Hackberry Creek Loop

Hit this trail today in my 2022 Gladiator Rubicon. This was more challenging than we had envisioned given the 5-8 rating. I didn't take the bypass and would rate the trail 7-8. Even with the bypass at waypoint 12, there are still plenty of tough obstacles. I would rate the trail with the bypass harder than a 5 though so overall I would put this at a 6-8 right now. Some of the trail may have become more difficult with rainstorms and wash outs as well as little use of the trail overall. I have been through more challenging obstacles on local trails but what made this one unique was that the obstacles were long. Ultimately I really loved the trail and would like to try it in reverse some time. From waypoint 12 through 16 it did not look like the trail had been used for quite some time. The trail was overgrown and was a little difficult to find in a couple of spots along this section, but having Trails Offroad and Gaia kept us on track. It was good to have good spotters although I still hit the differentials a few times and scraped the rear fender on a boulder. A lot of the rocks are loose and move a bit while crawling so sometimes the line you choose changes while you are on it, which keeps things exciting. We passed one other jeep right at the halfway mark but other than that, it was just the mining operations near the beginning and the end of the trail and no one else along the trail. Incredible views, beautiful country, I highly recommend but it isn't for beginners and I would be uncomfortable doing the trail with less than a 2" lift and 35" tires. We got some great shots of the area but always forget to get the pictures in the moment of conquering an obstacle.

If you are looking for Rubicon trail Little Sluice practice run, Hackberry Creek is a good place for it. We did this in two 2.5" on 33s" 2021/2020 JLUR/D. No winching required, but a good spotter is needed. Quite a few off chamber situations and relatively steep rock climbs and decencies . If your in a buggy or rock bouncer it's only a mild challenge. If you are looking for a harder trail, run it backward from the description. Video is only part 2 of 4.

Tonto National Forest officials will close the state’s largest national forest due to ongoing extreme fire danger beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 25. The forest is implementing this forest closure as a precaution to protect the health and safety of the public, employees and firefighters by reducing the risk of human-caused fires. No one is allowed in the closure area, including Forest Service personnel, unless they are responding to a wildfire or other emergency or patrolling to ensure enforcement of the closure. The order shall remain in effect until July 31, 2021 or until rescinded, whichever occurs first. Residents or businesses using roads in the restricted area to the extent necessary to access their private property are exempt.

There is currently a large forest fire burning in the area. The Telegraph Fire has consumed 41,000 acres as of 6/07/2021. It is burning the area around Telegraph Mountain, in the town of Superior and up on the rim by Hackberry. Hwy. 60 and 177 have been closed, so this route will be closed for some time. Link to incident report https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7512/

A difficult but very fun trail. Two optional routes (to the right) offer very challenging obstacles and long windy boulder filled trails up and down the mountain. I have a 98 TJ, F&R lockers, long arm suspension and 35" tires. The other vehicles in my group were a 2015 Rubicon Unlimited on 35" tires and a RZR turbo. Large tires/lift, lockers and armor is essential. Very steep obstacle/hill climb before Chevy Hill, if you want go skip it and the steep hill climb, take the route out that you come in on when the loops intersect. Very beautiful scenery, especially at the lookout. SE corner of the bottom loop.

It was a good day out on the trail... but a tough one. The 1st half was mild; but slow going due to the terrain. The second half of the loop hooked back north and dropped into a canyon with a steep & loose rocky descent. With the stakes raised we picked our lines carefully all the way down. Once in the canyon we saw a great spot for lunch. It couldn't have come at a better time. As we were finishing our lunch a caravan of about 10 assorted Wrangler's & Cherokee's came by going the opposite direction. These rigs were outfitted well & we watched as they easily climbed the section of trail we just came down. Little did we know that they had come down a very technical hill with larger rocks that were even more loose than what we just came from. As we set back out we had a pucker moment as we came around the bend and saw what had become our next two hour challenge. Long story short we all made it up with much difficulty, we all got a minimum of two wheels off the ground multiple times and we all left metal shavings on that hill. Our undercarriage's may disagree but we had a great time. Made it home safe and put another great AZ trail on the books. Front and rear lockers are strongly recommended. We ran this trail in three rig's. 1) 4" lift, 35" tires & no lockers. 2) 3" lift, 33" tires & front locker. 3) No lift, 32" tires & no lockers.

What a great trail. A little chilly this time of year but we'll take it. So many great obstacles and the boulders are everywhere. Be prepared for a very rough trail!!

There was only three of us on the Hackberry run, all in modified white JK's so it went pretty smooth all day. The trail just keeps getting better or rougher, depending on your perspective I guess. The switchbacks are difficult and will get inexperienced drivers into trouble quick. Please use a spotter on a couple of these very steep turns. I have witnessed roll overs here. The video is a collection of Millsite Canyon, Montana Mountain and Hackberry, all of which we enjoyed over one weekend in Superior Arizona.

Hackberry was an excellent trail. It was wet all over making the climbs a little more challenging, The meadows to camp in are beautiful. This was just a fun weekend in a great area.

We went out as a group from the Trailsoffroad.com - Meetup.com fan page. Most people had never run the trail before but that didn't hold them back at all. It had rained earlier in the week so water was flowing throughout the area. This was by far the wettest any of us had ever seen it. It really made for a great challenge to an already difficult trail. All the drivers we had with us were very experienced which allowed us to get through this trail without any issues what so ever. There was a couple new drill rigs in the area. We also ran into another group out there asking for directions, so we told them about the website. With our group leaving the staging area around 9:30am, we were able to get to the vista at waypoint 7 around 11:30 and completed the trail right about 3:00.

What an incredible trail this is and you can't beat the scenery either. A local club had a trip planned so I tagged along to show them some of the optional obstacles that can be found while running the loop. We had a great time despite a light drizzle towards the end of the day. The trail just continues to get better or tougher, depending on your point of view. White Hill as my friends call it, has really turned into quite a challenge over the last year. New ledges are being opened up as more and more large boulders get dislodged and roll to the bottom. The local camp ground, Oak Flats was still being occupied by protesters of the recent land grab. There was also some great Boy Scout groups that swarmed us at staging, checking out all the cool rigs we had in our group. This region is truly one of a kind and has so much potential for outdoor recreation in many forms.