Arizona Off-Road Trails

Anderson Mesa lies between the vast Ponderosa pine forests at the edge of the Mogollon Rim and the barren badlands and painted deserts of northeastern Arizona. The topography of vast grasslands with a few scattered trees evokes​ Africa's Serengeti more than most people's ideas of Arizona. There are no major roads that cross Anderson Mesa. You have to work to get here. It is one of Arizona's most remote and unvisited landscapes. Forest Road 82 is called Anderson Mesa Road by the locals. Anglers and weekend ATV riders use the ends of this southern stretch to reach Long Lake and Kinnikinnick Lake. The lakes, even modest Cow Lake, are wonders in their own right. Elk, pronghorn, and sometimes eagles are drawn to their reliable water sources. The rough, rocky, suspension-crunching middle section seldom sees anyone save a few lonesome ranch hands or extremely dedicated hunters. The tan savannah grasslands periodically give way to thick juniper forests, forcing the trail to twist, split, merge, and meander before opening again to another broad vista. A sudden outcropping of rough boulders forces you to choose a line. You are more likely to see a dozen elk racing across the two-track in front of you than running across another human.

The heavily used western portion of the road over Schultz Pass is a scenic and easy trip up from town to the cool pines between Mount Elden and the San Francisco Peaks. This is your ticket to the top of the excellent Schultz Creek mountain biking trail, and to the trailheads of Sunset Trail, Kachina Trail, and Weatherford Trail, three of the best hikes in alpine Arizona. The dispersed camping is also excellent, although limited to a few locations. Since 2010 the less-used eastern half of the road over Schultz Pass has become a world-class tour in the effects of devastating forest fires and in the work required to restore a landscape after these hot all-consuming blazes.

Martinez Road is a challenging connector trail that provides access to the remote southwest region of the Florence, Arizona OHV area. It climbs over a couple of rugged passes, past Tipover Point, and down to the Gila River. The rich mining operations conducted in this area for over a century have made it quite famous. The name of the route comes from the Martinez Cabin and mine, which are a short side trip off this trail. This area is remote and rough; please ensure you are prepared with sufficient water and other necessities.

Floyd Williams built the Verde Hot Springs Hotel on the west bank of the Verde River. The resort had several rock and concrete pools fed by the mineral hot springs. One legend has it that Al Capone once visited the Verde Hot Springs. The hotel burned in 1962, but the hot springs and their pools survive. The walls of the enclosed pools are decorated with pretty decent graffiti artwork. There's an abandoned ranch near the hot springs. While vehicles can't reach the river any longer, you are welcome to hike the remaining distance to the river and hot springs. With declining ranching and mining in the area, the roads leading to the hot springs on the west side of the Verde River have either been abandoned or deteriorated. Most maps of the area are outdated and inaccurate.

Upper Terminator is a Technical Vehicle route located within the Table Mesa Recreation Area, about 45 minutes north of Phoenix. The trail follows a desert wash and travels over numerous water-chiseled rock obstacles. This challenging trail offers a great mixture of boulders, water, off-camber notches, tight squeezes, and an uncountable number of speed-controlling rock ledges. Upper Terminator is sure to test your mental fortitude and your vehicle's capabilities.

If backcountry desert adventure is your thing, then Rincon Road may be just what you're looking for. It's a little-known route that connects two rugged but beautiful desert regions. While on the route, you'll travel parallel to The Rincon, a cove of mountains to the north and the lush Gila River Valley to the south. When this trail is combined with Walnut Canyon, Martinez Canyon Road, and Box Canyon, you are guaranteed to have an incredible off-road experience.

Rincon Road was used in the late 1800’s into the 1950's for accessing the numerous mining operations in the area, but has since had a rebirth in offering access to the rugged desert for OHV users, hikers, and rock climbers. The region is littered with side trails and canyons offering a lifetime of exploration. This is a remote and seldom-run trail, so please be overprepared for anything that can happen.

In 1871, General George Crook came to the Arizona Territory with orders to end the conflict between the growing population of settlers and the natives of the area. General Crook immediately realized he needed the ability to move men and supplies quickly through the rough country of central Arizona. By 1872 he had established a pack trail from Fort Apache in the east to Fort Wipple, modern-day Prescott, in the west. By late 1874 the pack trail had been expanded into a wagon road. That wagon road opened central Arizona to exploration, commerce, and settlement. Many of today's roads closely follow General Crook's trail, including Highway 260 from Camp Verde to the Mogollon Rim and the extremely scenic Forest Road 300, known as Rim Road. Copper Canyon is another segment of the famed General Crook Trail. Situated in the Prescott National Forest, Copper Canyon parallels Interstate 17. Its fast-moving traffic can be heard, and sometimes seen, from the rugged trail. The two roads are physically close but light years apart in many ways. The interstate is new, fast, placid, and boring as it descends into the Verde Valley. Copper Canyon is slow, rocky, rugged, and demanding. One can only imagine navigating this trail in a horse or mule-drawn wagon instead of a capable and comfortable modern offroad vehicle. While debating which line to take at one of the many obstacles, take a moment to reflect and remember how this little trail came to be. You are driving history.

