Trails

East Flagstaff, Arizona Off Road Exploration

2009-04-28T06:06:00Z

Well, what can I say... another good trip, no issues, and a bunch of pics. The tally this time was 175 brought home, 110 keepers. I uploaded 50 to photobucket HERE. We were able to hit every major point of interest and got home fairly early to boot! I didn't post any real trail pics because most were easily doable in a non-4x4 high clearance truck or SUV. A couple short sections we took around Grand Falls and a forest road near Chavez Pass were easy 4x4.

The first place we hit was Grand Falls, on the outskirts of the San Francisco volcanic field of domes and craters. The falls were created when a large lava flow blocked the Little Colorado River a long time ago.

From there we made a beeline to Register Rock. In 1857, LT Beale was assigned to build a wagon road across New Mexico and Arizona near the 35th parallel. The Beale party stopped for breakfast where the road passes between two rocks. These boulders became a popular spot for wagon train emigrants to inscibe their names. We looked around a bit and found the pioneer graffiti, along with the pioneer trail itself. This was a very interesting area of rocks and formations.

Once again we packed up and drove to our next area, the ghost town of Canyon Diablo. This once bustling town of 2000 was said to be more rowdy than Tombstone at its peak, full of thieves, gamblers, murderers, and women of ill repute. Once the railroad finally built the old bridge across canyon diablo, the town withered away. There was a good amount of rubble on both sides of the railroad tracks. The new bridge has 3 tracks running over it and is massive.

Two Guns was just a little south. It has a very interesting history dating back from pre-European exploration all the way into the late 1970s. It seems it's location -a fair place to cross Canyon Diablo- has made it a crossroads for at least a 1000 years. The place has a lot of interesting history but Two Guns really came into its own as a tourist stop in the mid 1900s when the 'National Trail Highway' moved westward and later became Route 66. Now it's a lonely, crumbling has-been, DOA once I-40 was built.

I like this picture because it shows various ruins, the old Route 66 bridge, and the Peaks in the background.

There were many deep cracks, gorges, holes and caves around. The remains of some fairly recent mining activity were strewn about.

This was part of an old "zoo."

We decided we better head to our camping grounds and made way towards Chavez Pass. I did a short hike to check out Chavez Ruins. The remains on a hilltop are well weathered and you can barely make out the walls of the rooms. We passed by the Meteor Crater. It's the long gray hill on the horizon. The visitor center is at the top, left of center.

Obligatory campfire shot:

The next morning (very frosty) we made a short stop at Blue Ridge Reservoir to eat, change, and walk around a bit.

Agua Fria National Monument, Arizona

2009-04-28T06:00:00Z

This was a very nice trip, a good and easy day wheeling and hiking through an interesting area. Me, Brett and DD exited off Bloody Basin about 9am and explored a decent portion of the monument. This was a good time to visit as it was fairly green and not too warm. The little creeks feeding the Agua Fria River had water in them. Apparently there are native fish living in them and wild grapevines along the waterways.

A few shots going in...

It's said that about 3000 people inhabited the grassy plains of Perry Mesa between 1200-1450. We made our way over to Pueblo La Plata, which has between 120-150 rooms. The stone walls are turning to rubble and partially buried, basically extremely weathered and in poor shape. There were pottery shards everywhere.... thousands in and around the settlement.

After poking around for a while we headed out for Pueblo Pato. The 1 mile hike in was a little confusing as we didn't know exactly where the ruin was, but we found it. It has the same type of low, collapsed walls and is even more overgrown than the first pueblo. This settlement actually has a satelite ruin, which we encountered first, near the main ruin. The big event here though are the numerous petroglyphs located about 50 feet down from the rim on the south and west sides of the canyon.

A room at the ruin along with some fresh blooms...

The people who lived here did not have decorative pottery and they traded with distant groups for pottery like this. Also shown is a mano and piece of metate, used to grind corn...

Perry Tank Canyon looking towards the Agua Fria Canyon and the Bradshaw Mountains...

Here is the "famous" duck glyph... a rare and distinctive figure which the pueblo is named for...

All in all it was a success and we were back on the freeway about 3:25pm. The trails were sometimes bumpy but very easy... which is fine, it's not always about crawling boulders. Thanks for coming, it was good to see you guys again!

ALL ONLINE PICS

Jerome, Arizona

2009-04-28T05:56:00Z

A couple days ago me and the weird cousin set off to explore some areas around the neat town of Jerome. One of the most famous ghost towns in the West, this mining town's population peaked at over 15,000 people and dropped to less than 100. Today it's an interesting, artsy town full of touristas and a full-time population of about 500. In some ways this town looks a lot like Bisbee and a little like San Francisco.

We started out on a forest road that circles Mingus Mountain that I shall call the "Jerome Shelf Road." It's over 20 miles long at an elevation of 6500-5500 feet. I would have to say it's one of the most substantial shelf roads in the state and those with a fear of heights will definitely experience some puckering. There are several significant springs along the road and also a few mines- some active. This trail is an "easy" 2.5... no technical crawling but slow, bumpy, and scary enough to warrant a solid 4x4 and decent driver.

Next we explored a few areas that included a couple mines and the old Bear Railroad Station, which operated in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Verde River:

The United States Mine:

The Buckskin Mine, which was an interesting sandstone quarry:

Government Wash:

We finally entered our main area where we would camp for the night and complete a hike to an Indian ruin. This is a little known and very out of the way area. The trails are relatively easy... stock, high clearance type roads. Along the way we visited an old cabin property that included a neat rainwater catchment.

