Trails

Ironwood Forest National Monument

2008-09-23T04:03:00Z

The Ironwood Forest National Monument is located about 25 miles northwest of Tucson. Taking its name from one of the longest living trees in the Arizona desert, the 129,000-acre Ironwood Forest National Monument is a true Sonoran Desert showcase.

Ironwoods are found only in the Sonoran Desert and the Monument supports the highest densities of ironwood trees in the world. It has exceptionally dense wood and may reach 45 feet in height and live for more than 1400 years. They act as "nurseries" to other species of plant and animal life and occupy an essential spot within the Sonoran Desert ecosystem.

Keeping company with the ironwood trees are mesquite, palo verde, creosote, and saguaro, blanketing the monument floor beneath rugged mountain ranges named Silver Bell, Waterman and Sawtooth. In between, desert valleys lay quietly to complete the setting. The elevations range from 1,800 to more than 4,200 feet. Three areas within the monument, the Los Robles Archeological District, the Mission of Santa Ana del Chiquiburitac and the Cocoraque Butte Archeological District, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places dating from about A.D. 600 to 1450.

The massive Silver Bell complex started as a prospect in the early 1870s. As mining in the area expanded the town of Silver Bell was created. Its population grew to over 1,500 people in the early 1900s and the community included a post office (est. 1904), mining and railroad offices, a Wells Fargo, stores, a school, two saloons, a Chinese bakery, a barber, a doctor, a justice of the peace, a deputy sheriff, hotel, and dairy. Sadly, by 1954 Silver Bell was completely abandoned.

In 1952 ASARCO began open pit operations in the region and today more than 1.8 million tons of ore and waste are mined every month from the mines four open pits. The tailings stretch for miles as you work your way around the Silver Bells. Unfortunately the area is completely closed off, but we did find the old cemetery and a few other smaller mines in the area to explore.

The route is mostly easy graded roads or simple high clearance roads. One stretch leading to an old mine was a VERY narrow solid 3.0 shelf trail with sheer drop offs. No issues driving the route with my Tacoma. There are also two hikes just over 1 mile each. Driving through the Ironwood National Monument requires crossing two parts of the Santa Cruz River, each crossing about 100 yards apart.

The area is a prime example of rugged Sonoran Desert with vast, thick forests of saguaros. I had heard that several rare, crested saguaros (sometimes called “cristat” saguaros) were in the area but didn't get lucky enough to see any.

We passed the old ghost town of Sasco (Southern Arizona Smelting Company). A smelter was built here in 1907 and many residential and commercial buildings were erected in this planned community. A power plant associated with the smelter supplied power to Sasco, the various mines, and town of Silver Bell. There are an amazing number of walls, structures, and remains. Today the area is a popular paint ball playground.

Thanks AzTacoma for taking this trail and writing this report! A small portion of this report was obtained by the BLM.

Pyeatt Draw Trail - Payson, AZ (With Video)

2008-09-04T17:11:00Z

The Pyeatt Draw trail is located within the Tonto National Forest just north of Payson Arizona. A few miles below the Mogollon Rim, the trail traverses through a wash where years of water carved through layers of sandstone, and sedimentary rock, creating an array of unique and beautiful rock formations. The wash is surrounded by lush Chaparral, Pinyon-Juniper, and Ponderosa Pine.

Most of the trail requires a 4x4 with good ground clearance and aggressive tires. There are bypasses, but they can be challenging as well. A large portion of the trail consists of slick sandstone stair steps with parts containing sharp rock edges. 33-inch tires with thick sidewalls as well as locking differentials are suggested. Since the entire route follows a wash, flash floods are possible and escape to higher ground is impossible in some places.

If you chose to take the entire trail, winching over an extremely steep ledge is required. This is a very scary and a potentially deadly situation as you are just a few feet from a 15-foot vertical drop into pool of water.

Before the end of the trail, there is an access road I recommend stopping at and walking to the end to ensure you are comfortable with continuing. Once you drive over the 4-foot ledge, you have reached what I call “The point of no return”.

The entire off road portion of the trail took us about 4 hours to complete. Our caravan consisted of Jeep's Tacoma's and even a full size Chevy pickup. Due to ground clearance issues the Jeeps were the only 4x4's to reach the end of the trail.