This road will treat you to a visual splendor only found in the Old West. People have been ranching, hunting, mining, and living in these valleys for hundreds of years. The Spanish Jesuit priests mined silver here in the 17th century, and the Apaches ranged far and wide over these canyons, raiding continuously. This overland-type backcountry road with a white-knuckle shelf road will surely inspire you!

Flag Mine Trail is a must for any offroader in the area. This trail is a part of the Arizona Peace Trail, a 650-plus-mile off-highway vehicle trail in western Arizona. The trail follows mountain ridgelines for miles, offering exceptional views and scenery. Flag Mine Road runs in conjunction with the Boriana Mine trail, offering spectacular changes in scenery, from the desert floor with saguaros, Joshua trees, and other cacti to the tops of mountains with tall pines, cool temps, and views for hundreds of miles.

Flag Mine Road runs between Kingman and Yucca, Arizona, just east of the Colorado River. These trails were built for mining and still offer access to many popular destinations, such as Moss Wash and Gold King Mansion. No matter the skill level or trail rig, there are trails in this area for all to enjoy!

Going north out of the active ranch at Pine Tree Pockets, BLM 1087 and 1086 is the northbound portion of the most popular route to White Pocket, a geological marvel in the middle of the desert! This track has very deep sand. 4WD, not AWD, and lower air pressure are an absolute must. Dispersed camping is available along this route and at the parking lot for White Pocket.

Solitude. Jagged mountain horizons. Dark star-filled skies. Towering saguaro cacti. Broad desert plains. Sandy washes densely lined with ironwood, palo verde, and mesquite. Campfire smoke wafting skyward. Plaintive coyote songs in the night. Kofa Manganese offers all these in abundance. Threading a thin corridor between beautiful wilderness areas of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Kofa Manganese climbs steadily to scenic Red Rock Pass. Squeezed between the ancient Kofa Mountains to the west and the rugged Little Horn Mountains to the east, views from the pass offers are simply astounding. The trail drops quickly after Red Rock Pass and begins weaving in and out of the wide meandering Hoodoo Wash. Leaving Hoodoo Wash, Kofa Manganese traces the edge of the broad Palomas Plain before angling westward towards the Kofa Mountains. Ocotillo cacti thrive in this area and stretch their thorny octopus arms skyward, some impressively over 25 feet tall. Cholla grows in dense gardens, beautifully silver-green in the sunlight. But beware. The thorns will make you say bad words. If you crave a remote wheeling adventure with tons of dramatic scenery, leave the crowds behind and head into southwestern Arizona's vast wilderness on the Kofa Manganese.

Surrounded by three of Arizona's six National Forests, the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness encompasses 50,000 acres of rugged beauty. With only 15 moderately strenuous hiking trails leading into the wilderness, few people venture into the remote and wild landscape. The canyon cuts into the same pinkish-red sandstone that made Sedona famous. For those who wish for a glimpse into this magnificent canyon wilderness without the travails of a demanding hike, Sycamore Point may be just your ticket. Forest Road 110, known as Sycamore Point for its ultimate destination, is a gem in itself. The trail begins in an almost parklike setting in the tall Ponderosa Pines of the Kaibab National Forest. Here the forest is teasingly open, whispering vague promises of sightings of deer, elk, javelina, foxes, or coyotes if you'll keep an eye peeled. Pairs of ravens regularly patrol the many large inviting campsites, just in case someone left something interesting lying about. The route passes open meadows used as summer livestock grazing by early settlers. Later the wide trail narrows, and you might notice the pines getting shorter. The trail gently drops you down in elevation, transporting you into a grassland dotted with junipers, some young and flush with green foliage and waxy berries. In contrast, others aged and gnarled by winds, harsh winters, and wildfires of the past. Finally, the trail deposits you on the rim of the vast canyon, which, along with its tributary side canyons, forms the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness. From the overlook, rose and coral spires soar on the far opposite canyon wall, catching the afternoon sun. You instinctively know Sedona is just over there somewhere. The normally dry watercourse snakes through the canyon's bottom. The infrequent rains have patiently carved out this huge canyon over a few millennia. Somewhere nearby, a canyon wren sings the cascading downward notes of its distinctive warble. Pack a lunch. You will want to stay here for a while.

