Sycamore Creek Trail

Details

Sycamore Creek offers outstanding views on a moderate to difficult trail. There are a few ‘Oh My’ obstacles that look much worse than they are as well as some play hills to challenge any Rover.

The trail starts by crossing the dry Sycamore Creek and wandering through a mildly improved area back and forth across the creek to a dry wash. The wash narrows and can be tricky for full sized vehicles without extra clearance. As the trail starts to climb out of the wash the views begin. There are options of varying difficulty to obtain the ridge where stunning views of Four Peaks and the desert are afforded. A windy narrow desert road travels ridges and ravines offering easy to moderate off-roading.

Shortly after a steep decent into a wash a wall like obstacle is reached. It is easy to drive by because it is a slab of granite that does not resemble the road. A great sense of accomplishment is felt for new comers as they conquer this impossible looking obstacle with ease. More easy to moderate terrain follows

After climbing to a saddle with interesting quartz rock a steep twisty decent takes you into another wash. The wash has some small boulders and interesting wheeling. This wash will take you to the exit Lower Sycamore Road. Here you have the opportunity to try numerous play hills some of which shrink to canyons only inches wider than your car.

If you want more adventure, continue down stream in Sycamore Creek until you hit the Verde River. At low flow times, you can cross the river even in a stock Rover. On the other side of the river a seldom used road leads you back to Fountain Hills.

Offers optional play hills and one optional obstacle for those wanting more challenge. It can be run in 3-4 hours depending on the number of vehicles and the usual circumstances. Stock vehicles can run this.

Details

This trail follows a narrow valley surrounded by interesting rock formations. Very enjoyable hard-core run. Lockers and very high ground clearance recommended. A stock vehicle is certain to get damage. Getting stuck in mud is a real possibility if there has been lots of rain. The trail is rated both difficult and very difficult because there is a separate run that concentrates on the extreme portions of the trail that should be avoided by everybody except the most experienced/equipped drivers.

Details

Difficult trial that changes dramatically with water.

Jan 10, 2013 – downgraded to a 3 due to trail modifications from mining/forestry service activity removing and altering some of the more difficult obstacles.

The Charouleau Gap is one of the best 4WD trips in the Catalinas. This scenic route is for 4-wheel drive vehicles only. The road up and over Samaniego Ridge is rough, rocky and requires good ground clearance as well as excellent traction.

On the western half of the trip there are broad and expansive views as you climb up and back down Charouleau Gap, and the roads aren’t quite as bad since they have been graded in the past. For the northern half of the trip, much of your time is spent down around the Canada del Oro wash and is especially rough in places. The toughest single spot by vehicle is known as The Step (N32.53085 W110.78176); because of the incline it is preferable to drive down it from Oracle; however, many manage to climb up it from the Catalina side. Mar, 2013 – The Step has now been bypassed by the forestry service.

The other tough spot is a quarter-mile stretch known as (yep) the Quarter Mile, which if driving from Oracle starts about a mile south of The Step (around N32.51812 W110.78185) and goes down to the bottom of the elbow in the route. One other place of note is a spot known as the Elevator Shaft (N32.56493 W110.78086), a climb that is long and steep, but has a solid surface for vehicles because of past grading. The route also has interesting rock formations, the remains of an old adobe home at a place marked on topo maps as Coronado Camp.

Details

Easiest way to get there is thru Mayer, AZ. off Hyw 69 to Prescott.

Where is a Circle-K in Mayer. From the Circle-K take Central to a left on Miami. From Miami take a right on Main St. Just past the Double D Bar on Main St., take a left on Wilks. At the three way junction at the end of Wilks, take Jefferson, which is the Goodwin Road.

The Goodwin Road intersects the Senator Hyw about half way between Prescott and CK. It’s about 25 miles of dirt road.

Take a left onto Senator Hyw, stay on it for approx 4 miles and turn left onto FS 89. It goes thru a burned off area, decends a hill and crosses a large wash. Turn left into the wash and have a good time! Once thru the rocky sections, both of which are relatively short, you climb over a ridge or two until you get to the next major wash at the Goat Ranch. From there, the trail goes up the the Peck Mine Road. This appears to be the main road, but the DeSoto trail is a very sharp turn to the left. If you cont. out to the Peck Mine you intersect the main road to CK and miss all the hill climbs and the mine itself.

There are two cattle ponds on this section. They probably have water in’m. Prior to the second pond you have the option of going out via the “official” route in Charles Well’s book, or heading up to the DeSoto Mine. There is a faint left turn off the main trail prior to the pond – that leads to some VERY VERY interesting off camber sections. I had my wheelin’ buddy hang off the high side as a counter weight thru one spot- the body roll made it feel alot worse than it is, but looking out the drivers door down 45 deg angle at steep hillside always gives me the puckers

If you proceed on to the pond itself, the trail goes up and over the top of the ridge. The route can be very confusing at this point due to a bunch of mine roads branching off the main road. Stop at the top and explore, it offers some great veiws. The main mine is to your right on top of the hill. Once you cross the top, the trail leads down to a large flat section and the main road is bunkered off. If you look to the left edge of the brush on the flat section, you will find a steep decent down to a mine shaft- that is the way out of the maze. Follow that road out to the CK road – you come out above Cleator by a few miles.

If you have the time and want to see some more neat country, take a left at Cleator on the old railroad bed cut just east of the Cleator Bar. It will take you back to Mayer once it intersects the Old Cordes road.

Lots of varied terrain with great veiws and a ton of history. You pass close to one of the more famous Apache vs. Miner fights in the old west. Battle Flat is a great story of survival and outright toughness.

Details

The route starts out in the low desert and continues into the upper elevations of the Superstition Mountains where it tops out at about 5200 feet above sea level. The higher elevations are on the northern slopes and offer the piney vegetation typical throughout the southwest. The climb to the elevations occurs along a series of switch backs that allows an impressive view of surrounding countryside. Stock vehicles with high ground clearance and good articulation can make it although some driving skill is necessary.