Arizona Off-Road Trails

Back Road to Temple Bar is a 23.6-mile point-to-point trail that crosses the open desert, passing through Joshua trees and sagebrush, and ends at the Temple Bar Marina on Lake Mead. The first section of the trail is a maintained road that passes through windmill farms, which then turns into a double-track trail of rough dirt and loose sand. There are several spots along the trail where water erosion has created shallow trenches to negotiate. As the trail gets closer to Temple Bar Marina, you can see the blue of Lake Mead contrasting against the desert colors. Temple Bar Marina has a boat ramp, a tent and RV campground, a store, a hotel, and a restaurant.

The Aquarius Mountains trail is a 25-mile point-to-point trail that climbs into the Aquarius Mountains and traverses the east side of the mountain range. If you are starting from Bogles Ranch Road, you will pass Francis Creek Ranch, follow the signs for sportsmen, and ensure you close all gates passed through. Be respectful, a large portion of this trail passes through active livestock grazing land. The trail through the grazing area is rough with small rocks and light erosion damage. The remainder of the trail is a maintained county road. The

Aquarius Mountains trail provides ample expansive views of the high plains. Views of the Prescott National Forest can be seen in the distance. On the southern portion of the trail, one can see the Bagdad Mine, a large open-pit copper mine.

Camping can be found on the southern portion of this trail.

If you’re looking to camp near the Burnt Corral area but want to avoid the crowds, this is the spot. A slightly more challenging approach keeps most RVs away, offering a quieter experience.

Several larger campsites can accommodate 3–4 rigs each, all perched above Apache Lake with outstanding views. While there’s no direct water access from this trail, the scenery more than makes up for it.

The trail and campsites are mostly hard-packed dirt with some rocks, but overall remain relatively flat and easy to navigate.

4352C is a short spur trail that leaves one wondering why it was cut in the first place. Unlike the surrounding trails that lead to mines, prospects, and wells, 4352C offers a more subdued off-road experience. It's a trail that is probably best left for nature to reclaim but still provides a scenic drive above a small wash. The most interesting part of this trail is an X formed with bull quartz that a previous explorer left behind at the end of the trail. 4352C may not be the most thrilling off-road trail in the area, but it still offers a chance to escape into nature and enjoy a pretty drive.

Sunshine Trail Road runs north-south through a good chunk of the famed Arizona Strip. It is marked as BLM 1035, which starts near St. George, but this guide only includes the portion that begins at the Sunshine Loop trail guide and runs south all the way to Navajo Trail (County Road 30). The surface is dirt with protruding rocks. There are no technical obstacles, but it may become impassable when wet due to the presence of mud. Free-range cattle will be prevalent depending on the time of year.

Once over Joe Blake Hill, the road will continue south, splitting what is known as the West Mesa and East Mesa before giving way to impressive views of the Hurricane Cliffs off the east.

While there are plenty of flat playas to camp on, pre-disturbed sites are scarce.

This is a scenic drive to the Reavis Ranch Hiking Trailhead, making it an easy access point for one of the more iconic hikes in the region. The route is predominantly hard-packed dirt and relatively smooth.

As the trail gradually climbs, it winds through gentle curves along a moderate shelf road. While the surface remains manageable for most vehicles, drivers should stay alert for blind corners and limited visibility in sections along the hillside. Oncoming traffic is possible, so caution and controlled speeds are recommended for safety.

At the top, you’ll find a parking area with space for approximately 8–10 vehicles. The end of the trail itself is a highlight—offering sweeping, elevated views of Apache Lake that rank among the best vantage points in the area.

There are no suitable or designated camping areas along this trail.

Windmill Trail winds through the rugged beauty of the Sonoran Desert on a mostly dirt surface with occasional softball-sized rocks and a few shallow ruts that may require careful tire placement. A stock 4x4 vehicle can complete the trail easily under normal conditions. Along the route sits an old windmill that once pumped water for cattle, a reminder of the area’s ranching history and the importance of scarce desert water sources. Please note that camping is prohibited within one-quarter mile of any water source, to help protect wildlife and to preserve access for livestock in this fragile desert environment.