Damion took most of the video footage on the trail, thank you. The videos are split into two segments. Pay particualar attention to the second video. THe camera does not capture the depth of how scary the last part of Pyeatt really is.

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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 remove the guesswork and enjoy the beauty of the Arizona outdoors! If you’re planning a 4x4 trip, this guide is an invaluable resource. Click here for a full description and a where to buy!

Chiva Falls - Tucson, Arizona

2008-08-28T00:26:00Z

Chiva Falls is located in the Redington Pass Backcountry Touring area and is part of the Coronado National Forest. Currently most of the area is open to 4x4 vehicles and offers a wide range of off road difficulty. Not forgetting the beautiful landscape and great views of the Rincon Mountain Wilderness area.

From a stock 4x4 to heavily built rock buggy's, there's a wide range of difficulty that should suit everyone's off road preference. There are a total of three difficult areas that may be of concern for the less experienced driver, but choosing your line should ensure safe travel.

Craig (06RubicAn), guided us through the entire route to Chiva Falls. The falls were running which ended up being a great trail feature and a nice place to cool off in the refreshing water.

With the recent Monsoons the area was green throughout and the trail footing itself consists mostly of decomposing granite. The biotic community vegetation types includes Sonoran desertscrub and western plank. (Palo Verde, Mesquite, Saguaro, and prickly Pear). As you reach higher elevation you will enjoy semi-desert grasslands in addition to Juniper, Chaparral, Manzanita, and many verities of oak. A rare treat for us desert dwellers.

This area was well planned by the Santa Catalina Ranger district to provide a great location for our off road and hiking community. They have gone to the extent of making sure there are plenty of loops and difficult 4x4 lines all coupled with easier bypasses.

Despite it being a well planned area, Redington Pass is still a fragile place to visit. Please do not travel cross country and stay on designated paths. Also do not mud through cattle ponds! This does not just create an issue for livestock, but creates long term problems for local wildlife in a region where water is a scarce commodity.

I would like to personally thank Josh Taiz, the district wildlife biologist for his input on this trail description. His department works hard to make sure all of us can enjoy our land responsibly. And lets face it, there are quite a few who off road irresponsibly.

This trail can be 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 remove the guesswork and enjoy the beauty of the Arizona outdoors! If you’re planning a 4x4 trip, this guide is an invaluable resource. Click here for a full description and a where to buy!

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Dripping Spring Trail – Quartzite, Arizona

2008-07-02T01:24:00Z

The Dripping Spring area is located east of Quartzite. The trail is spotted with historical and geological features that will satisfy your thirst for off road adventure. Exploring the entire area should take around 5 hours giving time to stop and look around. This trail is dangerously hot in the summer and traverses a wash where flash floods are possible. Route finding is complex and an Off Road GPS and Off Road Trail Guide are highly recommended.

The trail starts off easy with a series of dirt roads. The first point of interest is the Belle of Arizona Mine. This site has an old mining cabin and some abandon mining equipment. The mine itself is a deep “trench like” hole that follows a quartz vein up to the top of the hill. Extreme caution in this area is recommended.

Further down the road there is a rock cabin that, at first glace, appears be occupied. This place is called “Apache Chief Bed and Breakfast”. Just like the Lulu Too mining cabin in Florence Junction, this cabin contains some interesting items from old trinkets to business cards people left behind. Don’t forget to say hello to the old miner but whatever you do don’t look under his hat. Evil lurks there… Just outside the cabin you will find the gravesite of an old bartender named Moe.

Around the corner from the bed and breakfast is the abandoned Apache Chief Mine. The main shaft appears to be stable but as you journey deep into the network of tunnels, there are a couple cave-ins and some unstable timber. (You should NEVER go into abandon mines or you will end up like Moe!)

As the trail turns into a wash, it gradually worsens. The wash becomes narrow with some rock obstacles. Watch for the fork in the wash and turn left. This will take you directly to the Dripping Spring. The Dripping Spring is an overhanging ledge of rock that drips to a spring at the foot of the canyon. The area around the spring is believed to be an old Apache Indian camp. This is evident with the many petroglyph's at the base of the canyon.

(The Dripping Spring) (Old Apache Fort)

After a long day of traveling we decided to camp out. This is not recommended for those who can't share a campsite with mountain lions bats and other curious animals! Personally, I chose to sleep in the position I call “Awake all night with gun in hand”.

