I was driving by Negro Ben every week for a job so decided to give it a try on my way home one morning, being that it was “just a 2 pointer” I thought no problem. It was a little exciting for my first solo activation. The majority of the walk up was easy, just a gated road. Then you have to bushwack your way up from the end of the road (SEE UPDATE). A few yards in I had a rattlesnake slither right across my foot as I took a long stride up the bank. Yikes! I set up in the timber, there is some open areas at the very top but I was looking for shade in July. I took a different route coming down and it was a big mistake. It ended up thicker brush resulting in crawling through bear tunnels of shrub and carefully climbing down rock banks. Next trip I will come down the same route I went up. SEE BELOW FOR UPDATED WALK UP
Follow any road map up a nice paved BLM road, Negro Ben Rd. There is a wide parking area where there are two BLM roads taking off to the right. Start your walk from gated 39-3-6.1, the uphill road on the right. Walk up until it ends, then continue up an historical bermed portion of the road nearly to the top.