Arizona Off-Road Trails

In 1923 a rancher by the name of R. Pyle built a small cabin on the edge of a bucolically beautiful alpine meadow with several wonderfully reliable springs. The springs became known as Buck Springs. Later the fledgling Forest Service built a cabin and then another to house fireguards during the summer fire season. The Buck Springs Fire Guard station was the most remote of a network of such cabins. Today two of the three historic Buck Springs cabins still stand in the tall pines along the peacefully serene meadow. The land around Buck Springs is now a part of the vast Coconino National Forest that spans 1.856 million acres in northern Arizona's high country. Buck Springs Road, FR 161, is located in the easternmost portion of the Coconino. The road offers an easy way to visit the remote cabins and take a stroll around the meadow while listening to the wind sing in the tops of the tall Ponderosa pines, possibly interrupted by the bugle of a nearby bull elk. Buck Springs Road travels deeper into a seldom-visited part of the vast and ancient forest. The forest floor is often clear of underbrush, carpeted with pine straw, and seemingly begging you to abandon your rig and just go exploring. Spacious campsites sit along the edge of Buck Springs Canyon or tucked up on short spur trails. If you are looking for a little trip that combines history and beauty with a completely relaxing environment, Buck Springs may be just what you seek.

Cibola Road crosses the Army's Yuma Proving Ground between Highway 95 and the Ehrenberg Cibola Road. Before starting the road, call the Proving Ground at 928 328-2047 for permission to enter. There is signage on the road's eastern end with information about entering the probing ground. The western end does not have signage. The Proving Ground may refer to the road as Cibola Lakes. Permission is granted unless there is a test in the area involving explosives. Do not leave the roadway as the area has not been fully cleared of unexploded ordinance. Thus, there is no camping on the trail.

On the eastern end, the road is wide and well-graded. Midway through, the trail becomes sandy and rough as it follows Mojave Wash through the Trigo Mountains. 4WD is recommended due to the deep sand.

7163, Blake Ranch Road, runs through 20 miles of gorgeous mountain scenery from I-40 at Exit 66 to Highway 93, 18 miles north of Wikieup. There are a few patches of soft sand, a couple of miles of single-lane trail with blind hills, seasonal creek crossings, and views for miles. Are you looking for Moss Wash Trail? This trail is how you get there. Prefer roads like this one? Check out 7163, Flag Mine Road, Boriana Mine Road, Alamo Road, and Chicken Springs Road for an all-day exploration of the Hualapai Mountains.

If the beautiful Horse Thief Basin wasn't adventurous enough for you, just keep going for a short side trip on Coal Camp Road. This narrow rocky trail is seldom used and offers the driver a few challenges. But Coal Camp Road also provides some great views from the southeastern tip of the Bradshaw Mountains. There's also another little-known gem along this lonely trail. The Hohokam Culture lived in both the Bradshaw Mountains and the valley that now is Phoenix from 300 to 1500 AD. Contemporaries of the famed Anasazi Culture, they built pueblo-style dwellings and complex irrigation systems. They also built rock fortresses on high points throughout the area. Each fortress had a line of sight with at least one other forming a network. The purpose of the structures is not known. A short hike from the trail takes you to South Fort, where one small wall of a fortress remains. The views of Lake Pleasant, Phoenix, Perry Mesa, and New River Mesa from there are fantastic. Coal Camp Road delivers amazing views and entertaining driving challenges along its entire length. Come enjoy the adventure.

Superstition Fence Line Heights begins off Peralta Road.  The trail runs north, following a cattle fence line to the boundary of the Superstition Wilderness.  The obstacles along the way primarily are rocky hills and desert washes.  Approaching the mountains, the terrain gets rougher with larger rocks, loose soil, and narrow passages.  The brush will also leave pinstripes on your vehicle.

The payoff at the north end is spectacular views of the Superstition Mountains and areas to tent or vehicle camp.  The trail also provides access to the Lost Goldmine Hiking Trail.

This area is Arizona State Trust Land.  A recreational permit is required.