(More Photos from the Dripping Spring Trail)

(View Entire Photo Album of the Dripping Springs Trail)

Arizona Strip & The North Rim - Grand Canyon

2008-07-01T03:17:00Z

The Arizona Strip- the section of Arizona that is north of the Grand Canyon and is cut off geographically from the rest of the state. It covers approximately 1 million acres of remote plateaus, plains, mountains, cliffs, and canyons. It’s a strange transition zone where the Mohave Desert, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau connect. And it’s a wonderful piece of real estate where all visitors must respect the remote location, lack of water, and absence of facilities. But for those willing to brave these challenges, it’s a unique land with a startling array of plant, animal, geologic, and cultural resources. Route finding in this area is extremely complex, an Off Road Trail Guide and Off Road GPS are strongly recommended.

Marble Canyon/Vermilion Cliffs

The trip begins passing over Marble Canyon on the Navajo Bridge. On the west side there’s a visitor center with indoor and outdoor exhibits explaining the history of the area. Also, you can walk out on the old bridge (834 feet long and 470 feet above water) that spans the canyon.

From here, and along Highway 89 towards the North Rim, you can observe the striking, sheer red and purple cliffs that dominate the view to the north.

These are the Vermilion Cliffs, and the area was recently made into a National Monument. Besides the towering cliffs, deep canyons and remote wilderness areas await the hardy traveler. This is also a prime California condor viewing area.

Bright Angle Point

High of the Kaibab Plateau, after heading south from Jacob Lake, you'll get to the Grand Canyon entrance station. At the end of the road, near Grand Canyon Lodge, you can follow the paved foot trail to the tip of Bright Angel Point. John Wesley Powell's 1869 expedition camped at the mouth of this canyon, and Powell later gave the name Bright Angel Creek to its crystal-clear waters.

The grand lodge of stone and logs was built in 1937. The patio, Sun Room, and dining area are all popular gathering places. In the Sun Room you'll see a bronze statue of the famous burro "Brighty of the Grand Canyon," along with photos and stories about him. Rumor has it you can rub his nose for good luck.

Point Sublime

West of Bright Angel Point at the end of an 18-mile dirt road negotiable by high-clearance vehicles lies the appropriately named Point Sublime. This vista extends far into the Grand Canyon for awesome views to the east, south, and west. You can scan a great length of both North and South Rims and spot a section of Colorado River. The route is a bumpy 2.0 and not always passable when wet, but you will pass through aspen, fir, pine, spruce, ferns, meadows, and basically some of the most beautiful alpine terrain in Arizona.

Cape Royal Drive

This paved road begins about three miles north Bright Angel and leads to some of the North Rim's most spectacular viewpoints. You could easily spend a full day exploring the overlooks and hiking the short trails. Round trip to Cape Royal from the lodge is about 45 miles.

Point Imperial is the Grand Canyon’s highest vantage point by road with an elevation of 8,803 feet. Views include impressive formations in the park's eastern region. To the north you can spot the Colorado gorge before it opens up and to the southeast the Little Colorado River Canyon.

At the end of the road are Cape Royal and Angels Window. An easy quarter mile trail leads to the Cape which is the southernmost viewpoint on the North Rim… and a fantastic panorama. Angels Window, a massive natural arch, has a short trail on top of it. Good views of geologic formations like Vishnu Temple and Wotans Throne abound.

Hack Canyon

This is a tributary of Kanab Canyon, which itself is the largest side canyon with the Grand Canyon. Hack Canyon offers both great scenery —it’ll feel like you're driving into the Grand Canyon— and access to the Kanab Creek Wilderness via a trailhead at the end of the road. The trail itself is a fairly easy 2.0 with some powdery soft spots. The turnoff from County 109 is about 30 miles southwest of Fredonia. Head east and you'll see the headwall of Hack Canyon on the left after a mile or so. Once past this dry waterfall drop-off, you’ll descend and follow the canyon bottom with ever higher and grander walls on each side.

About halfway to the trail head lies the Hack Mine which produced uranium. There are still some structures still standing, mine but very little traces of it operations remains today.

Toroweap

There didn’t appear to be any canyon nearby, but as the sun dropped and we drove the curvy, rocky road south to its end, there suddenly seemed to be some sort of gap between us and the cliffs in front of us. As we emerged onto the point, things abruptly became clear… with virtually no warning, the ground vanished and plunged deep in a breathtaking, spectacular gorge of cliffs, color and water.

