The Martinez Canyon trail inspired me into what my deep off-road exploring addiction is today. Far into the trail, the rugged granite-like canyon walls are comparable to the Red Rock Buttes in Sedona. The Martinez Canyon trail contains absolutely breathtaking mountainous views of the Sonoran desert, an intriguing and historic mining history, and hard-core 4x4 terrain.
The trail to Martinez cabin should take around 5 hours to complete. The more experienced off road driver with an aggressive 4x4 may opt to take the entire Martinez loop, which is just under 7 hours. The area is hot in the summer and most of the trail follows low-lying washes so flash floods are possible. Route finding is complex so a good Off Road Trail Guide and Off Road GPS are strongly recommended. Come well prepared for this trail as help is very far away! A State Trust Land permit is required for this entire area. For more information, call (602) 364-2753.
The Martinez Cabin and Canyon trail area was once called “The Martinez Property”. A man named F. Champion first staked his claims on the property in 1887. His patented claims consisted of three mines, the Silver Belle, Martinez and Columbia.
One of the most notable historical features of the Martinez Canyon trail is the 50 Ton Ball Mill that was built in 1888. This mill is well preserved and has had upgrades up through 1962. The Martinez Property produced silver-lead that was mined from ore found in chloride deposits near the surface. The raw ore was enriched using the “on-site” 50-ton ball mill.
During its peak production, the property yielded over 1,400 tons of ore. After 1962, The Shattuck Denn Mining Corp reported that the ore grade was decreasing with depth and only hand sorting and selective mining could yield higher quality of ore. Selective mining activities ceased and the area is now maintained by the BLM. (Historical data within this report was
obtained through The Arizona Department of Mines and Minerals in
addition to archived assay reports.)
For those who chose to take the entire loop will contend with steep and dangerous shelf roads with major washouts. The peak of the loop provides spectacular views of the Superstition Mountains and Weavers Needle. This part of the trail is is a photographers dream.
With a long day of off road exploration we decided to stop, relax and drink some beer.. We found the best campsite in the area just north of the Martinez Ball Mill. This area was already cleared (With fire pit) and far enough off the trail not to obstruct other wheelers view of the desert landscape.
This trail was found using the 'Guide to Arizona Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails' book. Discover this and many more trails in Arizona by purchasing your own copy today! With maps, turn-by-turn directions and GPS coordinates
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(Video of our last Trip to Martinez Canyon (Cabin)
Posted
Jun 29 2008, 06:09 PM
by
ryangibson