Early morning sunlight emerges over the hills:

The ruin was in great shape and had some roofing which is very rare in these 600-800 year old structures.

The views on this trip were fantastic and I took even more pictures than I usually do... I kept over 100! We had great weather- 70s, light breeze, although that darn haze was in effect which hampered the long distance shots. No issues to speak of and my special style gumbo was mouth watering goodness, yum.

All online pics. AzTacoma out!

Chivo Falls and Chimney Rock - Tucson, Arizona

2009-04-28T05:41:00Z

Thanks to Craig for guiding us through some neat areas down around east of Tucson. It was good to finally meet you (and Wrangler). Chivo Falls was a little harder than I anticipated and I liked that... little bits of everything. And then someone came up with the bold and interesting idea to climb to the top!

Chimney Rock was a nice detour and had some fun trying to "play" on the rocks. Props to Damion who challenged Chivo with no issues. No carnage of any kind to report, all in all, a very successful trip. A few pictures:

Starting off towards the Falls

Damion catching some air on Three Feathers

Chivo Falls... not quite as much water as you'd expect from the rains. Very cool.

The view from the edge of the Falls

There was a dusting of snow on the peaks

Heading in to Chimney Rock

Damion making new friends while we figure out where we are...

Chimney Rock

El Camino Del Diablo

2009-04-28T05:34:00Z

Critical Stats

Date/Time: 6:45amFeb14 to 5pmFeb15

Temps: Lows hi 30s, Highs hi 60s

Pictures taken: 206

Total Mileage: 383 miles

Trail Mileage: 151 consecutive miles of unpaved

Top Trail Speed: 56mph

Mechanical/Health Issues: 0

Background

The route that is the Devil's Highway has a rough reputation as a thoroughfare going back a thousand years as Indians, explorers, missionaries, prospectors, and settlers braved the harsh environment on their way towards what is now California. If you are interested in these things, there are many books and websites documenting the rich history surrounding the fabled route. Between 400-2000 graves line the route and it's said the Camino is one of the deadliest immigrant trails in North America.

My adventure follows the modern version of the route, starting south of Ajo and traveling westerly towards Yuma. Sadly, nobody else was able to make the trip, but we still decided to proceed with a solo excursion. After getting the permits and calling in our trip plan, we were off. This is not an area you will ever be invited to, but once you're here you are welcome to visit... so long as you observe the rules, and there are many.

I have been waiting years to travel this road, my imagination racing about the amazing hardships people endured as they traversed the continent's largest expanse of virgin Sonoran Desert. No towns, no services, this was an ideal expeditionary ‘campaign' into a fairly remote area that's larger than several US states. Wide open, full of opportunities... it was time.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Starting off on Darby Wells Road we soon entered the monument. Although expected, it was a little disappointing that side roads leading to some old mines on my topo maps were closed off. We got to Bates Well in good time and took a look around.

The Bates Well property represents a very complete and intact example of the frontier ranching pattern in Arizona typical of the Sonoran Desert during the first third of the twentieth century. It has been entered into the National Register of Historic Places and there are Native petroglyphs in a nearby wash. There is also a small Border Patrol substation here, although we didn't actually see anybody.

Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge

The Refuge offers a lot of diversity actually. Besides the standard beauty of the Sonoran Desert, we passed through a couple sections of dense tree and brush growth and crossed over the rolling Pinta Sands, a smooth two-track winding a dozen miles through reddish sand. Bordering the sands was the Pinacate Lava Flow with its lunar-like stark appearance. This lava field contains a number of extinct cinder cones and small calderas, and you have to slow down through the ancient, bumpy rock.

Not many would expect to see this along the High of the Devil, yet on the eastern side of the refuge it can get thick in a couple spots.

The sand in the road was only about 5-6 inches deep... off the road much deeper.

These three pictures highlight the geographic diversity of Cabeza Prieta.

Border patrols were fairly regular, including low flying helicopters, well into the night as well. They do a heck of a job trying to track "bodies" (their term) and drag the Camino regularly with tires to smooth the road so they can detect tracks and prints. We had a nice long conversation with one agent at Papago Well, but usually it was a quick chat where we would ask them questions and they would give us strange faces. This region is a prime smuggling corridor and just west of Papago Well is a BP encampment. You can actually see the lights of vehicles on the Mexican highway at night, not far across the border.

The Border Patrol basecamp had several modular buildings, 10+ various vehicles, and a helipad. Metal rails were sprinkled in the sand here and there, usually just 2 apart for the wheels. This short stretch had 5 across.

As much as we tried, we couldn't spot any bighorn, pronghorn, or illegals. But, the flat sandy plains interrupted by jagged, steep-rock mountains jutting out from the surface have a secret... they hide fascinating little canyons where microclimates exist. Tule Tank Canyon had a number of strange trees and shrubs, including some rare elephant trees (which interestingly has red sap). There was about a 1000 gallon pool of water in the granite, but I did not see any petroglyphs that were supposed to be there.

Another grave, this one of of a man named O'Neil who supposedly drowned in a stock tank... certainly the only person to ever drown on the arid Camino!

The view from Christmas Pass.