Fire Mountain Road is a 16.5 mile out-and-back trail that follows a wash in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. There are several old mines along this trail to explore, the largest one being the Van Deemen Mine. Be careful around open pit mines, the ground can be unstable. The trail is mostly a sandy wash with light washboarding. Fire Mountain Road ends at a narrow slot in the rocks. The slot is wide enough for a vehicle, and has a great waterfall obstacle, but is not open for motorized vehicles. The remaining 2 miles to Red Tail Cove is for Hiking only. There is dispersed camping at the end of the motorized trail.

South Oatman Road, near the old town of Sentinel and Interstate 8, provides an accessible yet rugged desert drive through the heart of the Sentinel Volcanic Field.  Branching off from the lower desert expanses north of I-8, the track begins as a wide, graded dirt road before growing increasingly rocky and uneven as it weaves past dark basaltic lava flows and stark volcanic hills.  Along the way, drivers encounter sparse Sonoran Desert vegetation such as creosote, cholla, and the occasional saguaro, alongside wide-open desert vistas stretching toward Oatman Mountain and the Gila River valley.

As long as it's dry, any high clearance 4x4 can handle this trail and use it to access the Oatman Massacre Site trail. In years past, the road continued north through private farmland, but the route has been permanently locked by a gate and padlock. Driving down to the Gila River valley is very scenic and worth the extra few miles, but you must return the way you came.

Campsites can be found along the trail and at the end of the trail. Many will accommodate large groups.

The route starts out on a narrow trail framed by towering saguaro cactus, swaying ocotillo, and low-lying prickly pear, requiring you to navigate occasional brush, a tight squeeze between fallen rocks, while watching out for minor washouts. As you climb toward the peak, the landscape gives way to surreal and historic landmarks, featuring a wrecked motorhome sitting off the trail, and the weathered remains of an old cabin in disrepair. The views from this vantage point are awesome.

After taking in the sights at the top, the final part of the journey tests you, and your vehicle, with a steep, loose, chunky, and off-camber downhill trek that guides you back down to the wash floor. The adventure concludes with one final narrow, washed-out section to navigate before you cruise smoothly to the end of the trail.

From the north, the trail to the cabin is moderate, and you can turn around at this point. If you keep going south, it becomes a difficult decent to the bottom. For even more of a challenge, take the trail north so you're going up hill. That will be quite a ride, and locking differentials will be very helpful. There's plenty of room at the top, by the old cabin, for a few vehicles to set up camp.

Any high clearance four wheel drive vehicle can make it to the old cabin, and probably down the mountain, but it depends on your experience and tenacity.

There are two routes up the Tweeds Point plateau, and this one approaches from the northwest. The route crosses a dissected high plateau with broad views into the Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness to the south and the Pakoon Basin to the west.

The drive begins in Hobble Canyon on BLM Road #1032, passing through Tweedie Hollow and an area of dead trees before climbing into the grassy uplands above. Several washes must be crossed, and the uphill sections include erosion that may require careful tire placement and straddling. Once on top, the road follows the natural contours of the terrain, reaching a fork that leads to a scenic overlook to the south. The main road continues to a more prominent overlook, where it ends at a single previously disturbed campsite with views down into Hidden Canyon, across the Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness, and out over the Pakoon Basin.

The road is non-technical, but avoid travel during rain or wet conditions due to mud and traction issues. Suitable for high-clearance vehicles with 4-low.

St. George Canyon is one of the main roads used to drive deep into the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. Starting from the north, it passes abandoned ranch operations before dropping into the canyon. Recent repair work has been done to fix apparent flash flood damage. Inside the canyon, the views are minimal with no camping.

Anticipate the road changing drastically after rain events; it is best to avoid this road altogether during a hard rain. Suitable for any high-clearance SUV or truck with 4-low gearing.

Copper World Mine is a 2.5 mile out-and-back trail that travels along a wash up to the old Copper World Mine. Copper World Mine was a copper/zinc mining operation that was prospected in the early 1900's and was ran by different investors from 1944-1976. The mining tipple (wooden structure for processing ore) is mostly intact, but fenced off due to structural instability. There are several other old structures around the mine to explore. The trail has several sections with minor erosion damage. The last section has a rock garden with large loose rocks.

