Bisbee: Hiking Juniper Flats

Just outside of Bisbee, my hike up to the top of Juniper Flats started at the intersection of Old Divide Road and North Juniper Flats Road.  This isn't a trail.  It's a steep, winding gravel road up to the cell phone antennas on top of the mountain.  It's driveable, but it doesn't see much traffic.  

Looking down on Old Divide Road

 

Juniper Flats Road flattens out on top of the mountain.  And it's here that free camping is available to vans, truck campers, and a few brave drivers with Class C's or travel trailers. The gravel road is very, very steep. This is BLM land.  The views on top are incredible.  Most people camp at the fire rings between where the road flattens out and the first antenna tower.  It can get extremely windy up here.  I talked to a shaken older couple who spent a windy night in their truck camper.  One night was enough, they said.  

There is also some partying that happens up here from time to time by locals.  In researching the area, I found that someone had been murdered  only two months before my hike.

For the truly brave and/or stupid, a deeply rutted dirt road continues on for many miles.  There is evidence of jeep or ATV camps in the first mile beyond that I hiked.  Normally, however, I kept going up to the next steep ascent leading to the second  antenna tower, where there are views all the way to Mexico.  This was a go-to hike for me on half a dozen occasions.