Apache Maid

5/5 (4 reviews)
Mormon Lake, Arizona (Coconino County)
Last Updated: 12/23/2022

Trail Information

Highlights

Historians agree that during the area's pioneer days, an incident involving an Apache girl made her a local legend. The specifics are lost to time, but the name Apache Maid has been applied to a mountain, a ranch, a cabin, a road, and the area in general. Apache Maid Ranch was owned by the Babbitts, a prominent northern Arizona family that created a mercantile company, numerous local leaders, and a Senator. The Apache Maid road travels through the center of today's geography and the era's history. In the east, Apache Maid winds through the tall, stately ponderosa forest that dominates the vast Coconino National Forest. As the road loses elevation, the pines give way to scattered juniper, canvas-tan grasslands, and beautiful views. The Apache Maid cabin, an old ranch house, sits up a short lane. With its fire watchtower, Apache Maid Mountain looms over the western end of the trail. With plenty of camping available and a trail that offers a few challenges along the way, Apache Maid makes for a great Arizona wheeling experience.


Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

5/5 (4)
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 11/13/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

My vehicle is a mostly-stock 2013 (WK2) Jeep Grand Cherokee with Quadra-Drive (locking rear diff), Quadra-Lift (pneumatic 4" lift) and slightly oversized all-terrain tires (265/65-18's, or barely 31"). I was planning to use the first part of this trail to reach Cedar Flats, follow that west and emerge at Camp Verde for the night. The weather was clear and dry. Relatively quickly, however, I began to encounter muddy water-filled holes in the trail, some of which had a greasy-enough bottom that I slid around sideways in them a bit before getting through (I was aired down to about 17PSI). I made it through a number of these until I reached a rather large one covering the entire trail (so no go-around and plenty big enough to fit my entire vehicle), which convinced me to turn back. (I was running this trail by myself so I needed to be a little cautious.) Now, for all I know that little pond might have been only 8" deep and I would have splashed through there just fine. But with no winch, nobody else around and no idea if there were any bigger holes or other surprises in there, and having already felt how greasy the clay bottoms of the other holes had been, I decided to turn back. (I'm a little surprised that mud isn't listed as a concern on this trail.) So I only made it a short way into the eastern end of this trail, but even that was pretty and I would have loved to have seen the rest of it. Had I been part of a group, I'm sure we would have driven the rest of the trail just fine!
Official Crew
60950
Open
Visited: 07/09/2021

Coconino National Forest has lifted the Stage 3 closures. Trails are now open.
Official Crew
60950
Temporary Closure
Visited: 06/22/2021

The Coconino National Forest has issued a closure order for all recreational use of the Coconino National Forest due to extreme fire danger. This order will be in effect at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, and shall remain in effect until September 1, 2021, or until rescinded, whichever occurs first.
Official Crew
60950
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 09/10/2019

Apache Maid is a classic trail. Easy for a while and then a bit more demanding. The countryside is fantastic all the way!

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