MT1848 runs between MT1847, the Sycamore Creek bed, and links with MT403 and MT1852. The southern end is hard-packed dirt and rock transitioning to sand once at the bottom of the large hill shown in the Hardest Part photograph. The mapped track provided runs north to south and up the large hill. The trail rating is moderate based on navigating the hill and high-banked blind corners. Be cautious of other vehicles since this popular trail draws many vehicle types.

There are multiple places to set up a small camp along the way. The largest spot on the north end can accommodate multiple vehicles.

Anderson Mesa is a large flat rocky juniper-covered shelf pushed up against the mountains of the Camp Wood area. One solitary road climbs its southern escarpment and slogs its boulder-strewn way north towards the tall pines and babbling brooks of the mountains. The trail was likely named South Mesa instead of Anderson Mesa since it goes south across the mesa from the historic Yolo Ranch. The adventurous driver is rewarded with superb views after climbing to the south side of the mesa. Take a minute and walk out to the edge of the caprock and enjoy the vastness below you. The next three miles of South Mesa require fortitude and attention as the trail narrows and tests your suspension, kidneys, and patience. The ride is ceaseless jostling as the driver constantly attempts to pick the less rocky line. Near the intersection with Conger Water, the road turns to more dirt than boulders and improves steadily as pines replace the junipers. The broad pine-dotted camping area is almost postcard-perfect, a nice place for a night or maybe just a picnic and time to stretch your legs. For its final encore, South Mountain becomes a bucolic treasure as it passes the pastures of the Yolo Ranch, with horses grazing on the left and cattle up in the pines to the right. Deer and turkey are plentiful here as well, so keep a keen eye peeled. The trail dumps you back onto Camp Wood Road, which offers passage to even more adventures.

Wayne's World is a straight-through bouldery rock crawling trail located a short distance from Kingman, Arizona. The trail traverses entirely on State Trust Land, so you must be sure to acquire a recreational permit. The trail makes its way through a tight wash that offers very little line selection and no easy bypasses. Coffee-table-sized boulders are the norm throughout the length of this trail, and steep waterfalls with deep holes will stretch your suspension and easily have you three-wheeling at times. Large boulders move with each passing vehicle, changing the lines constantly. Short-wheelbase vehicles will have an easier time slaloming between pinch points, but rock sliders on any vehicle are guaranteed to take a beating. The rock-crawling section of the trail lasts just over half a mile before reaching a ridgeline where you follow the powerlines back to the main road.

This trail is best suited for modified vehicles with larger tires, dual traction aid devices, and body armor.

This trail leads deeper into the Coconino National Forest and provides access to the Secret Mountain Hiking Trailhead, beautiful dispersed camping sites, additional offroad trails, long-forgotten ranching cabins, and connects to Casner Mountain via the Bunker Ridge Trail. The trail is primarily made of hard-packed dirt but has protruding rocks and bumps along the way. The northern section is very smooth for a forest road, but the further south you travel, the rougher it gets.

You will find many dispersed camping sites along this trail, many large enough to accommodate up to 10-12 vehicles. Larger trailers can access most sites since this is a relatively easy road. Most of the sites have fire rings and are shaded by tall Ponderosa pines.

The trail ends at the Secret Mountain Hiking Trailhead in the south, where parking is available for approximately ten vehicles. This trailhead provides access to the numerous Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness hiking trails.

The Mogollon Rim is a rugged country cut with deep canyons separated by steep wooded ridges. Roads are often rocky and rough. FR 147 is a winding ribbon of smooth trail that transports you gently into this imposing and inspiring wild landscape. Set in the vast Coconino National Forest, FR 147 runs from Highway 87 to Rim Road, perhaps the most scenic of all trails in central Arizona. Along the way, FR 147 slices through forests of old-growth Ponderosa pines, crosses shallow canyons and draws with names like Cienaga, Poverty Flat, Potato, and Quaking Aspen. On its southern end, the winding trail parallels the headlands of East Clear Creek which gathers invaluable summer monsoon runoff and winter snowmelt for deposit into the deep and blue C.C. Cragin Reservoir. Potato Lake draws the local forest denizens to its shallow shores for a reliable drink. The Rim Country is undeniably as rugged as it is beautiful. Your drive into it should be beautiful too, but it doesn't have to be rough. Enjoy FR 147.

