Mayan Peak

Mayan Peak, with its rocky outcrops and sparse vegetation, stands out from the surrounding scrubland near the edge of Sequoia National Forest. To some, mighty Mayan’s profile is evocative of a Mexican ziggurat. If the resemblance isn’t convincing enough, the steep hike will have you reminiscing of climbs to Chichen Itza; fortunately, the soft and quick scree descent shares no similarity to the slow and precarious descent from that pyramid. It has lovely views of the Kelso Valley and the surrounding desert.

Route 1 starts from Kelso Valley Road, which is readily accessible with a high clearance vehicle, and ascends the west ridge. Among the multiple faint use trails one can stay rightward on ascent to keep on more solid ground, then descend pleasantly on sandier scree. Unofficial Route 2 starts after a short additional drive south on SC123 to where the PCT crosses and ascends the southwest ridge. Mayan is typically hiked in conjunction with nearby Butterbredt Peak.