Arizona Trails

“The finest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time,” said Thoreau in his 1854 book Walden. Sadly, he never saw Sedona. Sand dunes and seabed sediments were laid and then covered by more of the same over 300 million years ago. Under unimaginable compression, they became the sandstone we see today. A massive 3000-foot uplift 13 million years ago created the Mogollon Rim, running from central New Mexico to western Arizona, exposing the ancient sandstone layers. Walden’s gentle erosion took over. The ethereal beauty of Sedona’s many sandstone formations emerged. Today, tourists from all over the world flock to charming and captivatingly scenic Sedona. Offroaders come, too, running the many famous rocky trails in the area. Schnebly Hill Road is both a road and a rite of passage. The road is crowded and annoyingly bumpy on the descent from the Rim into Sedona. But the views always delight, all that red and buff sandstone formed into monuments ranging from massive to whimsical. Despite being a Jeep Badge of Honor Trail, Schnebly Hill Road is a once-and-done for many. But it is one that you need to do and will always remember, a touchstone of the community, if you will. Thoreau never did Schnebly Hill Road. You should.

Located northwest of Lake Pleasant and traversing through three different life zones and multiple biomes, Backway to Crown King is a thrilling off-road adventure that offers a unique perspective on Arizona's rugged and beautiful landscape. This extremely popular 4-wheel drive trail is known for its challenging terrain, steep inclines, and narrow shelf roads. Obstacles, mines, and great views await as you climb from the Sonora Desert into the Prescott National Forest.

Located northeast of Florence, Box Canyon is a scenic trail that passes through a spectacular, narrow canyon with geological features and bright, colorful vegetation you wouldn't commonly associate with the desert, such as acarosporaceae fungi. Beyond the sheer, towering canyon walls, drivers can find petroglyphs, and historical stagecoach stops making this trail a truly unique Arizona offroad experience. A favorite amongst many offroad enthusiasts, this trail is a popular access point to many other trails within the Florence Junction area.

Whether it was a telegraph line, early communications between Horseshoe and Bartlett dams, or even a way to speak with the power plant in Childs, we are left with a line of stumps in the ground attempting to tell us the story of what’s known as Telegraph Line Trail.

The story goes that in the 1880s, when Prescott was the capital of the Arizona territory, a telegraph line was erected for communication between Fort Whipple and Fort McDowell. In 1890, when it became the Fort McDowell Reservation, telegraph communication was no longer necessary as the Army personnel were relocated, and the line was ordered to be chopped down.

In May 2005, the Bart Fire closed the entire St. Clair area. One month later, the Cave Creek Complex Fire took center stage. St. Clair faded into obscurity until 2007, when the Tonto National Forest made a brief effort to rehabilitate the area, which was ultimately delayed. Very little happened for the next seven years.

In early 2014, Tonto Recreation Alliance volunteers began brushing work to clear overgrown areas. In late 2015, TRAL started on repairs to sections of the trail and, by February 2016, had connected both ends by repairing the Edge of Earth obstacle. In 2019, the Mountain and Clair fires put a temporary stall on the project. After all the time, energy, and effort, Telegraph Line Trail is open and ready for you to drive! 

