Arizona Off-Road Trails

Within the Arizona Strip, high above the Virgin River Gorge and I-15, there is a very scenic 4x4 trail leading to a naturally formed Elephant Arch. The trail offers mild challenges for stock 4x4 vehicles while providing breathtaking vistas of the surrounding Virgin and Beaver Dam Mountains. The Virgin River has created several impressive Southwestern landscapes, beginning within the great white cliffs and canyons of Utah's Zion National Park, before ending at Lake Mead, where it eventually meets the Colorado River. Deep within the Virgin River Gorge, the river flows across the northwestern tip of Arizona for 30 miles, creating Grand Canyon-like scenery of eroded cliffs and terraces of metamorphosed sandstone. This easy 4x4 trail travels high above the gorge, along the edge of the rim leading to various scenic points where you can see for miles through the gorge.

This iconic 4x4 trail to Asbestos Mine, on the southern edge of the Sierra Anche Mountains, climbs a difficult trail along Pocket Creek. Those who are familiar with the region will recognize Asbestos Point by its white mine tailings. They look like giant white angel wings from Highway 288. The mine began operating in 1915 but is now abandoned. While you're exploring the large site, there are spectacular views of the Tonto Basin thousands of feet below. You can hike out the shelf road right on top of the white mine tailings and take pictures of the really old excavator. There are a couple of nice campsites with fire pits to enjoy incredible star gazing.

Asbestos Mine is quite a challenge for slightly modified vehicles, but the views when you finally reach the top almost take your breath away.

Ray Hovatter patented mining claims in the Little Horn Mountains around 1950. Ray and his workers built a coarse road connecting the Hovatter homestead to the Harquahala mining district. Ray, his wife Barbara, and three daughters lived at their remote homestead from 1951 to 1974, managing and working the mines that produced mostly manganese. Barbara kept a glass jar of captured scorpions on the kitchen table and planted extensive cactus gardens at the homestead. A propane tank explosion killed the eldest daughter in 1968. Ray died on the property in 1974. Both a buried on the ridge just south of the homestead. Barbara's ashes were scattered over the graves in the 1990s. The site was reclaimed by the KOFA National Wildlife Refuge, and all the buildings were removed. The cactus gardens and a unique saguaro-lined driveway remain. Today the Hovatter road is a path to beauty. Rugged enough to keep the faint of heart at bay, a trip along the Hovatter rewards the intrepid with solitude and adventure. The trail begins as a smooth but very sandy road aimed southwest and straight at the prominent Coyote Peak. To the south, across a broad plain of saguaro cactus and creosote bush, the jagged multihued outline of the rugged Little Horn Mountain range hints at the adventure ahead. A slight left turn at Coyote Peak points you straight at the heart of the Little Horns, and soon the road obligingly begins a gentle climb. That gentleness is fully wrung out of the trail after you cross the first of the mountain passes. The Hovatter twist climbs, descends, and crosses rocky washes while providing geologic eye candy as it traverses the Little Horns. Keep an eye to the right for Conflagration Arch, a twisted testament to the powerful forces that raised these mineral-rich mountains. Massive saguaros find precarious perches on the edges of steep cliffs. A keen eye may spot desert bighorn sheep clattering up steep grades. The remnants of old mines dot the wild landscape. A small kiosk and old signage signal you are leaving BLM land and entering the KOFA National Wildlife Refuge, set aside by Presidential decree in 1939 and expanded over the years with the mission of providing habitat for those bighorn sheep you may or may not have seen. From the kiosk, it is just a short way to the Hovatter homestead and its saguaro-lined driveway. The homesite is a fantastic place to camp. If you do, walk up the hill and pay your respects to Ray and the family. Then kick back and imagine living out here in this remote, rugged, and beautiful part of Arizona.

Three pieces of Central Arizona history collide with fantastic views of the Bradshaw Mountains along a fun little trail in the Prescott National Forest. Leaving the small hamlet of Mayer, the trail works slightly upward across the rolling desert chaparral to the Blue Bell Mine. In the 1870s, prospectors discovered an outcropping of schist-bearing gold, silver, and copper. The Blue Bell was a successful mine and operated intermittently until recently. Following the trail a mile more to the south brings the traveler to the second bit of Arizona history, the railbed of the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad, often called Murphy's Impossible Railroad. Mr. Murphy engineered the seemingly impossible by connecting Prescott with Crown King through the rugged and inhospitable Bradshaw Mountains. Supplies went up the mountain, and ore came down. The Blue Bell was connected to the railroad by a mile-long aerial tramway to dump the ore carts into the railroad cars. The railroad operated for a decade before the mines in Crown King became unprofitable. Following the obvious railbed downward, the trail ends at the ghost town of Cleator, the final portion of the historic trifecta. The small town was established in 1864 to support the mines and prospects of the Turkey Creek Mining District and was a stop on the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad. James P. Cleator bought the town in 1925, renamed it for himself, and established a post office, appointing himself postmaster. The post office closed in 1954. Today, Cleator remains a stop for thirsty travelers. While appreciating the history, don't forget to admire the seemingly endless views of the southeastern slopes of the Bradshaws. Stop to enjoy the abundant trailside wildflowers in late spring. But keep your eyes on the trail along the shelf roads. Saying things collide on the Blue Bell was meant to be metaphorical, not literal.