We camped at Tule Well, which has a neat little casita there built by military engineers in 1989. We had enough time to run north 8 miles to Christmas Pass to check out the area. We saw two Jeeps pass by, our only visual of vehicles the whole time other than the Border Patrol. About 9pm, an hour after we retired for the night, a BP truck stopped in our camp and shined lights around. One guy got out of the truck and looked at my front tires. I could hear him say "Yeah, these are the tires" to the driver as he got back into the truck. They were there less than a minute. Such is life along the Devil's Highway...

Barry Goldwater Military Range

The sun just starting to give light.

And then a few minutes later with sunshine hitting the land.

The next morning we crossed into the gunnery range. Even though there was a little bit of recent rain, you could still see the desperation of the plantlife and the bleak look of the vast expanse gave a vibe of desperation. Annual rainfall within the region is usually less than 3 inches a year and some areas get less than an inch for more than a year. This is a baked, dusty landscape where looks are deceiving. Since the mountains have no foothills they look much closer than they really are.

We reached the Tinajas Altas, a series of water pockets (which hold up to 20,000 gallons) climbing high into the granite wedge. There are many grinding spots on the stone called morteros that Indians used to process seeds and the like. Quite a few petroglyphs, both prehistoric and more modern, can be found on the surrounding rocks. There are also numerous unmarked graves surrounding the area.

It turns out reaching the higher pools required a level of death-defying climbing on the treacherously steep rock I didn't expect. After nearly killing myself a couple times I decided I didn't need to see the top pools. A combination of exhaustion and stress made me forget to take pictures of many of the upper petroglyphs.

Back in the Taco we decided to take the left fork of the Camino, which took us through the Tinajas Altas Pass and up the western flank of the mountains. It seemed the farther west you went the more exceptionally rugged and parched the area becomes. Some parts looked like a movie set, ie, fake.

The Tinajas Altas is right over here...

Fortuna Mine

See the fence above the shaft? Yes, it's 10 feet tall.

Our final area of interest was the massive Fortuna Mine and ghost town, tucked into the western flank of the Gila Mountains about 10 miles south of the I-8 Exit. Fortuna was a gold mine from about 1890-1920 and at its peak had a post office, a saloon, a hotel, and a stage and freight line among other businesses. Water was pumped in from the Colorado river 20 miles away.

I don't think the whole area surrounding this mine has any dirt. I've never seen so much stone, rock, crushed rock, and gravel. This fact, along with the general lack of vegetation, gives this place a strange, otherworldly feel. There are some remains, foundations, graves, and mining garbage strewn about in an area covering at least 30 acres. Informational signs dot the area giving insight into the land and history.

There are also a large number of holes, caves, and shafts throughout the area. I counted 7 but I'm sure there are many more. Most were vertical or more than 45 degrees... a long first step. Most impressive was the main shaft, which was a good 40 feet in diameter. I have never seen a shaft opening that huge.

Once we left the Fortuna complex it was a quick and easy 5-6 miles to pavement. Time to head home!

Reflection

In summary, it was a fantastic trip. You really need 2 nights to do this run properly, but maybe someday I will make this trip again and see some of the stuff I missed. Because of the border issues, it may lack in some of the original remote/adventure aspects, but it's still a great experience.

Even though 4HI was only used a few times, a trip like this gives a chance to feed the wanderlust a little bit in a very pure way. There is something seductive about the idea of turning your back on civilization, and although the realist side knows it's impossible (and in the end, not desirable), the romantic side yearns for tiny examples such as this... it lets you appreciate life a little more than usual.

Being a history buff, The Devil's Highway offered me a fun way to see untamed natural beauty and connect with those that came before us in a way that allows me to better understand the areas I explore while instilling a desire to protect what's there. It doesn't get any better than that.

White Mountains (Ice Fishing)

2009-04-28T05:26:00Z

Me and the Pops went out to try some ice fishing in the White Mountains and explore some eastern Arizona areas over MLK weekend. Unfortunately, the road to Big Lake was impassable due to snow! Here was the turnaround point...

This was so disapointing. We did try Greer and Luna lakes with no luck. Still had a great time though.

After some fun in the snow and ice we headed south down the old Highway 666... 85 miles of 10-20mph twists and turns. Very scenic.

Eventually we landed in Morenci... WOW! This is the largest copper mine in North America and one of the largest in the world. The mining complex covers almost 50 square miles! This place mines 830,000 tons of rock per day and recovers about 800 million pounds of copper a year. The 5 pits are massive and stretch for miles and miles. Any 1 picture represents just a small fraction of the mine. The dump trucks with 20' high tires looked like toy tonka trucks milling about. I was impressed...

From here we jumped on the Black Hills Scenic Byway, aka Old Safford Road. This 21 mile trail took us by old railway ruins, a historic bridge, an old prison camp (the road was contructed between 1914 and 1920 by prisoners), CCC projects, mines, some graves, and the usual corrals, tanks, and such. It reaches 6000' at the highest with chaparal, juniper, and oak. We took a side road to Gillard Hot Springs which is on the Gila River. I'm not sure it was the correct side road because it was 3.0 moderate and we had to hike the last third of a mile. This is the hottest natural spring in Arizona with a temp of 180 degrees.

The next morning we circled San Carlos Lake on the Rez and explored a bit. The highlight was spotting a bald eagle that I swear was close to 3 feet tall perched on a dead tree by the water. The dam was cool too.