FR9124C is very scenic, with views of the San Francisco Peaks and O'Leary Peak. It is little-used and quiet and presents some opportunities for dispersed camping along the road and side spurs. It also provides the best access to mountain biking and hiking opportunities up the north side of O'Leary Peak. There are a couple of tight spots in rough shape that will be hard to pass without a real 4x4. Don't bring a big or fragile vehicle up here.

Connecting Rockhouse Cabin and McCracken Mine Road, this old mining trail connects both destinations without the need to backtrack the entirety of either of those trails. This is a 1.25-mile-long, straight-through trail on hard-pack and solid rock surfaces. The entire trail winds along the mountain's profile and is a single lane with occasional turnoffs crossing many drainage planes/ dips. There is decent rutting and several loose washes to navigate through, but no major obstacles. Mild vegetation overgrowth may cause pinstriping on longer or wider vehicles. This trail is suitable for drivers with medium experience and a four-wheel drive with higher than stock ground clearance due to the rutted off-camber bench portion of the road.

You can drive this route in either direction and will be treated to a variety of geological wonders. Jump Canyon lies within a zone where the Muddy Creek Formation is prominently exposed. This formation is made of soft, poorly cemented volcanic sediments that erode into alcoves, caves, and distinctive honeycomb patterns known as tafoni. Along the way, several springs appear, historically used by ranchers for watering cattle. These springs also support noticeably greener vegetation compared to the surrounding landscape.

The road crosses several washes, and while these crossings require high clearance and Four Wheel Drive, the route is generally non-technical. Clearance is the primary concern, and it's the wash crossings that make the trail a mild to moderate. Camping is available in a few locations, typically near corrals or water tanks.

Historic Sidebar: The Abandoned Water Truck

Along this route sits an old yellow water truck, slowly returning to the landscape after decades of exposure. The vehicle is a mid-1950s GMC medium-duty tanker, likely used by ranchers or road crews who worked the Arizona Strip during the height of its cattle-grazing era. These trucks hauled water to remote corrals, filled stock tanks, and occasionally served as ad-hoc fire suppression rigs in an area where natural springs were scarce.

The tires and body tell the story of how long it has been here. The bias-ply tires predate modern DOT markings, placing their manufacture in the 1950s or 1960s, and the heavy weathering suggests the truck was abandoned sometime between the late 1960s and early 1980s. Since then, sun, frost, and sand have slowly stripped away the paint, leaving bullet-pocked steel and rusted fittings behind.

Although no written record survives of who last operated it, this water tender stands as a reminder of the practical challenges of ranching in the Strip’s remote canyon country. In a region where every drop mattered, trucks like this kept cattle and cowboys supplied long before modern wells and pipelines reached the area.

Mead Liberty/Phoenix Powerline Road is a 5.3-mile point-to-point trail that connects Jumbo Wash Road to Highway 93. The trail runs along a set of high-tension power lines with several tight switchbacks on a narrow shelf road. The views of Jumbo Wash and Malpais Flattop Mesa along this trail are spectacular. The terrain can be rough and rocky at times, but the trail is suitable for any AWD or 4WD vehicle.

This hard-packed dirt trail branches off the historic Apache Trail and offers a unique look into Arizona’s ranching heritage. Early into the trail, you’ll pass a distinctive cattle corral built with an uncommon metal design. An interesting reminder of the area’s long-standing ranching operations.

As the trail continues, you’ll encounter several wildlife and cattle water troughs that serve as vital resources in this desert environment. Because of their importance, camping is not permitted along the trail or within a quarter mile of one of these water sources. Be mindful of livestock and wildlife that may be present in the area.

The trail remains mostly smooth until the final section, where a moderately steep hill climb presents the most challenging obstacle of the trail. This climb leads to a small hilltop that rewards you with views into the Superstition Wilderness. While relatively short, this trail combines history and a scenic payoff into a well-rounded off-road experience.

The back road to Alamo Lake is an 18.5-mile out-and-back trail that departs from Alamo Road onto an unmaintained trail that leads to the western shore of Alamo Lake. Though the majority of the trail is easy, there are several sections with moderate erosion damage, which can be up to 16" deep. Drivers will also encounter a section that passes through a narrow wash with rock obstacles up to 18" high.

