Dupont Cabin

This trail was spot on as a 3; it was easy for my truck, but could take some thought in a stocker. A lot of it was fairly easy, but the climb and the ledges after all the snow and rain this year were really loose. There was nothing difficult about it, but it took a little more thought than a regular Sunday drive. The one tight switchback with the ledge is really tight for a long wheelbase Gladiator We did the complete loop back down FR609 and it was a fairly long day. FR609 is really chewed up from all the precipitation over the winter as well; be careful going too fast or you'll hit a hole. I never even used 4Lo, but still a good day on the trail. It's nice to get out of the valley heat

Great full day if you tie it in with a loop back into the basin, don't forget to stop at the bluebird mine about halfway to Dupont. The UTV's are out in droves and they haul ass so just be wary of blind corners. Seems nearly all the guys I passed were beer in hand and tunes blazing so just be ready, does make it a bit sporting when trying to pass each other on the narrow shelves since they don't obey trail etiquette or right of way.

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.

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 The order shall remain in effect until July 31, 2021 or until rescinded, whichever occurs first.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.

Side Trail Review of 236A (from waypoint 3) - Yesterday I visited Mud Spring which sits below the Malicious Gap and Bear Mountain. This canyon is surrounded by beautiful red rock cliffs reminiscent of Sedona in some spots. This side trail is through the gate at 236A going to the left of the gate leading more directly up to Dupont Cabin. This side trail follows along Greenback Creek and is rated a 1. There are a number of fantastic mountain formations along this side trail. This deadened for me with a severe drop off into the creek preventing me from going any further. Time for some 37s+!

We started this trail off the FR-71 trail. The trip to the cabin was filled with great views of the surrounding mountains. Although the trail was rocky, it wasn't bad enough to bother a stock Rubicon. Found a couple of locations where we had to walk a portion of the trail to pick a good line. The cabin itself was fantastic to visit and think that it was built in the early 1900's. From there the trail went through the forest and it was much easier. At the end of the trail we turned west of FR-609, returning to intersect with FR-71 and back to Punkin Center.

Ran this trail with a group of folks from the valley and really enjoyed it. We ran it in a loop from FR 71 to FR 609 then down FR 236 to the cabin and then out. Getting to the cabin was a good run lots of great scenery and not too many challenges. The cabin was awesome to see and is still in good shape. Heading out was definitely a more challenging run with some great views along the way. Running the steep hill and switchbacks section downhill is probably easier due to loose rock and the length of it. Their were a few tricky spots that need to be paid attention to and taken slowly. I am glad we ran it the way we did to be honest. Overall a great trail to do no matter the direction and I would do it again. Not busy or crowded when we were there at all. Go with at least one or two other vehicles to be safe, take your time and enjoy the views.

Had a great time on this trail with a decent sized group of about 10 vehicles. Some stock ZR2s, a stock Gladiator, and a bunch of JKs/JLs. We ran the trail in reverse, and let me tell you - the views were fantastic. Weather was nice and cool for us, dipping in and out of the pines, and the trail was varied enough to keep you from getting bored. Our group didn't see another soul out there - good times!

I did this trail on October 2019 in a Chevy Colorado with 33" tires at about 14psi. I would not recommend this trail for full size trucks. Unfortunately, I found myself doing this trail a lot later in the day than I had anticipated. There are several switchbacks with one in particular that is somewhat narrow and has a large rock drop off in the way. Going up was easier than going down. Lots of loose rocks at an elevation which makes this trail moderate-difficult in my mind. As with any offroad trip, I highly recommend going with a friend with a separate vehicle. I went solo and turned off the fork at 33.892551, -111.107377 towards "Long Mesa Tank." I do not recommend this turn off trail unless you're in an ATV or side-by-side. It is very overgrown and at one point I fell into a ditch at an angle. I also got a flat while going up one of the hills and luckily made it to relatively flat ground to change the tire. I found that cell service stops at about 33°54'13.2"N 111°05'27.8"W as you're going more east towards the cabin. The cell tower looks to be in Punkin Center and/or on top of Mount Ord. Also, there is a trail that goes further east of the cabin that I heard was supposed to be less rough, but it looked very washed out. There are mountain lions, deer, elk, and black bears out here.

The trail was a ton of fun. I did it in a stock 05' 4wd 4 runner and only got slowed down by one section of loose uphill rocks. Dupont cabin was a good ace to stop for lunch, then after continued on the trail.

Whenever I'm looking for an easy scenic route up to cooler weather, this is the one I choose. There are so many things to see on the way up that it usually takes me longer than I planned. The switchbacks and the one rock ledge are the only challenges to stock vehicles. Everyone has to do a couple two-point turns on the switchbacks but there is plenty of room on the trail to do it. The cabin has been cleaned up a little recently, not so many spider webs and debris laying inside.

This is a fun and pretty trail that takes you up into an area that doesn't seem so crowded. Heading uphill, you climb for a long distance over loose rock with a minor to a moderate obstacle that could give some stock vehicles problems. Once in the tall pines, you can take a lunch break at the peaceful and idyllic setting of Dupont Cabin.