Mount Withington via Monica Saddle

Trail Overview

Mount Withington dominates the landscape around the Very Large Array, rising to just over 10,000 ft. In the spirit of adventure, it just begs those driving nearby to drivers to go see if they can climb it. This route starts from the north, off highway 60. The first half by distance, and 1/3 by time, involves driving a well-graded road through the plains around Mt. Withington. As the trail moves into the foothills, it rapidly ascends the mountain up to Monica Saddle. Here it meets the Bear Trap Canyon trail, with one road descending into Bear Trap and the other ascending to the peak. From this point, the trail is more akin to a shelf road, though not really narrow enough to cause problems. Many views of the expansive plains surrounding Withington poke through the pine forest, providing lots of good picture opportunities. At the top, there is an old fire lookout tower, which is typically closed to visitors. From the area around the tower, there are 360-degree views of the surrounding plains, including the Very Large Array off to the north.

Photos of Mount Withington via Monica Saddle

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Difficulty

The trail gets a little narrow in places, but there really aren't any significant obstacles. Even in winter, it is a pretty easy trail to drive. It is a little steep in places, so I would recommend AWD or 4WD, but not a difficult trail.

Technical Rating