This remote area of the North Rim is about 20 miles west of Kanab Canyon. The overlook (elev. 4,552 feet) provides awesome Canyon views from sheer cliffs nearly 3,000 feet high above the river. Toroweap (also known as Tuweap or Tuweep) lies about 70 miles southwest of Fredonia. The route is a decent, graded road with some sections of washboard. About 5 miles out from Toroweap the road worsens into a solid 2.0 and has 2.5 sections at the very end.

Although the area is in Grand Canyon National Park, no entry or campground fees are currently charged. As you get close to the overlook, the immediate area is Sedona-like in its reddish, slick rock quality. The campground is about a mile before the overlook, and is backed by low cliffs with good views. No facilities other than outhouses, so don’t expect a lot of people.

There are three prominent foot trails in the vicinity: Saddle Horse Canyon Trail, Esplanade Trail, and Lava Falls trail. These showcase the rich volcanic history here, where eruptions once built dams across the river. One dam is said to have been over 2000 feet high, but the Colorado washed it away long ago.

The overlook itself is on a sheer drop-off. You can scramble rocks either way for varying views. Across the chasm is the Hualapai Indian Reservation. Lava Falls, about 1.5 miles downstream, roars with a vengeance. Toroweap Point (6,393 el.) towers in the northeastern horizon. Vulcan’s Throne (5,102 el.), the 600-foot-high rounded cinder cone west of the overlook, is one of the youngest volcanoes in the area.

Mount Trumbull Loop

Scenic features of this volcanic region within the Grand Canyon-Parashont National Monument include Mt. Trumbull (8,028 feet) and Mt. Logan (7,866 feet). The area is covered in pinyon, juniper, and ponderosa.

Ancestral Paiute and Puebloan tribes have etched thousands of glyphs into boulders south of Mt. Trumbull at the Nampaweap Rock Art site. Once parked, walk a little over half a mile to the head of a small canyon. The petroglyphs are on the canyon's north side.

Roads of various quality zig-zag throughout and route-finding can be difficult. A couple trails straddle a large, geologically recent lava flow that you can climb up on. Near the ranger station on County Road 5 are the barely-there remains of an old sawmill from the 1930s.

Once climbing down from the higher elevations, you’ll enter Mount Trumbull townsite, a place where homesteaders came about 1918 to farm and raise cattle. Population peaked around 200–250 in the 1930s. People gradually drifted away until the last full-time resident departed in 1984. Remains of old houses stand and you can get some good photos from the roads. The old one-room schoolhouse built in 1922 had its last class in 1968. Exhibits inside tell the story of the town and its people.

Whitmore Wash

South of the Mount Trumbull ghost town, a road heads farther south into Whitmore Canyon and dead-ends at the rim of the Grand Canyon. The road is easy. Once you’ve passed a few structures and an airstrip, the road will become a solid 2.0 trail.

Lava flows from Mt. Emma in the Uinkaret Mountains form a ramp on which you basically drive deep into the Grand Canyon. At the end, a steep, three-quarter mile trail leads down to the chilly Colorado River. You can see where lava dams once crossed the river.

Hurricane Cliffs - Much of the central Arizona Strip is high elevation plateau of flatlands and low rolling hills. The major landmark is the Hurricane Cliffs, which essentially cuts the Arizona Strip into east-west halves. Formed from the Hurricane Fault, the escarpment extends over 150 miles across northern Arizona and into Utah. It is said that these cliffs represent one of the longest exposed line of cliffs in the world. Soft, dusty two-track trails criss-cross the region. Once atop the Hurricane Cliffs sweeping panoramas exist to the west.

A special thanks to Chris Jerome (AZTacoma) for this spectacular writeup! He planned the entire adventure which was a “once in a lifetime” expedition through the remotest and less traveled area of Arizona.

View All photos from the North Rim and the Arizona Strip:

The North Rim - Grand Canyon National Park

Toroweap Overlook & Campgrounds - Grand Canyon Arizona

Hack Canyon

Nampaweap Rock Art & Whitmore Wash - Arizona Strip

Point Sublime - Grand Canyon National Park

Parts of this expedition can be 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 remove the guesswork and enjoy the beauty of the Arizona outdoors! If you’re planning a 4x4 trip, this guide is an invaluable resource. Click here for a full description and a where to buy!

