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Deer Hill
Roosevelt,
Arizona
(Maricopa County)
Last Updated:
12/23/2021
Trail Information
Highlights
When combined with Apache Trail and Two Bar Ridge Trail, Deer Hill is a great way to connect two recreation areas located in the Tonto National Forest. The trail connects Apache and Roosevelt lakes while providing an off-road experience in one of the most scenic regions in the Arizona desert. One of the true highlights is the large and rare crested saguaro at Waypoint 5. Though crested saguaros are somewhat rare, this particular one is quite large and easily accessible. Biologists disagree as to why some saguaros grow in this unusual form. Some speculate that it is a genetic mutation, while others say it's the result of a lightning strike or freeze damage. At this point, we simply do not know what causes this rare, crested form. The trail also allows hikers to access the iconic Arizona Trail and Cottonwood Trail 120. The trail leads down to the Roosevelt Lake region, where there are numerous recreation areas that allow access to the water.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
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Bobby Nelson
Official Crew
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Trail Reviews
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 01/09/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Just a status Update. This trail, along with Two Bar Ridge is now OPEN.
Temporary Closure
Visited: 11/27/2021
Closure update: FR49, 49A, etc. now closed 1-1-2022 thru 12-31-2022 per the Tonto Nat'l Forest website, and verified at the Globe ranger station.
Loved this trail and ran it twice in early 2021-on our revisit on 11-29-2021 , found a closure sign by the Forest Service until January 2022 for both deer hill and the two bar ridge trail. We'll go back in January. Also a good reminder the check the forest service closures before you go out!
Open
Visited: 07/07/2021
Arizona National Forests and State Lands are back open for travel. There are still some very important fire restrictions in place. These restrictions can often change by specific areas.
Temporary Closure
Visited: 06/25/2021
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.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 08/03/2020
The temporary closure has been lifted for this trail.
This trail and the Two Bar Ridge trail is easy to overlook ... we did for two years. We did a look around the Bush Fire to see the damage and decided on a whim to run this trail along with Two Bar Ridge. Run the two trails together ... it's more fun that way. This difficulty rating is mainly in the steep climbs. The best part of the trail is the incredible views from the peaks and ridges. That's what we love about off roading. This will be a trail to run with visitors to Arizona.
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