. There was no way the Subaru could handle the track. Ruts about two feet deep would have stopped me.
The track drops into a drainage, so I followed it a little bit. It curled around one bluff, then I could see the slopes that would lead up to the long ridge.
I left the track and just walked up the slopes, which were open, not steep at all, and with very light brush. The rocks were small and stayed in place.
Once on the ridge, I just had to walk it to the top, about three bumps away. The slopes were never steep, but the terrain became rockier for short spells. I did not need hands or need to scramble, but it was rocky enough for me to watch my footing.
I just went up the slope ahead of me, from bump to bump, until the summit was visible. One last push, and I was on top. It too was open with fine views in every direction. The sun had popped out and it seemed the clouds were moving aside. I had very short spells of blue skies.
I found the register. It was pristine, one of Bob Martin's from the 1990s. He was here in 1995. Mark Nicholls was here in 2002. Then me. No one else in between and no one else at Lists of John or Peakbagger. Even a random hunter or two usually signs in. I may have been the first person here in 23 years.
It had taken me about 40 minutes to get to the summit. I sat for about ten minutes and took a break. Peak 4377 rose to the north, and my next peak, Peak 4628, to the south. It was still early and there was no need to rush.
For the hike down, I followed the same route with one small variation. Apparently the track mentioned earlier actually gets up onto this ridge. So I followed it downhill. It made little difference. The round trip covered 3.2 miles and took me just over an hour.
Elevation: 4,628 feet ✳
• Prominence: 447 feet
• Distance: 2.6 miles
• Time: 1 hour
• Gain: 450 feet
• Conditions: Still overcast, a tiny bit of sun
PB
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LoJ
I exited back to US-70, then went west a few miles to where Sanders Road veers south, with Peak 4628 rising north of the highway. I went in on Sanders Road briefly and parked in a clearing, a truck and toy-hauler already here.
I started hiking immediately. It was still cool and cloudy. I crossed the highway, then up a slope and then under a fence. Peak 4628 rose to my right, but I was on a ridge that would go up and to my left.
It made sense just to follow the ridge. The alternative was to drop about a hundred feet into a draw and up the other side. The ridge was gently sloped with the same small rocks and spread-out brush, mainly creosote, as before. I made good time going this way.
Eventually the ridge meets the higher ridge, so I angled right and walked uphill to the saddle below the peak. Here, the actual highpoint is visible, rising behind (to the northeast) the slightly-lower foreground peak, the one seen from the highway.
I had about a 200-foot gain up the last slope, then an easy walk over to the highest point. The one-way hike took about a half hour and covered about a mile and a half.
I signed into the register, also placed here by Bob in 1994, and signed my Mark in 2002 and another person in 2024. Then me. The clouds lessened ever so slightly and I had slightly-better lighting for photos. I could see the two earlier peaks to the north, and the Gila River down below. I spent about ten minutes here.
Going down, I just went directly downslope toward the highway, then walked its shoulder back to Sanders Road and to my car, a round trip time of an hour. It was just pushing noon about now and I had three peaks done and was feeling good.
I started driving westbound, and took a look at one peak along the way, but decided to save it for a later date. I then passed back through Safford and did a little exploring on side roads, but I wasn't interested in more hiking. It felt too good to just sit in my car.
The drive back to Bisbee took about two hours, with some more side-track scouting along the way. It was close to 3 p.m. when I arrived back home, happy with a three-peak day. This area is full of attractive peaks and I now have a new playground to exploit.
The peaks have no name, and the summit elevations are taken from the 1-meter Lidar datasets. Peak 4377's map elevation is 4,374 feet, while Peak 4456's map elevation is 4,449 feet. The third peak, Peak 4628, had no spot elevation printed on the map.
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