It was a great trip with good weather and the Taco ran like a charm, 775 miles. I kept over 65 pictures but here's a few more to sample.

Post By: AZTacoma

Ghost Town of Cherry Arizona

2009-04-28T05:17:00Z

Me and the weird cousin went up on Tuesday to explore the area around Cherry. Cherry itself was a mining town that sprung up in the 1860s and had a post office from 1884-1943. Now it's a "ghosttown" although there are vacation and retirement homes throughout the area. Part of what we ran is known as the "Great Western Trail" This trail goes from Mexico to Canada traveling 4,455 miles through Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.

The trails ranged from perfectly graded dirt roads to moderate 3.0+ sections of washouts on some of the old mining roads. We ended up taking what I would describe as "quad trails" in some areas... they used to roads at one time but are so overgrown there's little left. The result was the worst pinistriping I've ever had or went through and I broke off my antena, which I (as usual) forgot to take off. I am not sure how much of those scratches will buff out.

A few old structures in Cherry:

There are a dozen mines around Cherry and some are not accessible. We did manage to get to some and poke around.

The Logan Mine:

The Gold Bullion Mine:

The Golden Idol Mine:

We also searched and searched for a old, little known settlement called Hecla. I still don't know exactly what it was but we finally found it along the banks of Ash Creek.

ALL PICTURES

Blog post by: AZTacoma

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.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

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!

(Please visit the site to view this media)

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)

(Please visit the site to view this media)

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!)

Desoto Mine Trail - Bradshaw Mountains, Arizona

2008-06-28T03:34:00Z

The Desoto Mine trail is the route less traveled by OHV’s to the popular town of Crown King. This trail should not be traveled alone. Plenty of water and supplies should be carried as help is far away. High ground clearance and experience with off road driving is needed to traverse this route safely. Route finding is complex so it is strongly recommended that you carry a Off Road GPS and an Off Road Trail Guide .

The trail begins on a washboard road through two historic town sites. The first of which is Bumble Bee Arizona. Founded in 1878, Bumble Bee was a stage stop on the Prescott-Phoenix stage line. Nothing much is left of the town other than old a few old buildings and some modern homes.

Further down the road, situated on the base of the Bradshaw foothills is the Town of Cleator. Established in 1903, the town grew from a train stop that fed the booming mining industry in the area. Some of the old structures are still in tact, but the main attraction today is the Cleator Bar. Despite the Bar’s resemblance to a stage prop in John Boorman’s movie “Deliverance” the bartender is quite friendly and can provide stories about the town’s undocumented history.

As you pass the town of Cleator on the main road pay close attention as the trail is easy to miss. Consult your Off Road Trail Guide or Off Road GPS to ensure that you have made the correct turn. As you ascend the hill you will notice old mining equipment and a water tank. The tailings from the Desoto Mine will be visible at the top of the hill. If you have enough time you may opt to take the trail up to the mineshaft. Do not enter, as it is private property and requires proper respiration equipment and headgear. I was fortune enough to meet a miner from Phoenix who gave us a complete tour of the shaft a few years back. There are deep underground springs and harsh chemicals to contend with. Pictures of this tour can be found by clicking here.

Once you pass the Desoto mine the trail becomes difficult. Winding hills and steep inclines /declines appear from the start and create “hold-your-breath” tippy situations. The further you climb away from the mine the more deescalate and beautiful the landscape becomes. The rolling hills of this area last for about 8 miles before descending into a rocky wash.

The wash is moderate trail for a vehicle with a short wheelbase and high ground clearance. Those with more aggressive vehicles may opt for the two optional waterfalls to off to the left. The wash area is short lived as you ascend up the hills. At this point the landscape quickly changes from desert to forest.

As you crest the hills you will find a great place to camp within a wooded area. Although this area is close to .Senator Highway (a washboard trail), the town of Crown King is still a few hours away. Finding the correct route to the so-called highway can be difficult as there is numerous forest service roads crossing the main trail. Again consult your Map or GPS device to ensure your headed in the right direction.

Once you reach Senator highway, make a left to head towards Crown King. The entire trail is about 15 miles. You should allow six to eight hours for the entire trip from Bumble Bee to Crown King.

The Coke Ovens - Florence Junction, Arizona

2008-06-27T00:44:00Z

When I first stumbled upon these great marvels of the past, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The Coke Ovens were awkward against the mountainous landscape. As we traveled closer I was was taken back as the ovens themselves were carved from stone with remarkable detail. The thermal engineering for proper functionality is clearly amazing. Route finding in this area is complex, an Off Road Trail Guide and Off Road GPS are strongly recommended.

The Coke Ovens are remnants of the large mining operations in the Mineral Mountain Range that prospered in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. These ovens were created for the produced Coke. Coke is a fuel that burns at extremely high temperatures. This was – and still is today - an ideal product to use in the smelter process.

The Coke Ovens are ideally located just south of the Mineral Mountain area. This location was perfect for three primary reasons. First, they were close enough to feed the demands of the mines throughout the Mineral Mountain Range - such as the Woodpecker, Orphan Boy, Silver Belle, Ajax, Martinez and other mines. Second, they are located just north of the Gila river which supplied the ovens with an abundance mesquite which is a key ingredient for making coal. Lastly, they are located about a mile north of the ghost town of Cochran. Cochran provided an assay office for ore testing, a post office, and a central railroad stop.