Forming the west leg of the “Around the Peaks” loop, Hart Prairie Road is an Arizona gem. The eponymous Hart Prairie sits east of Fern Mountain at the midpoint of this drive and offers superb views and the finest ecological beauty in the Flagstaff area. Aspen groves, alpine meadows, springs, diverse terrain, and varied ecosystems flank the trail. Fern Mountain offers a short and beautiful hike with sweeping views of the San Francisco Peaks. The road is also part of the “Hart Prairie Loop” mountain biking trail. Quite a few lucky private property owners, including a youth camp and The Nature Conservancy, enjoy the west slope of the Peaks via this road.

Your gateway to adventure within the Grand Canyon - Parashant region begins on this scenic access road. The trail is the most direct and easiest way to access some of the most remote backcountry trails in the United States. The region has numerous side trails leading to petroglyphs, slot canyon hiking and excellent primitive camping. From this trail, you'll have access to the multiple trails leading to very popular destinations like Pakoon Basin, Mt. Trumbull and the north rim of the Grand Canyon. While climbing up to the plateau, you'll have sweeping panoramas of the red rocks and mountains that surround the St. George region. Be sure to go prepared for a truly remote off-road experience.

Table Mesa 9952 connects Table Mesa Road to 9954 and forms the first half of a route locally referred to as Crapshoot. It would be an easy trail but for two obstacles that merit a difficult rating.

Running the trail north to south, the first obstacle is a steep, uneven loose dirt climb. The second obstacle is a steep, loose rock descent with a potentially belly-dragging drop-off in the middle part of the hill. Between the two, steady throttle and steady braking are highly useful.

While anytime is a good time for photography along this route, springtime can be an especially great opportunity to capture iconic Arizona desert photography with the post-monsoon season flower bloom.

Rolls 1813 will provide you with breathtaking views of Saguaro Lake, the ridgelines and valleys of the Rolls OHV area, and Four Peaks. There is a long, steep descent when driving the trail from north to south. This is one of the longest climbs or descents on any Rolls trails. 1813 was once the gateway trail to the Butcher Jones beach area. However, this access gate on the south end is now permanently locked. Near the southern end of the trail is a large sandy camping area suitable for many vehicles to gather. There is also a large area at the high point of the trail where several vehicles could also stop and use for camping. This spot would provide incredible views of the entire area. The trail is mostly made of loose rock. The summer monsoon rain of 2022 has eroded the big hill significantly enough to make the rating difficult for the newer offroad driver.

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

Buck Spring Ridge begins at the scenic Mogollon Rim and the iconic Rim Road, one of Arizona's best trails. Running through the eastern portion of the vast Coconino National Forest, the trail first traverses an alpine woodland of spruce, fir, and Ponderosa pines. As the trail descends northward, the spruce and fir fall away, and the pines become smaller because of the rain shadow caused by the Mogollon Rim's massive uplift. Take the time to visit the historic Buck Springs Cabin via the spur trails at Waypoints 5 and 6. These remote cabins, first used by ranchers almost 100 years ago, were summer quarters for fireguards who battled wildfires in this massive forest. The cabins sit on a picturesque mountain meadow that hosts the springs that give this area its name. Deer and elk often graze nearby in the mornings and later afternoons. Descending northward, the trail gets a bit rougher and enters an area burned in the 2018 Tinder Fire. The forest is slowly recovering from the fire, but the new openness allows quick views down into the deep East Clear Creek gorge giving explores a real feel for the true scope and ruggedness of this diverse landscape.

A Saudi prince once visited the Sonoran Desert. The Saudis are experts on the desert. Upon his first view of the Sonoran, he exclaimed, "This is not a desert. This is a garden." Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument's 516 square miles are devoted to preserving a verdant lower Sonoran Desert landscape, home to its namesake organ pipe cactus. The monument is also an International Biosphere Reserve. The Ajo Mountain Loop is the monument's most popular and easiest drive.

The 20-mile loop crosses a valley landscape filled with forests of stately saguaro cacti set against the backdrop of the rugged Ajo Mountain Range. The winding climb through the narrow scenic Diablo Canyon sets the stage for your first look at the Ajo Wondow, a double arch high on a volcanic cliff. Arch Canyon is an easy, popular hike to better view this geologic oddity. Skirting the western slope of Ajo Mountain, the trailhead for the very strenuous Bull Pasture hike has picnic tables and a vault toilet. It's a great area to stop, stretch your legs, and admire the rugged mountainous landscape.