As you travel this trail, you will notice the brown sandy dirt of the Mohave desert change to the red dirt of the Sonoran desert. The flora also changes from sage and cholla to saguaros and joshua trees. The desert flora, along with the rugged terrain, provides beautiful views at every turn of the trail.

Camping is allowed along this trail. The best location for camping is on the shore of Alamo Lake. There are several established dispersed camping areas just off the trail near the lake's edge.

The majority of this trail is part of the larger Arizona Peace Trail system. A 750+ mile loop trail that goes from Kingman to Yuma and back to Kingman. The Arizona Peace Trail also passes through other towns, such as Salome, Quartzite, Parker, Lake Havasu City, and Bullhead City.

This trail offers two distinct experiences: a quiet pine forest and a narrow shelf road with scenic views. As the route winds through the trees, it passes a secluded alcove with several campsites tucked beneath the pine canopy. The area can accommodate multiple vehicles, and existing rock fire rings are available.

Beyond the campsites, the trail transitions onto a shelf road overlooking the valley below. The surface consists of rough, hard-packed dirt with exposed rocks. Although the route is not especially challenging, expect a slow and bumpy ride. The most difficult section is a sharp turn across a drainage gully, where several boulders require careful tire placement and maneuvering.

After the halfway point, the shelf road becomes increasingly narrow, and vehicles should expect significant pinstriping from overgrown vegetation. The GPX track ends at a small turnaround area. Do not continue beyond this point, as the road soon reaches a dead end with no room to turn around, requiring drivers to reverse back along the narrow shelf road.

Gilbert Canyon Road is a 4-mile out-and-back trail that travels down a wash that narrows as it gets closer to Lake Mead and ends at a large rock waterfall. The rock walls of this canyon are full of limestone, granite, schist, and gneiss that date back over 1 billion years. This trail is a great side trip while traveling the Cohenour Loop Road. The trail is mostly a rough dirt road; there is one section that has 3 small ledges under 12" in height to negotiate. The end of the trail is a great place to camp.

This short loop trail begins and ends off the Apache Trail, offering a quick break from the pavement. Primarily used for power line access, the route is mostly hard-packed dirt with a few rocky wash crossings to keep things interesting.

The scenery is limited, but it’s an easy way to explore just off the main road. The trail crosses ranch land, so watch for cattle and be sure to leave any gates as you found them or as posted. There are no designated camping areas along this trail.

The Shannon Basin Trail is a 10-mile point-to-point trail that skirts the base of Groom Mountain as you cross the Shannon Basin from HWY 93 to Chicken Springs Road. The trail is mostly a rough dirt road with minor erosion damage in places. There are three areas that are challenging for independent suspension vehicles. Two areas, the weeble wobbles, are sections of major erosion damage that will test the articulation of your suspension. The third, the washout, is a steep drop and quick exit from a wash while turning. This trail is great for the beginner looking to increase their confidence and skills.

The views along this trail are stunning. As you climb in elevation, the scenery comes to life with desert flora. Groom Peak is a great backdrop for wonderful mountain views. There is a hearthstone and fireplace that remains from an old rancher's cabin along this trail. Also, several large veins of Quartz can be seen protruding from the rocks, some the size of a small car.

There are very few locations suitable for camping along this trail. If camping, ensure you do not camp on any private land along this trail.

The trail starts off narrow, forcing you to thread your way through tight brush where vehicle pinstripes from stray mesquite and palo verde branches are entirely possible. It immediately tests your driving skills with a tricky, washed out ledge climb that sets the tone for the adventure. As you navigate the path, you will find yourself winding through a vibrant Sonoran Desert landscape densely populated with towering saguaro cactus, branching ocotillo, native palo verde trees, and clusters of prickly pear cactus.

Along the way, you must carefully negotiate a few minor washouts, and off-camber sections, before the trail drops into a sandy wash. It eventually climbs out of the wash, and slowly transitions into a smooth shelf road with amazing views in every direction. No campsites were located on the trail.

Any stock high clearance 4x4 vehicle, with a moderately skilled driver, can traverse this trail if you can get up the first hill. Beginners may find it intimidating, but it's doable. The trail ends at the Ruby Wash trail, where you have a few choices on where to go next. You can either exit through the last part of Ruby Wash, or go back a bit and take Trilby Wash south to Castle Hot Springs Road.