The volatile components from the mesquite coal such as water, coal-gas, and coal-tar are driven off by baking the mixture in the airless Coke Ovens at temperatures as high as 3632 degrees. This, in turn, created the white powder substance called coke.

History of Coke: In 1709, an iron master, Abraham Darby I, succeeded in producing cast iron using coal. He discovered a process whereby coal was first turned into coke. When coal is turned into coke most of the sulfur is lost as sulfurous gases. The coke could then be used in the smelting process to produce iron and other metals. - saburchill.com

The most scenic trail to the Coke Ovens is via Highway 79 off the US 60 through Box Canyon. The header photo on ArizonaTrailways.com is just a sample of the desert views you will come across on this trail.

A faster but less scenic route you may take to reach the Coke Ovens is by crossing the Gila River. However the sometimes fast moving current and high water level can create a dangerous situation.

(View the entire photo album of the Coke Ovens)

Martin Canyon Trail (Smiley Rock Trail) – Jerome, Arizona

2008-06-26T22:01:00Z

Martin Canyon Trail is accessed via the historic town of Jerome which is also a popular tourist attraction. Although some of the route is part of the well-traveled “Great Western Trail”, plenty of water and supplies should be carried as help can be far away. The portions of the “Great Western Trail” are well marked, but making your way to Martin Canyon can be confusing with the network of trails scattered throughout the area. The entire loop starts at an elevation of 5200 feet and reaches the highest point of 7200 feet.

The entire off-road portion of the route is approximately 25 miles through the Prescott National forest and no services are available. Due to the remoteness of this back country, this trail should not be traveled alone. Most of the trail covers smooth dirt roads but portions of Martin Canyon will require an aggressive four wheel drive vehicle and good undercarriage protection. An Off Road Trail Guide and Off Road GPS are recommended.

Before starting this trek, I would recommend stopping at the Gold King Mine and ghost town just outside of Jerome. If you are interested in Arizona's historic mining, rustic old buildings and vintages autos (Some autos as old as 1904), the $5.00 entrance fee is a small price to pay.

Just past Jerome you travel through a couple of switchbacks and high shelf roads. Don't forget to stop at the “First View” lookout. This area has great panoramic views of red rock canyons, the San Francisco Peaks and vantage points of Cottonwood, Jerome and the Gold King Mine Ghost Town.

As you continue through the remote mountain range; the landscape changes from high desert to lush Cedar, Pinion pines and Juniper trees. The views are absolutely spectacular and the trail carves through red rock and granite outcroppings.

You will eventually reach Martin Canyon and will need to head east, running parallel along the south side of the Woodchute Mountains. This quite and remote canyon marks the start of the difficult portion of the trail. It is also the location of the famous “Smiley Rock”.

The canyon itself is only 3 miles, but is very slow moving. We chose to camp in this area and was lucky enough to find a fire pit and area that had already been cleared.

After sunup we continued east past the Mingus Trailhead and the Potato patch area. This took us back to Highway 89A.

With the lush landscape and remoteness I am surprised that this area is not more frequently traveled. During the entire trip we did not run into any other people. I was presently surprised how great this trail was and it will be on my list to off road again.

(View the Entire Photo Album of Martin Canyon Smiley Rock)

Upper & Lower Raw Deal Trail - Table Mesa - Arizona

2008-06-26T06:42:00Z

The Raw Deal (Upper Raw Deal – Lower Raw Deal) is not a trail for those looking for a scenic and adventurous ride through the Sonoran desert. The trail itself consists mostly of decomposing granite and has a tendency to erode after collecting pools of water during rainfall. If your looking for scenic off road exploration, please read the other trail descriptions in the “Trail Section”.

For those who are located close to North Phoenix and are looking for a quick fix for your extreme off road driving addiction then the Raw Deal is your ticket. The trails more extreme sections are rated at 3.5 however all have bypasses that can be handled in most moderately modified 4x4 vehicles. If your 4x4 has no armor, expect some sort of damage either way.

The entire off road portion of the route is about 3 hours at most and the only features are the difficult obstacles themselves. This area is dangerously hot in the summer with very little shade and the entire trail traverses a wash where flash floods are possible. Finding your way to the trailhead and between the Upper and Lower Raw deal can be confusing. As always, I recommend an Off Road GPS and Off Road Trail Guide.

This area of Table Mesa is very popular for target shooters as it is far enough from residential areas and most of the dirt roads can be traveled without four wheel drive. On occasion, at the start of the Raw Deal wash. you will have to drive through a mass of litter which includes broken glass, old appliances and other debit left behind by the few ignorant target shooters with no respect for the environment. The Virtual Jeep Club, AZ Backcountry and other off road clubs have done a great job at trying to keep the area clean. Their relentless efforts and devotion is the only reason why I am not embarrassed to post this trail on my website.

(Click here to see all the photos from the Raw Deal Trail)

Charouleau Gap Trail - Catalina / Oracle, Arizona

2008-06-26T01:31:00Z

The Charouleau Gap is a scenic route through the Catalina Mountains. The trail runs from Catalina to Oracle through the Coronado National Forest. With beautiful rock formations and picturesque desert landscaping this trail is sure to please the outdoor enthusiast and avid four-wheeler. The trail is about 19 miles of rock obstacles, steep includes and declines and stream crossings. A place called “The Step” often requires assistance (see picture below). Driving aggressive may break parts in this remote area of the desert. Bring plenty of supplies and never take this round alone. In addtion, the Charouleau Gap requires an experienced off-roader and a vehicle with high ground clearance. If you decide to tackle the difficult obstacles you will need lockers and aggressive tire tread. After passing the “Gap” (path through the steep mountainous area) you will run into the Oro, Cañada Del wash. This area is a bit more technically challenging, but is a fun addition to the trek. An Off Road Trail Guide and Off Road GPS are recommended as route finding is complex.