W. W. Enterprize Mine runs north from Canal Road into the southern Belmont Mountains to the small mine of the same name. The approach to the mine crosses a deep sandy wash followed by a steep climb. The mine tailings have been leveled and used as a small campsite with a great view.

Rolls 1805 starts where 1804 ends. There is a good camping spot right where these two trails meet that overlooks the valley below. This trail is primarily fairly loose rock as your traverse along several ridge lines. There is one rocky hill climb. The most difficult section of this trail comes right before the intersection with trail 1863. It is a steep hill descent that has had significant change with the summer monsoon storms. Use extreme caution maneuvering through this section! There is a steep drop-off. Walk this area first to evaluate if this is within your abilities and to pick a proper line. A spotter is recommended. This trail is rated difficult due to this drop-off. Once safely down the hill, 1805 ends at the intersection with 1863.

Please note that an OHV permit is now required on this trail.

7192 is the Antelope Wash Fire Evacuation route for the residents and visitors of Hualapai Mountain. It connects Flag Mine Road (7101) with Blake Ranch Road (7163), with incredible views and mines. Just one more road on or off the mountain, but it's a fun one!

This trail starts in a wide sandy wash but quickly transitions into a series of rocky obstacles as it winds up the valley. During the ascent, you will find both solid and loose rock climbs, small boulder fields, a pinch point that makes full-size trucks feel like you're driving a school bus, and a shelf road through a scree field demanding a driver's full attention. You are rewarded with beautiful views of the Colorado River and Lake Mohave for making it to the top. Precise tire placement is critical to maintain traction on climbs and avoid cutting a sidewall on the shockingly sharp rocks. Having a spare tire or being proficient with your patch kit is HIGHLY recommended in this terrain.

Crosscut runs between New River Canyon and Moores Gulch. The rutted trail climbs and descends approximately 600 feet, crossing a prominent ridgeline with expansive 360-degree views. One small one-vehicle campsite on the northern slope has excellent views and a fire ring. The entire trail is on Arizona State Trust land, which requires a permit.

Cow Camp runs between the Wickenburg and Bradshaw Mountain ranges, connecting Backway to Crown King and Walker Gulch. The easy 5.8-mile scenic trail parallels and crosses French Creek as it alternates between BLM, Arizona State Trust, and private lands. While Arizona doesn't require a permit for you to drive the road, any other recreational activity on State Trust Land does require a permit. Use a good land use map to determine the ownership since boundaries are not well marked. There is one cattle gate along the trail. Please close it after passing through.

Several dispersed campsites near the trail's western end are suitable for several vehicles and tent camping. Additional campsites are near the busy intersection with Backway to Crown King.

If a shortcut to some of the best camping on the Mogollon Rim sounds good, take FR 218A to Milk Ranch Point, with its many campsites right on the edge of the Rim. But slow down to enjoy the short drive along this pretty trail. Nestled in the soaring Ponderosa Pines of the vast Coconino National Forest, FR 218A is lined with sun-loving New Mexico Locusts, a tree that produces light pink clusters of flowers in late Spring and early Summer. FR 218A also offers prime camping, just in case the sites on the Rim are already taken. It isn't unusual to hear elk bugging in late Summer and early Fall. Wild turkeys may gobble near your camp in the late afternoons and early mornings. The breeze singing through the high branches of the tall pines can soothe the most frayed of nerves. Swing a hammock between two trees and relax.

Willow Valley is a scenic drive through an old-growth Ponderosa pine forest in the beautiful Coconino National Forest. At intervals, the forest gives way to several alpine meadows​ or parks in local parlance. The trail offers just enough bumps to make you know you are having a good time. This is prime elk habitat and home to the largest elk herd in North America, so don't be surprised when one runs across the road in front of you. But it is also home to a couple of large ranches that graze their herds here during the summer. Thus the road rumbles over numerous cattle guards. The Arizona National Scenic Trail crosses the road near Waypoint 12. This foot and equestrian trail runs the length of Arizona from the Mexican border to the Utah state line, a distance of over 800 miles, and draws enthusiasts worldwide. Enjoy the ride. You never know what you will find along Willow Valley.