Date: October 22, 2025 • Elevation: 4,909 feet • Prominence: 391 feet • Distance: 3.4 miles • Time: 2 hours • Gain: 880 feet (gross) • Conditions: Cloudy, some sun, then rain, lightning and thunder!

Arizona • Main • PB • LoJ • USGS BM Datasheet

Reeves Benchmark is a mesa-shaped hill along Interstate-17, southwest of the interchange with highway AZ-169 into Dewey-Humboldt. The interstate goes over its eastern flank, the summit being about a half-mile on a straight line west of the highway.

If it wasn't such a bad idea to park along the interstate, that would be an ideal way to approach the summit. I am sure people have done exactly that. I don't feel comfortable doing that, since it is technically illegal. The only other plausible option is to come in from the north off of AZ-169. However, this requires dropping into and out of big Cienega Creek along the way.

This was my regular Wednesday journey to these hills, my fifth time in six weeks I've come up here on my day between teaching. I finished my teaching last night, got groceries, and drove up the interstate to my usual camping spot along Dugas Road.

I rolled in around 10 p.m., ate my meager meal, then set myself up on the cot. It was the new moon tonight, meaning no moonlight at all. It was a mild night and I slept comfortably. The temperature when I awoke the next morning was 51°.

As usual when I sleep in the open, I often awake during the night. The stars were incredible, and for the most part, it was a cloudless night. Toward dawn, the clouds moved in ... and some flashes of light. It took me a few minutes to process what I had seen. It was distant lightning. While still dark, I took down camp, got everything packed, and sat up front in my car, just as a light rain began to fall.

I was not expecting any rain. The forecast had called for some clouds but mostly sun in Prescott. I decided to drive out and situate myself near my intended starting point for my hike of Reeves Benchmark. It was ten miles on the interstate and two more on AZ-169 to Prescott Forest Road 96. I eased in about a quarter mile and parked in a clearing, my car hidden from the highway. It was barely lighting up.

I sat for a few minutes, got ready, and let the sun rise some more. Once there was usable light, I could see the cloud situation. There was a bank far to the east, and more far to the south and southwest abutting the Bradshaw Mountains. Above me it was clear. I started walking about 6:30 a.m..

I crossed the highway, eased under a fence, and dropped about fifty feet over grassy meadow, before gaining gently through grass and scattered trees toward the lip of Cienega Creek. It's about a 150-foot drop into the creek. The big trees were turning yellow already and it was very pretty, albeit in muted lighting.

Dopping those 150 feet wasn't difficult but the slopes were rocky and brushy, often loose, so I had to move carefully. I got to the creek bottom and found ways through the trees and branches. There was no flowing water, just some pools. I bashed through more branches and was soon on the opposite side.

I was aiming for the northernmost point of the cliffs that hem in Reeves Benchmark hill. I saw what looked like a trail on the satellite images. After some bashing through the brush, I found it. It was an actual path, possibly an old ATV path. It led steeply up and over these lower cliffs, about a 150-foot gain. Otherwise, the climb would have been very brushy and steep.

This fed me onto the lower bench of the mesa, passing under an opening in a fence line. Now above the creek, the land here was more open, grassy and gently pitched. I made good time, although the rocks underneath me wanted to roll on every step. The sun came out while I was on this segment.

I then came to a band of weak cliffs that hemmed in the higher ground. Getting up through these was easy, walking up the rocks and not needing my hands. I was now on the mesa top.

The top is not easy to find, although it is easy to narrow it down to a general area. It is very flat and grassy, with scattered trees and plenty of rocks. Of concern was a storm to the south. It was dropping lightning and I could hear distant muted thunder. It was still sunny above me.

I looked for the actual benchmark but had no luck. I wandered the top for about five minutes, going to a few other rock outcrops, but had no luck finding the benchmark or its reference marks. That storm was gaining strength and it was trending my way.

I gave up my search for the benchmark. I was confident I had been at the highest point since that was not difficult to discern. I tagged and kicked about thirty possible highpoint rocks. I started hustling out now.

I was walking as fast as possible, but couldn't run due to the terrain. The clouds had built above me but it was still dry. I could hear the rumbly-type thunder, but none of that immediate crackle thunder when a bolt hits close by. I estimated the lightning to be a couple miles away still.

Even so, I was quite concerned about my situation. As long as I was on the mesa top or the lower bench, I was "exposed". I got back to the fence and down the trail into Cienega Creek. By now, the rain was starting to fall and the storm was now above me and all around me.

I got into the trees within the creekbed, then out and a few yards up the opposite side. I found an open sandy spot apart from the big trees. I set aside my poles, put my pack on the ground and sat on it, and let the rain fall. I'd have to wait this out and let the lightning and thunder pass on by.

The rain fell for about fifteen minutes but was just a steady drizzle. It wasn't cold so I was not uncomfortable, but I was getting wet. I don't like getting rained on, but wetness is just an inconvenience, whereas lightning can kill. The lightning was mostly cloud-to-cloud but a few bolts hit the ground, but nothing close by to me. To the south was blue skies.

I sat on my pack for about twenty minutes until the storm had clearly passed on to the north. The rain ceased and the sky was bluer, but still cloudy. I got up and hiked up the slope to get out of the creek drainage, then just hiked quickly back to my car.

I was very relieved to be back out, this storm catching me by surprise. I sat in my car for about fifteen minutes deciding what to do. I had planned to stick around this area for the day, but the weather forecasts were calling for rain and lightning at least for two more hours.

I drove back to the highway, then west into Dewey-Humboldt, where I stopped at a Subway for a breakfast and a chance to study my options. It was gray and rainy here in town and I did not want to just sit here. Nearby areas such as Sedona and Cottonwood were also expected to be stormy.

After awhile, I decided to bail altogether. I drove into Prescott, then followed AZ-89 south out of the city and into Yarnell, where the weather was forecast to be much milder. My next peak was Antelope Peak, which rises directly east of the town. It was cloudy here but not stormy, these just being white puffy clouds moving through quickly.

I was glad to finally tag Reeves Benchmark highpoint, if not the benchmark itself. It is a pretty area and I had fun, but damn, that storm put a scare into me. I was happy to be out of it and not electrocuted.