Aside from the awesome views and off road obstacles, this area has a great deal of history. The ancient history of the western slopes of the Catalina mountains starts with the arrival of the Hohokam people from northern Mexico around AD 300, reaching their peak between AD 700 and 1000. The peak years of occupation in the Canada Del Oro were from AD 500-700. – (1979) Gregonis & Reinhard, Univ of Arizona Pr.

The latest recorded history of the area, which adopted the namesake, was in 1540 when the Spanish explorer Don Francisco de Coronado who traveled through much of the area in search of gold.

Here are more photos from the Charouleau Gap Trail:

Click here to view all photos from the Charouleau Gap.

Isaac Bradshaw’s Grave and the Copperopolis Mine - Wickenburg Mountains - Arizona

2008-06-19T02:10:00Z

The trail starts in the historic town of Wickenburg and ventures through the Wickenburg and Bradshaw Mountains via Constellation Road and a network of trails. Although a few roads are suitable for most vehicles, many turnoffs contain steep and narrow shelf roads that create tippy situations. An experienced driver and common sense will ensure you traverse this mountain range safely. Route finding in this area is complex, an Off Road Trail Guide and Off Road GPS are strongly recommended.

homesteaded near the Hassayampa River and the miners who were attracted to the mineral rich mountains. The main commodity duringThe network of trails and abandon mine equipment within this remote mountain range are the remembrance of the people who its boom was gold, silver, and copper.

Brief History of Wickenburg: Wickenburg was founded 1863 when Henry Wickenburg discovered the Vulture Mine. To Mr. Wickenburg’s dismay, he sold the mine just before it became one of the richest gold mines in Arizona. After reaching 85 years of age and no longer being able to care for himself he took his life with a Colt Revolver. - 2007 World66.com

One well known miner by the name of William Bradshaw left the management of his prosperous ferry business in the hands of his brother Isaac. William had hoped to stake a claim on Rich Hill, but missed his opportunity. He then took a risk and ventured south of the silver mountain range. After a short time prospecting in the southern regions one of the two groups traveling with William quickly abandoned the prospecting and lost all hope. This turned out to be a regretful move on their part as Bradshaw's group, struck gold. From this a new mining district was named in his honor.

On December 17, 1864 under suspicious circumstances William Bradshaw allegedly committed suicide leaving his legacy to his brother Isaac Bradshaw. In 1867 Isaac, referred by many as Uncle Ike, sold his interest in the ferry and left his family behind to pick up his brother's lust for gold dust. He later became part owner, developer and superintendent of the rich Copper Basin mines.

Trail feature: Isaac Bradshaw’s Grave

Today Isaac Bradshaw’s gravesite can be found deep in the Wickenburg Mountains. His final resting place maintained by Bob Gray and his family. They paint the picket fence and maintain the grave markers once a year.

Trail Feature: Copperopolis Mine

The Copperopolis mine was open in 1883 and active until 1884. The ore it produced was low grade and by 1884 the small town site and mine was silent. In 1890 an out of state company reopened the mine and soon failed to yield enough copper to make the mine profitable. It stands silent today and still preserved.

(Click here to view the entire Wickenburg Mountains and Isaac Bradshaw Photos)

Reymert Mine Rd - Florence Junction, Arizona

2008-06-11T03:40:00Z

The Raymert Mine Road contains historical and unique geological features including the ghost town of Raymert. This off road trail is hidden within a small canyon northeast of Mineral Mountain Rd. A State Trust Land permit is required. For more information, call (602) 364-2753.

Exploring the area should take around 4 hours giving plenty of time to stop and explore the area. This trail is dangerously hot in the summer and follows a wash through the entire route so flash floods are possible. Route finding is simple as long as you remain in the wash and don't venture too far off on the higher network of off road trails. It is still strongly recommended to carry an Off Road Trail Guide and Off Road GPS.

The Town of Reymert or DeNoon was originally a mining camp founded by James DeNoon Reymart. The camp provided on-site labor and other resources for the operation of the Reymert Mine. This rich silver producing mine eventually formed a post office on June 6, 1890. It was estimated that over $400,000 of silver was produced during its peak operation. That would be equivalent to over 64 million dollars using today's commodity prices. The town's residents largely worked at Reymart Mine, until mining operations stopped in the 1950's. In the late 70's a Phoenix-based company bulldozed the remnants of the town leaving behind only a smelter.

(Town of Reymert in 1890) (Reymert Mine Smelter in 2008)

The first feature is an old mining cabin that appears to be currently in use. It is a federal Mining claim (Lulu Too) so enter at own risk. The cabin is well stocked with everything a miner would need to survive in the harsh Sonoran desert. In addition to the necessities, the old cabin contains old trinkets and knickknacks left behind by other wheelers. Please leave everything as you found it!

