The trail system in Apache Sitgreaves National Forest is massive so it can be a challenge to find an easily accessible campsite. This easy gravel road brings you back into the Black Mesa region where there is vast history of early inhabitants and the settlers that came much later. This route travels past several great family and group campsites that can be accessed with a 2wd high clearance vehicle. There aren't any challenges along the route but rather ample opportunities to spot wild horses or hike one of the local trails.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
Exclusive for our All-Access Members
Easily identify whether the trail is stock friendly
or not.
View 14 specific concerns along the trail such as
height and width restrictions.
Upgrade from free to our All-Access Membership and get
every detail, waypoint, photo, and more on every single
trail guide.
When you are an All-Access member, our trail guides
come with a short video of the author running the trail
to give you a visual understanding of what to expect.
From the intersection of highway 260 and 277, travel east on 260 for 1.7 miles to the trailhead on the right. The entrance is marked Tall Timbers County Park.
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.
We combined five trails in this region into a daylong off road adventure. We started by running Sharp Hollow (FR 160) from Hwy 260 to Black Canyon Road. We then ran north up to the beginning of the Black Canyon Road. We ran the Black Canyon Road in its entire length. From there we backtracked along the Mogollon Rim Road until it intersected with FR 9569J … an out-and-back run along FR 9569J brought us back to the beginning of FR 487. We ran FR 487 in its entire length … back tracking along it to reach the start of Rocky Draw (FR 50). We then ran north up Rocky Draw (FR 50) to complete the day.
Looks like there has been some extensive road work to smooth out some of the rough spots.
Total travel time was 3:20 hrs with an additional 3:02 hrs spent enjoying the country side, taking pictures, and eating lunch.
We were looking for a way to connect Heber with other trails in the area and this is a great alternative to taking the highway into town. It's an easy scenic gravel road with a bunch of wild horses in the area. The camping is super easy to get too and there isn't much traffic.
From the Community
Exclusive for our All-Access Members
Ask the author of a trail guide any questions you may have and
get a direct answer from the author and the community! One of
the many perks that come with an All-Access Membership.
While living in the Midwest, I developed a passion for searching out new trails and hidden spots. That passion continues to this day in the beautiful southwestern United States. My wife and I are full-time RVers who travel from region to region, exploring every nook and cranny we can find. While getting to know the locals, we gain insight into these areas and then pass on that knowledge to our subscribers. We truly enjoy traversing long, beautiful back-country routes with epic campsites, but we equally enjoy pushing the limits on challenging rock crawling trails. Our rig was built to do everything, and that's what we hope to share with our subscribers.
Please visit our website https://www.xploremor.net to follow us and for opportunities to join us on our adventures. You can also view our vast video library on YouTube. Xploremor YouTube
By clicking "ACCEPT", you agree to be the terms and conditions of each
policy linked to above. You also agree to the storing of cookies on
your device to facilitate the operation and functionality of our site,
enhance and customize your user experience, and to analyze how our
site is used.