But it's possible, and not too difficult, to gain the summit of this landmark via a short-but-steep hike. The boulder-strewn landscape at the top is incredible, and the bragging rights, priceless.
Sheepshead Dome
Begin your adventure by turning east off highway 80 onto Middlemarch Road, just a mile or so north of Tombstone. Middlemarch is a wide, well-graded dirt road suitable for any 2WD vehicle (except those recently washed).
Throughout your drive, the Sheepshead rock will loom larger and you'll probably get that sense of anxious anticipation, "We're not really going to climb that, are we?" Have faith.
Continue about 10 miles on Middlemarch to the West Stronghold turnoff, marked by a large National Forest sign. Follow Stronghold north and take the first right turn (less than 1/2 mile). At this point, 2WDs should take care, as the road is not as well tended as Middlemarch, and has some deep erosion ruts.
This rougher dirt road will take you past a windmill and tank, finally dead-ending near a cluster of small oaks after another 1/2 mile. Park wherever you can find space between the vehicles, tents, sleeping bags and gear of the motley assembly of rock climbers that infest the spot.
Now head out on foot through a gate to the north of the parking spot and follow the foot trail. It begins on level ground, passing through a grassy field, providing a nice warmup for the steeper parts to come. The trail is well marked with rock piles (cairns), so it's hard to get too far off course. Just bear in mind that you are going to ascend a gully to the northwest of the Sheepshead summit. The route gains about 1300 feet in altitude and covers 1-1/2 miles.
The trail, probably made by climbers tramping to the base of the rock, passes several climbing routes that are marked by more cairns and sturdy steel bolts drilled into the granite face at regular intervals. The going is steep in places, but the gully is thick with trees that provide some shade.
When you reach the top of the gully, you emerge from the trees onto the granite. Now it becomes important to look for cairns, as they mark the path of least resistance to the summit. Ignore those markers and you'll end up doing some fancy rock-climbing (or backtracking). Even the marked route can be a little strenuous in places, but the rough granite provides fantastic traction.
The summit is marked by a hollow cairn with a climber's register in a flat, waterproof box. This is not the cache. The cache is nearby, sheltered under a boulder and concealed (slightly) by a couple of smaller rocks.
Sign the log and be sure to explore the top. Don't stray to close to the edge! There are places from which a fall would be long enough to write your will on the way down. Enjoy the spectacular views and the sense of accomplishment.