(Lulu Too Cabin - Federal Mining Claim)

After leaving the cabin, the next feature is easily passed if not paying close attention. Continuing through the dry creek bed, you will notice a narrow trail to the right of the wash. This leads you to an old smelter that resembles a medieval castle.

The more we surveyed the area we concluded that this smelter was part of a very large mining operation. The masonry work and the water diversion, was very elaborate and well engineered. .It was only until after hours of later research - we discovered that this was the old Reymert ore processing facility that survived the 1970's bulldozing. I have researched this structure at the Arizona Department of Mine and Minerals and viewed the assayer’s report on the Reymert Mine and there was no mention of this smelter.

Less than a mile after the smelter, the trail ended at an old cattle guard. The entire mountain had been bulldozed to prevent passage. Curiosity led me to climb the top of this hill and on the other side is a large - Modern - mining operation.

After turning around to take the same way out, I spotted something interesting. At first glance is looked man made, but a closer look reviled it was a dried waterfall and water hole where years of flowing water carved a unique pattern out of rock. The picture gives the site very little credit, but the find was quite interesting.

This Trail was found using “The Ghost Towns of Arizona” Book. For complete maps and off road GPS way-points, I would recommend ordering this book especially if your interested in exploring old Arizona Ghost Towns. Its the best I have found yet!

Woodpecker Mine Trail - Florence Junction, Arizona

2008-06-11T01:08:00Z

The upper and lower Woodpecker Trail and Woodpecker Mine are located within the north west area of the Mineral Mountain Range. The trail follows a wash and traverses through high canyon walls.

The entire off road trail is less than 4 hours giving time to stop and explore. The area is hot in the summer with very little shade and traverses a wash where flash floods are possible. Finding your way through the Woodpecker trail is simple however the trailhead is almost impossible to locate with overabundance of surrounding washes and networks of trails. An Off Road GPS and Off Road Trail Guide are highly recommended.

The Woodpecker Trail offers a wide spectrum of 4x4 difficulties. Your options are moderate boulder obstacles to extreme rock crawling challenges. The trail starts in a narrow rocky wash that traverses through a small portion of the Mineral Mountain Range. The rugged Sonoran desert views are accompanied by numerous Petroglyph's etched into the canyon walls from the Apache Indians who occupied the area for centuries.

Most of the Woodpecker Trail is an old route leading to mining claims patented in 1885 such as the Orphan Boy and Blue Bell Mine. The area was a large producer of silver, lead, zinc, copper and gold. The ore extraction sometimes required fierce battles with a renegade Indian tribe that occupied the area.

Ore was neither refined or smelted in the area due to the dangerous circumstances. All raw materials were transported on Mineral Mountain Rd to the now ghost town of Cochran. The Town of Cochran is adjacent to the famous "beehive shaped" Coke Ovens.

Depending on weather the Woodpecker Trail can be extremely dangerous and flash flooding is a much higher death risk in the area, as in some points escaping the canyon can be impossible. Do not attempt this trail if there are signs of rain or flash flooding.

(Click Here to View the Video of the Woodpecker Trail)

South Bradshaw Mountain Foothills Trail – Mine Site Exploration - Bumble Bee - Arizona

2008-05-27T20:36:00Z

The scenic off road trail is accessible from the Bumble Bee-Crown King exit (Exit #248) off I-17. This is the same southern entrance to Crown King Arizona – Home of the Crowned King Mine . Crown King is a so-called living ghost town nestled on the southern top of the Bradshaw Mountains. Although the loop starts from Crown King Rd., it follows the Bradshaw foothills and remains in the lower elevations. This is an ideal 4x4 trail in the winter and is dangerously hot in the summer. The complete loop takes just over 5 hours by Jeep, allowing time to stop to explore the mines and other features. The trail head is left (south) just before the town of Cleator (N 34º16’29.5 W 112º13’07.4). Route finding in this area is complex, an Off Road Trail Guide and Off Road GPS are strongly recommended.

(Road to Bumble Bee) (Charles Wells, Author came to document Trail)

(Town of Bumble Bee, AZ) (Town of Cleater, AZ)

The first point of interest is the Grey Goose Mine. There is no abandoned equipment or interesting features other than the shaft entrance itself. There is evidence of resent selective mining activities near and around the shaft entrance. After passing the Grey Goose Mine, make a left at the first “T” (FSR 101). After a series of hill climes and descents, turn right onto FSR 239 which is clearly marked.

(Golden Belt Mine Ruins) (Grey Goose Mine)

As you travel further south keep an eye out for the crested Saguaro on the western end of the trail. Encountering a crested Saguaro is a very rare sight. Some experts speculate that this strange growth is a genetic mutation. Others say it is the result of a lightning strike or freeze damage. At this point scientists simply don't know what causes this rare crested formation to develop.

(Crested Saguaro)

As you continue, the trail will start descending into the Poland Creek creek area. This region's lower washes are covered with massive cottonwood trees and coarse canyon walls - all of which are surrounded by lush Sonoran desert.

(Poland Creek) (View from FSR 239)

Remain on FSR 239 through the wash until you see the Thunderbolt Mine. The trail to the base of the mine is extremely narrow and rutted with large washouts. Taking this trail in an attempt to reach the mine was a bad idea. Aside from the dangerous route, the base is blocked by a makeshift homestead that appeared to be occupied and is covered with “No Trespassing” signs. Since the mine appears to still be active I recommend staying on FSR 239. You will still be able to see the mine tailings from a distance along with some old mining equipment.