Martinez Canyon (Cabin) Trail - Florence Junction - Arizona

2008-06-29T22:09:00Z

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.

(Video of our last Trip to Martinez Canyon (Cabin)

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Sunflower Mine Trail - Mazatzal Mountains - Arizona

2008-06-29T03:59:00Z

Located in eastern Maricopa County within a portion of the Mazatzal Mountain range, is the Sunflower Mine trail. This is a perfect off road trail for those who enjoy exploring historic remains of Arizona’s mining industry. The trail contains excellent views of the Mazatzal Mountain Range and traverses through some technical 4x4 terrain.

The Sunflower Mine Trail should take around 6 hours giving plenty of time to stop and explore the interesting mining ruins. The trail is hot but bearable in the summer time and can be extremely cold in the winter. Portions of the trail follows a wash so flash floods are possible. Route finding is relatively simple, but there are some areas where route finding can be confusing. As always, I would recommend carrying an Off Road Trail Guide and Off Road GPS.

The greatest feature of the Sunflower Mine trail is the old mercury processing facility. This facility was created to process cinnabar into mercury. Cinnabar is generally found in a granular or earthy form and is bright scarlet to brick-red in color. This entire portion of the Mazatzal Mountain is rich in Cinnabar.

More specifically, the Sunflower Mine processing facility would begin the production process by breaking down larger pieces of the raw Cinnabar into a small power-like consistency. This was accomplished by using a large circular tumbler.

Once broken down, the refined Cinnabar was then heated to extract the mercury as a vapor. The vapor was then forced through coils that were cooled by water sprinklers. Cooling the vapor would convert the “now pure” mercury into a liquid for final collection.

Cinnabar was discovered in the area in 1911 by a prospector named E.H. Bowman. In turn he sold his claim the Sunflower Mining Company which built the processing facility you see today. This facility is well preserved and one of the best features of the trail.

The trail ventures from lower Sonoran desert to over 5500 feet forested terrain. Parts of the trail are maintained forest service roads however one shelf road is very steep with dangerous washouts. The creeks through the canyon areas will require high ground clearance and can be technicality challenging. The creeks in this area normally contain water almost year round. In the winter and monsoon seasons expect a good flow of water that make the wash areas even more challenging.

(Click here to view the entire photo album of The Sunflower Mine Trail)

Broken Arrow Trail - Schnebly Hill Road - Sedona - Arizona

2008-06-29T03:34:00Z

Sedona offers nothing in the way of hard-core off road 4x4 trails. However, what it lacks in difficulty is made up with its unbeatable stunning views of red rock canyons and evergreen vegetation. The Broken Arrow Trail is the most challenging off road route in Sedona and so happens to be the most scenic. The trail is located in the Coconino National Forest, but maintained by the Pink Jeep Tours, Inc. Some consider this off road trail to be best trail in Arizona.

The Broken Arrow Trail may be taken year round although temperatures can reach the upper 90’s during summer. The entire loop is just over two miles and will only take about three hours giving plenty of time to venture off and explore. Route finding is simple with well-maintained signs.

As you make your way through the canyon you’ll see a number of interesting geological points of interest such as the Devil's Dining Room Sinkhole, Submarine Rock, Twin Buttes, Chicken Point, and the Devils Staircase.

The Devils Staircase is the most difficult part of the trail and will give the inexperienced off road driver one heck of an adrenaline rush. The steps must driven down hill on very slick rock. This obstacle is not technically challenging, as it simply requires slow and easy breaking while keeping your front tires straight.

Within a short distance from the Broken Arrow is the Greasy Spoon trail and Schnebly Hill Road. Greasy spoon takes about 30 minutes of travel time on a well-maintained road and has very little features or views. One semi-difficult spot passes through a wash with a steep grade but requires very little effort to pass.

(Watch the complete video of The Broken Arrow Trail!)

Schnebly Hill Road is a graded trail that leads up to a mountain ridge with a perfect view of Sedona’s mountainous landscape. Located on the top of the hill is the Woods Wildlife area. There are a number of Forest Service trails throughout the ridge that allow dispersed camping. Schnebly Hill Road is about 13 miles long and will take you back to Interstate 17 just north of Sedona.

(Watch the complete video of The Broken Arrow Trail!)

(Watch the complete VIDEO of The Broken Arrow Trail!)