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9 MEXICO RANGES GUIDE NO. 9.4
CERRO PINACATE 3957 FEET CLASS 1
MILEAGE: 480 miles of paved road, 13.8 miles of good to poor dirt road
DRIVE: A detailed map has been included showing the driving route from Sonoy
ta to the parking area for
Cerro Pinacate. From the small town of Lukeville, AZ at the southern end of Organ Pipe National Monument,
cross over the International border into Sonoyta. Follow the signs through town directing you south on
Mexico Highway 8 toward Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point). In about 30 miles you'll come to highway
kilometer post 51 located between two small white bridges. Continue 0.5 miles S on Mexico Highway 8 past
the second bridge to the start of a sweeping left turn where a power line crosses over the road and a large road
sign reads “Parque Nal. El Pinacate” with an arrow pointing right. (If you miss this turnoff, continue driving
S to Highway kilometer post 52 and then backtrack 0.1 miles). Turn right here on a good dirt road and
sign
in at the ranger station. Fees are collected here. Then
drive 0.4 miles to a fork. Bearing left, drive 1.0 mile to a fork.
Bear left and drive 1.1 miles to a junction with a dirt road heading left (W). Turning left here, proceed 4.6 miles
to a fork. Bear right and go 0.3 miles, following the road hard right out of a wash, then 1.2 miles to where it again
crosses the wash. Continue another 5.2 miles to a parking spot just S of a prominent reddish butte. The rough dirt
track continuing up the hill past the parking area is closed to all vehicular traffic.
The area surrounding and including Cerro Pinacate is a Mexican National park and should be treated with the
same respect that we would our own National Parks in the United States. See Sidelines 2 for more details.
CLIMB: Hike up the hill past the parking spot on the rough dirt track for 0.2 miles to the obvious lava flow.
Head S across the flow to the gully on the opposite side. A faint trail can be picked up on the right side of this
gully and followed W toward Carnegie Peak, Pinacate's eastern neighbor. Traverse either around the N or S
side of Carnegie (a faint trail exists along the southern base of Carnegie to the saddle just E of Cerro Pinacate)
to the base of Cerro Pinacate and then up loose slopes to the top.
ROUND TRIP STATS/2WD: 2500 feet elevation gain, 6 miles, 5 hours
SIDELINES
1. Travel south from Sonoyta to the Pinacate Area and/or Puerto Peñasco does not require a visa from the
Mexican authorities, however travel further into the interior of Mexico does require this formality. Visas are
issued free of charge at the first building on your right after clearing the border check station. Proof of
citizenship is required to obtain a visa. Proof of citizenship includes any of the following documents: A valid
US passport, certified copy of your birth certificate, voter's registration card, armed forces ID, notarized
affidavit of citizenship or military discharge papers stating US nationality and place of birth. A DRIVER'S
LICENSE IS NOT PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP. Naturalized citizens are required to carry an original
Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship or a valid US passport. Taking pets into Mexico, you
are required to have a US veterinarian's certificate (International Health Certificate for Dogs and Cats, form
77-043) stating that the pet is in good health, and a rabies inoculation certificate.
2. Cerro Pinacate is located within the boundary of the Reserva De La Biosfera El Pinacate Y Gran Desierto
De Altar. It is a National Park dedicated to the preservation of the unique natural features, wildlife and plant