(Side Road to the Thunderbolt Mine & Mine Tailings)

When driving through Poland Creek you will encounter pools of water (full almost all year round) and rock gardens that will provide some off road excitement - especially for stock 4x4's. Just before exiting the Poland Creek area you will run into Dead Cow Gulch. This is the deepest water hole in the area and is located just before the most dangerous part of this off road trail.

(Dead Cow Gulch)

Carved out of the side of the mountain is a narrow pass that cannot be safely passed in anything wider than a Jeep. Without careful tire placement and a good spotter, you risk rolling off the side of a shear cliff into a 20-foot gorge. There is no bypass for this section.

The last feature located on this loop is the Howard Copper Mine. As the trail curves up hill, you will pass the main entrance to the mine.
To exit, follow the best traveled trail to Castle Creek Road and take a left. Once you reach Crown King Road head south to I-17.

(Howard Copper Mine)

I strongly recommend using an Off Road GPS with Topographical software as route finding is complex and a wrong turn can take you 25 plus miles off course.

(Golden Belt Mine Wash) (Golden Turkey Mine)

Salt River Canyon - White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation

2008-05-27T02:03:00Z

The Upper Salt River canyon covers the section of headwaters down to Roosevelt Lake in the Sierra Ancha Mountains of southcentral Arizona. The upper Salt River Canyon isn't much of a hard core off road trail, but shouldn't be ignored by its lack of difficulty. The trail is a spectacular journey through the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. Depending on the time of year, water crossings may require high clearance and steep inclines/declines will require more aggressive tires. Route finding can be complex, an Off Road Trail Guide and Off Road GPS are recommended.

Slowly etched through the Sonoran desert, the Salt River carves through the canyons and provides fishing and swimmings holes that are entirely dependent on the previous winter's snow accumulation and warmer spring weather.

Me and four other Jeepers took the trail through the Upper Salt River Canyon trail area where we camped out and fished. If you make take this trail it is recommend returning through the long way back through the Apache Trail, which is a graded road that starts at the Roosevelt Dam and winds up to a narrow shelf road. If you chose to take the There are no guardrails and you can see cars on the side of the mountain that did not traverse the course safely.

This area belongs to the White Mountain Apache Indians and requires a special use permit. More information on the permit can be found here: (Apache Office of Tourism)

(View All Photos from the Salt River Canyon)

Ajax Trail - Orphan Boy Mine Trail - Florence Junction, Arizona

2008-05-21T21:15:00Z

Yet another spectacular area within the Mineral Mountain Range! The route to the Ajax mine can be as technically challenging as your off road ambitions will take you. The upper and lower Ajax Mine trail follows a rocky creek bottom that is a popular route for hard core wheelers with aggressive 4x4's. The lower portion of the wash is very difficult and the upper portion is extremely difficult. Both require high ground clearance and lockers. However, you may chose an easier 4x4 route to the Ajax Mine by staying on the actual Ajax Mine Trail Rd. A State Trust Land permit is required. For more information, call (602) 364-2753.

We took this trail with a number of Jeep's with varying capabilities. For this trip we chose to stay on the Ajax Mine Rd and occasionally veered in and out of the wash. We took the entire trip to the Ajax Mine and Orphan Boy Mine then looped back to Mineral Mountain Rd. The entire trip took 5 hours giving time to stop and enjoy the great Sonoran desert views.

The trail is accessed by taking US 60 east from the valley. After passing Florence Junction (US 79) you will head south at the second flagpole (N 33°15'46.5" W 111°16'30.7"). This places you on Mineral Mountain Rd, which is the north access to all trails in the area. Continue on the main trail through the wash and head east at N33°11'50.2" W 111°13'04.2". This will place you on the Ajax Mine Trail. Route finding in this area is complex, an Off Road Trail Guide and Off Road GPS are strongly recommended.

As you make your way through the canyon, you will notice the tailings from one of the Ajax Mine shafts. As you look right, you will notice an ore processing structure perched on the side of the mountain. The road to this structure is very narrow and and off camber so be prepared for a mild adrenaline rush.

The Ajax area consists of 17 claims, including the high silver producing Orphan Boy Mine. Mining operations started in 1915 and produced Lead Zinc, Copper, silver, and gold. The property featured an on site mill with the capacity to process 50 ton per day using flotation and gravity processing methods. Quartz crystals and other interesting mineral formations can be found around the area. I believe state law prohibits removing anything from the area and would recommend leaving everything behind for the next person to discover.

To reach the Orphan Boy Mine via the Ajax Mine Rd, you must take the trail that curves east up the mountain on the opposite side of the ore shoot. Continue on the main trail as you reach the top of the mountain. You will need to make a right off the Ajax Mine Rd at N 33°12'40.3" W 111°09'58.5". Pay close attention as you head down the hill as to the left is a windmill and a water tank. Make the first left to reach the Orphan Boy Mine. The trail to the mine is traveled infrequently and will be hard to see. Be aware of the washout! It is very easy to slide off the trail and into a 50-foot ravine. If you do not want the adrenalin rush or to test the quality of your roll cage you may opt to hike the remaining 500 feet to the Orphan Boy Mine.

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 list list of available retailers!

Information in this article was obtained from reports and data provided by the Arizona Dept. of Mines and minerals.