In 1863 the Bradshaw brothers, William and Isaac, came to Arizona from the declining goldfields of California. By 1864 they found gold in the forbidding mountains that would eventually bear their family name. Miners and prospectors flocked to the area despite the ruggedness of the mountains and the fierceness of the Yavapai natives, that still claimed the lands as their home. William, more an entrepreneur than a miner, laid out the Bradshaw Trail and started a ferry across the Colorado River at Ehrenburg, charging unsuccessful California miners a nice fee for access to the new goldfields of Arizona. Mines like Senator, Tip Top, Blue Bell, Tiger, and Ora Belle began highly profitable operations. Rod McKinnon located gold in July 1875 deeper into the Bradshaws than any find to date. The resulting Crowned King Mine became the largest operation in the Bradshaws and spawned the bustling town of Crown King. Crown King got its post office in 1888. Electricity and the telephone arrived in 1897, both still a rarity in Arizona. The Saloon was moved from Oro Belle board by board in 1906 and reassembled on the present site, which was at the time beside two Chinese Restaurants and the feed store. The upstairs featured seven cribs where the town's soiled doves practiced the world's oldest profession. It is now Arizona's longest-operating saloon. The historic photos lining the walls of the bar serve as a museum of sorts. The Bradshaw Mountain Railroad, a true feat of engineering, reached Crown King in 1904 via switchbacks and tall trestles. The railroad ceased operation in 1926 after the mines played out and most of the population left. The rail bed was converted into the scenic Crown King Road with its dual ghost towns of Bumble Bee and Cleator. Today there's only sporadic mining in the Bradshaws. But Crown King has become its jewel. With roughly a hundred full-time residents and perhaps a thousand that have cabins and summer homes atop the mountains, Crown King's population swells every weekend as offroaders and adventurers come to the mountaintop town for a taste of Arizona history. The Magic Bridge transports visitors from the desert below to the towering pines and cool breezes of Crown King. The saloon has live music most weekends. The general store sells a lot more t-shirts than mining pans these days. Campsites near town are filled with happy campers. Even with most of the gold gone, the mountains of the Bradshaw brothers remain full of treasures. Drive on up the iconic Crown King Road and see what you can discover.

The OHV region near Florence, Arizona, is loaded with legendary offroad trails for all types of vehicles. Hidden in one of the many washes, Elvis is widely known for its numerous rock waterfalls that challenge even the best-built rigs. There are many abandoned as well as active mines in the area. Legend has it the trail's name comes from a local miner’s dog that traveled along the route with him many years ago. Along the way, there are towering saguaros clinging to the rocky banks as you twist through a lush Sonoran desert. The terrain along this route is harsh, the rocks are sharp, and everything out there wants to poke or sting you. Continuing that theme, the rocky waterfalls are massive and intimidating, but with careful tire placement and a trusted spotter, navigating through the rocky maze is achievable. Stopping after conquering an obstacle and feeling a sense of accomplishment is the memorable part about Elvis.

Table Mesa Road West runs through a verdant portion of central Arizona's Sonoran Desert with cacti, including saguaro, prickly pear, and various cholla species. Numerous hills and mesas create a jagged scenic horizon. The trail's namesake mesa, with a lone tower astride its flat top, sits on the east side of I-17 near the trailhead.

Mild-mannered Table Mesa Road provides access to a broad area packed with trails ranging from mild to wild. Little Pan Mine Road crosses the seasonably variable Agua Fria River. The wickedly difficult Terminator trails result in a lot of bent metal. Scattered campsites make for great nights under the stars.

Serving as the southern route to California for hundreds of years, the El Camino Del Diablo (or sometimes called Camino Muerte - Road of Death and also as the Devil's Highway) has carried travelers from the days of the Spanish conquistadors across the sweltering desert from water source to water source until they reached Yuma. The road saw heavy use by the gold rush pioneers in 1849 as it was the only route that even the Apache's wouldn't travel in the summer, which drastically reduced the number of ambushes the pioneers suffered. Today, the original route (which started in Caborca Mexico) has been modified to pass through the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, the Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge, and the Barry Goldwater Gunnery Range to exit on the Yuma side of the Tijinas Altas Mountains. This road is iconic and should provide some of the finest views of the Sonoran Desert you can find. The sense of self-reliance only surpasses the scenery you will experience as you must carry everything you will need with you. There's no gas, phones, electricity to rely on here. However, there is a sprinkling of watering holes, wells, and rock water tanks that you could depend on just like the pioneers did. Many of these unfortunate travelers did not make it across the El Camino Del Diablo alive; You may encounter some of the hundreds of graves that are rumored to line the road during your trip. (About 50 are marked). For more interesting detail about El Camino Del Diablo -

CLICK HERE

You can read about

Raphael Pumpelly's trek across Arizona Here.

(pp. 31-98 in particular)

The Four Peaks trail in the Tonto National Forest is an iconic offroad adventure near Phoenix. The trail delivers breathtaking views of the Mazatzal Mountains and Roosevelt Lake, taking you through a diverse desert landscape. The Four Peaks area is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts with an extensive range of adventure activities and historical sites.