Rye Cypress unveils the rugged beauty of Arizona's chaparral country. Located in the Tonto National Forest, at 2,873,200 acres, the largest of Arizona's National Forests and seventh largest in the nation, the trail is in the looming shadow of the jagged Mazatzal Mountains. The name Mazatzal is difficult to pronounce. Locals often refer to the Mazatzal Mountains as the Mazzies. The name is attributed to an obscure native language now only spoken in central Mexico. It means "place of the deer." As difficult as the name may be, traversing the Mazzies is infinitely harder. The rugged and nearly impenetrable mountains, encased in the Mazatzal Wilderness Area, form a north/south spine in central Arizona crossed by no roads and very few foot trails. Rye Cypress gathers part of its name from the small hamlet in which it originates. A creek shares that name as well, and the trail crosses it often. The Cypress portion refers to an area called the Cypress Thicket that begins roughly at Waypoint 10. It's misnamed since the thickly growing cypress forests are actually a species of the juniper tree. The effects of the 2004 Willow Fire are very apparent in the center portion of this trail. But the "cypress" are having their revenge and growing back thick and fast. Rye Cypress provides great views, nice camping, and a tour through Arizona's chaparral above its cactus-studded Sonoran Desert and below the pine-forested high country above the Mogollon Rim. The easy trail connects to other scenic tracks. It's certainly a slower-paced relaxing alternative to the paralleling paved highways full of speeding cars.

A drive up Pine Mountain unveils the rugged beauty of Arizona's chaparral country. Located in the Tonto National Forest, at 2,873,200 acres, the largest of Arizona's National Forests, the drive offers long views across a vast landscape of rolling hills and deep sycamore-lined canyons carved by small streams fed by runoff from the looming Mazatzal Mountains. The name Mazatzal is difficult to pronounce. Locals often just refer to the Mazatzal Mountains as the Mazzies. The name is attributed to an obscure native language now only spoken in central Mexico. It means "place of the deer." As difficult as the name may be, traversing the Mazzies is infinitely harder. The rugged and nearly impenetrable mountains, encased in the Mazatzal Wilderness Area, form a north/south spine in central Arizona crossed by no roads and very few foot trails. Pine Mountain leads to one of those trails, the famed Arizona Trail, a National Scenic Trail that traverses the entirety of Arizona from Mexico to Utah. Pine Mountain climbs steadily, beginning in the chaparral of grasses, pinion pines, juniper, agave, and prickly pear cactus and ending at the Mount Peely trailhead amongst the tall Ponderosa Pines of Arizona's high country. Mount Peeley, at 7030 feet, towers over the trailhead. Portions of the trail were affected by the 2004 Willow Fire and the 2012 Sunflower Fire. The evidence of regrowth in this area is impressive as nature seeks to heal itself. While you might not be hiking the Arizona Trail, a drive up Pine Mountain reveals much of the rugged and diverse beauty of central Arizona.

If you like old ghost towns and stories of the boom and bust mining cycles in the Southwest, Swansea is for you. Mining began in the area of Swansea around 1862, but the site was so remote that getting ore to a smelter was extremely difficult. In 1904 the Arizona & California Railroad connected the nearby hamlet of Bouse to the rest of the world. Investors began building the Arizona & Swansea Railroad to connect to Bouse and construct infrastructure in Swansea. By 1909 Swansea had 500 residents. The mines operated under differing owners until 1937. The Great Depression signaled the end of Swansea. Today, primarily foundations remain. Some of the worker's quarters still stand. BLM has done an admirable job marking each of the sites with the purpose of the original building. It is easy to trace the railroad bed as it winds through the ghost town. Few visitors venture past the Swansea ghost town, but Swansea Road continues through a remote and rugged landscape to the banks of the Bill Williams River.

Charles E. Eichelberger discovered gold in an unnamed string of low rugged mountains in southwestern Arizona in 1986. The resulting mine was named the King of Arizona Mine. Rail shipments of supplies and equipment were brought in by wagon over Engesser Pass, the nearest rail siding being over 50 miles away. Soon the crates of gear and supplies were simply marked K of A, the mine's initials. The acronym stuck and soon, the entire area was simply known as Kofa. The short-lived mining town had 300 residents, a post office, and even a dam to store the runoff from limited seasonal rains. The gold rush in the area died off slowly in the early 1900s. In 1939 the Boy Scouts led an effort to preserve 666,640 acres in the area as habitat for desert bighorn sheep and other wildlife. Their efforts resulted in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, which covers four mountain ranges and vast low Sonoran Desert valleys. Today a wide dirt road crosses the broad King Valley ending at the entrance to the mine, which is on a small island of private property and is sporadically operated today. King Road is used as the main western entrance into the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. While an easy drive, the road offers scenic views of the Kofa Mountains to the northeast and the Castle Dome Mountains to the southwest. Looking northeast, you can easily spot Kofa Butte, a steep-sided flat-top promontory. King Road ends near Kofa Butte.