You know you are grand when everyone wants to be a little version of you. Here in Arizona, we have the Grandest of Canyons and a lot of little ones too. This trail leads you to one of the little ones, but it still doesn't disappoint. Nestled in the heart of the popular 11,400-acre Table Mesa Recreation Area, this short trail passes through a prototypical Sonoran Desert landscape of cacti and palo verde before dramatically unveiling its destination. The end of the trail drops rapidly into the canyon cut by the Agua Fria River. When the afternoon sun hits the canyon walls, the colors of the various layers of stone pop nicely. The canyon's solitude, complete with canyon wren serenades, makes for an idyllic overnight camp. It may be little, but hey, just how much canyon do you really need to be happy?

Dugas Road cuts through the geographic center of Arizona and slices deep into the area’s history. The old road passes through rolling high desert grasslands with scattered buttes and peaks, yielding an always interesting vista. Louis Dugas and his son Fred arrived in Arizona via wagon train in 1877. In 1879 they started Dugas Ranch on the banks of Sycamore Creek, a rare reliable water source. Fred began running the ranch at age 13 when Louis opened the Lucky 7 Bar on the famed Whiskey Row in Prescott. By 1925 the area around the ranch had enough residents to warrant a post office, two boarding houses, a blacksmith shop, and a school. By 1938 the population had dwindled, and the post office closed. Today Dugas is still a working ranch with numerous residents. The old town remnants are right beside the road after you cross Little Sycamore Creek, but they are on private property. Feel free to stop and look. Just stay on the road and don’t touch.

Wagoner Road, FR 362, is a 24-mile route that connects the paved Wagoner Road off State Route 89 near Congress, AZ, to the Senator Highway near Crown King. There are many opportunities for dispersed camping and photography. Many side trails branch off Wagoner Road into the Bradshaw Mountains, begging to be explored. There are numerous active and past mine claims in the area. The route is not technical, however current forest road conditions may present mild challenges to stock vehicles. Two non-county road sections of Wagoner Rd cross Arizona State Trust Land, and an Arizona State Trust Land Recreation Permit should be obtained if you plan to camp on those sections. The western portion of Wagoner Road between SR 89 and the Prescott National Forest boundary crosses Arizona State Trust Land. But, as a county road, it does not require a permit unless you want to camp or explore side trails outside the western border of the Prescott National Forest.

Surrounded by towering saguaro cacti, AZCO Mine Road is a main access point for many exciting trails throughout the BLM's Table Mesa Recreation Area, managed by the BLM's Hassayampa Field Office. This road leads to a wide variety of trails designed to be enjoyed by various outdoor enthusiasts. It includes motorcycles, ATVs, rock crawling, shooting, and hiking areas. The area has excellent dispersed camping, but expect crowds on the weekends.

In the late 1870s, Edward Dutton led various geological survey teams deep into what was then the unmapped northern side of the Grand Canyon. He found a long narrow promontory extending far out into the canyon with views he called "most sublime." Today there are only two routes to Dutton's Point Sublime. The first originates at the Grand Canyon's North Rim Village and is appropriately named Point Sublime. The second route comes in from the north and is named Kanabownits for a picturesque spring along the trail. Kanabownits Road passes through a fertile forest with ferns towered over by old-growth Ponderosa pines. Spruce and aspens dot the forest. The tight trail drops into small tight canyons, grips hillsides on narrow shelves, and bursts into open glades fed by springs. Once a ranger lived along the trail watching for wildfires. Today only the small deteriorating cabin remains up a small spur trail. While Point Sublime is the objective of the area, should you choose to enter or depart by the north, Kanabownits Road is a worthy part of the adventure.

The Roosevelt Lake region within the Tonto National Forest is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise. There are countless trails that lead you to incredible scenic vistas, but none like the one leading to Parker Point. This trail is a moderate side trip or an excellent camping location for exploring the other area trails. The trail leads you along the normally dry Parker Creek, where a couple of small campsites can be found. Gradually, the canyon begins to come into view as you work your way along, eventually leading out to a breathtaking canyon 800 feet above the Tonto Basin region. You will find a couple of campfire rings along the canyon rim and several vantage points to walk out for photographs.

Between 15 and 20 million years ago, a geologic uplift created the rugged and dramatic escarpment we now call the Mogollon Rim. The Rim rises 3000 feet above the Sonoran Desert floor below and marks the beginning of the Colorado Plateau. North of Payson, the scenic pine-forested peninsula known as Milk Ranch Point extends south from the Mogollon. Milk Ranch Point is all about great views and wonderful campsites. At just over 7000 feet elevation, summers are downright cool when compared to the desert below. Campsites right on the edge of the Rim offer amazing vistas of jagged sandstone slopes leading down to the country where Zane Grey based his novels. The distant Matazal Mountains form a jagged horizon. Elk bugle in the early evenings. Sightings of deer and wild turkeys are common. Abert's squirrels scamper around the many shaded campsites. Those more adventurous can take the trail all the way to the southern tip of the Point and enjoy an unparalleled view.