The trail is an easy offroad drive with several scenic vistas and campsites. The area is popular for shooting activities, with numerous designated sites where you can legally shoot approved targets. Please be responsible and clean up all the target debris and discharged shells.

Four Peaks comes from the four prominent peaks forming the massif's summit. Brown's Peak is the tallest of the four at 7,659 feet. It's the northernmost peak and the only named one. It is also the highest point in Maricopa County.

Located within the Bulldog Canyon OHV Recreation Area, FR 10 travels through the Tonto National Forest, offering incredible views of the towering cliffs and rugged canyons that make up the Goldfield Mountains. This area is home to one of Arizona's most infamous legends, the Lost Dutchman's Gold. Countless treasure hunters have explored the countless Sonoran Desert canyons in hopes that one might be hiding that mythical treasure.

When you think of rugged off-road trails, you typically conjure up images of a trail in a land far away and not right near a major metro area such as just Phoenix, Arizona. New River is rugged and will have you feeling like you are in a remote part of the world rather than a quick drive from the Valley of the Sun. Stretching over 19 miles long across the New River Mountains and Mesa, you will feel enveloped inside the mountains and surrounded by saguaro and other cacti of the area. On a good day, you can cross the New River several times when it is flowing.

Located just outside of downtown Sedona, in the Coconino National Forest, Soldiers Pass Trail is one of only a few offroad trails that gets your vehicle on top of the famous red rocks. Photo opportunities abound on this iconic trail named after General George Crook's army scouts, who used this trail to travel through the territory.

In addition to the red rock scenery, there are other amazing sites along the trail. The first is Devil's Kitchen Sinkhole. It is the largest sinkhole in Arizona. Initially formed in the late 1880s, it collapsed again in 1989. Based on current surface cracks, geologists believe more sections could collapse. The second awesome site is the Seven Sacred Pools. These are naturally formed pools in the sandstone and are considered sacred by the Apache and Yavapai Native Americans. If you catch the trail at the right time, you may see water running into the pools.

While short for an offroad trail, this one isn't about the number of miles but the quality of the trail, and its otherworldly surrounding. Plan ahead, a permit is required, and you don't want to miss this one!

Close to Phoenix and fun! This offroad trail follows the Camp Creek Wash to the Needle Rock Recreation Area on the Verde River. As you progress down the sandy trail, the wash narrows, and cliffs rise above you into a narrow canyon. There are many opportunities to stop and explore by foot or rest for lunch under the towering cliffs. When you reach the end of the trail, you will enter the Needle Rock Recreation Area, a popular swimming hole in the summer. There are plenty of opportunities for fishing, kayaking, or just enjoying the beautiful riparian scenery.

Just outside of Jerome, one of the most famous and ghostly mining towns in all Arizona, sits a rock that never stops smiling. Smiley Rock is one of the more famous off-road trails in the State and for good reason. The drive is challenging, but not overly difficult and provides inspiring scenery as you travel along the south edge of the Woodchute Wilderness Area inside the cool and shaded Martin Canyon. The main attraction is the rock with a smile set in stone. It sits there smiling at you and this is the type of trail in which you could honestly smile back.

Just outside of Phoenix, Arizona, lies the historic Apache Trail, which winds through the Superstition Mountains region of the Tonto National Forest. The mountains are rugged and unforgiving but have a strong and mysterious draw for the adventurous type. The Apache Trail was originally a wagon haul road used to transport supplies from Mesa to the construction site of the Roosevelt Dam, which created Roosevelt Lake. Construction of the trail began in 1903 and was finished in 1905. It is believed that the route follows an ancient footpath that was used by Native Americans as a trade route. Traveling along the Apache Trail allows access to different regions that offer various desert experiences.

President Theodore Roosevelt once said, "The Apache Trail combines the grandeur of the Alps, the glory of the Rockies, the magnificence of the Grand Canyon, and then adds an indefinable something none of the others have".