Day & Overnight Hikes: Tonto National Forest

by Tony Padegimas

Overview

Central Arizona’s most popular forest area houses six separate ecosystems, and much of it can only be seen on foot. Hikers have long known about the natural wonders that exist here, and this guide corrals all of the best hikes — no small task, since there are over 900 miles of trails in the park. Offering detailed descriptions of each hike, along with practical, need-to-know logistical information, this guide demystifies a truly enormous and beautiful stretch of wilderness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780897326391
Publisher:	Menasha Ridge Press
Publication date:	11/18/2008
Series:	Day & Overnight Hikes
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	1,040,620
Product dimensions:	5.04(w) x 6.96(h) x 0.57(d)

About the Author

Tony Padegimas is, among many other things, a freelance writer based alternately in Phoenix, Arizona, or in his hammock strung up in some random spot in the national forest. His wife, two children, and two dogs join him on occasion on the trail but report mixed feelings about whether these endeavors are really worthwhile. The cats have no doubts: they prefer to remain at home in Phoenix. In addition to wanderings in the wilderness, he also chronicles sports, fitness, historical curiosities, technical theatre (which is also his day job), and the inside guts of buildings. His work has appeared in numerous local and regional magazines and a handful of national publications. This is his first book.

Read an Excerpt

Four Peaks Loop

• Scenery: ****
• Trail Condition: **
• Children: *
• Difficulty: ***
• Solitude: ***
• Distance: 11.4 miles
• Hiking Time: 7 hours
• Outstanding Features: Outstanding vistas of the Four Peaks and surrounding area, several different climate zones, a chance to see what your legs and lungs are made of

This car-shuttle hike takes Oak Flat Trail straight up the slopes of the Four Peaks range to meet Four Peaks Trail in the wilderness area. Following this trail south along the slopes reveals a series of stunning vistas. The route then takes Chillicut Trail down the mountain and across some high chaparral to the Rock Creek trailhead. An easy car shuttle is required.

The Oak Flat trailhead, not to be confused with the one in the Superstition Wilderness, is, indeed, surrounded by a number of large oak trees. Oak Flat Trail 123 starts due west from the sign. Follow the cairns across the creek and then start climbing the ridge. After a couple of switchbacks, the trail goes straight up through the manzanitas, scrub oak, and beargrass. There are few trees, and none near the trail—nothing between the sun and the gravel path but you.

To your left, Brown’s Peak, the tallest and most northern of the Four Peaks, glowers down at you. To your right, you can see FR 445 winding up the canyon to the trailhead, and beyond it, Roosevelt Lake stretches out to fill the Tonto Basin with this year’s collected snow runoff. Soon, you turn south to start climbing and climbing and climbing.

The gravel trench heads roughly southwest. The unrelenting climb (1,700 feet in 1.7 miles) may cause you to doubt the overall recreational nature of this pursuit. When you pass the rain gauge, which looks like a sideways windmill, you’re about two thirds done. Oaks and pines shade small patches of the trail.

The little sign announcing the wilderness boundary is your “almost there” mark. Shortly thereafter, the trail reaches a T-intersection with Four Peaks Trail 130. The sign might be confusing; turn left. Four Peaks Trail goes due south, climbing another 500 feet to level out at around the 5,800-foot line. The brown basalt glistens with pyrite, while towering ponderosa pine trees poke above the abundant scrub bushes.

At the top of the climb, the trail winds southwest. There are a few ups and downs, but overall, the trail stays at the 5,800-foot line, with just enough hazard to keep you from getting lost in the vistas.

At 3.3 miles, you cross a creek and come to the signed junction with Alder Saddle Trail. Alder Saddle is a steep climb to its namesake, where it dead-ends. Stay on Four Peaks Trail. As you wind around the slopes heading toward Buckhorn Mountain (that high point to the south) every view to your right (west) of the Four Peaks will be more stunning than the last. Ration camera memory accordingly.

At 4.5 miles, you cross Black Bear Saddle, near springs of the same name. The fence line you might see on top of the ridgeline above you separates Gila County (east) from Maricopa County (west). Past this saddle, you encounter the first bit of real trail treachery as bushes conspire to shove you down the slope. If you take your time and plan your steps, their schemes will surely fail.

A mile later, a stand of pine and oak shade the trail, growing upslope amid granite boulders. Past the stand of pines, you hit real overgrowth. Yes, the trail goes through those bushes. Really. Seep willow bush chokes off all but the bottom two feet of the trail, obliging any creatures taller than a rabbit to push their way through the thick shrubbery. Where you don’t step on plants—that’s the trail. After a couple hundred yards, though, you plow through the worst of it. Soon after, you come to the signed intersection with Chillicut Trail 132.

Some maps and descriptions depict this trail as ending well downslope of this junction, but recent maintenance has allowed it to climb all the way up to the Four Peaks route. These same sources show Four Peaks Trail going straight over the top of Buckhorn Mountain, but it now winds around the east slope. From your perspective, though, you simply take the left turn to head northwest and downhill.

Chillicut Trail does not mess around, dropping 500 feet in less than 0.5 miles before entering the ravine near Chillicut Spring. This well-cairned route winds through the underbrush and beneath the blackened skeletons of once-towering oak trees, many of which are spectacular even in death. Past the springs, you follow the streambed. Oaks and sycamore line the babbling creek, and your passage will disperse a cloud of butterflies. The route down the stream is easy to find, but fairly rugged. Take your time and watch your step. As you descend farther, you travel an easy dirt singletrack through transition scrubland. Crisscrossing the drainage several times will often require a little bit of bouldering.

About 1 mile past the springs, before the creek bends east, you switchback out of the ravine on the left bank, climbing to the higher and drier chaparral on top of the ridge. The trail goes straight down the ridgeline to the confluence of creeks that marks the start of Baldy Canyon.

Cross the creek to the left. Past this, the trail heads due north, up and over the next ridge. The trail past this is a remnant jeep trail, bouncing through increasingly lower chaparral. It continues north, down and then up a ravine, and then turns east to follow the ridge finger down the last mile. The last 0.25 miles follows the creek bed to its confluence with Rock Creek. Across Rock Creek is the trailhead.

Directions:
From the Phoenix area, take AZ 87 north until its junction with AZ 188, which you’ll take south (a right turn) toward Lake Roosevelt. Ten miles south of Pumpkin Center (the only town you’ll pass), look for Three Bar Road (a.k.a. Forest Road 445—though the sign on the highway says “Three Bar”) to your right. Follow the graded dirt road about 3.5 miles, until it forks. A short distance down the left (southeast) branch, you will find the Rock Creek trailhead. Another 2.5 miles up the right (northwest) branch, you come to the Oak Flat trailhead. Getting to Oak Flat requires a high-clearance vehicle.

GPS Trailhead Coordinates: 21 Four Peaks Loop, Oak Flat
UTM zone (WGS 84): 12S
Easting: 472130.22
Northing: 3729235.18
Latitude: North 33˚ 42' 9.78"
Longitude: West 111˚ 18' 2.69"

GPS Trailhead Coordinates: 21 Four Peaks Loop, Rock Creek
UTM zone (WGS 84): 12S
Easting: 475328.27
Northing: 3732699.84
Latitude: North 33˚ 44' 2.56"
Longitude: West 111˚ 15' 58.8"

Table of Contents

Overview Map

Map Key

About the Author

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Preface

Recommended Hikes

Introduction

The Hikes

• The Low Deserts
• The Superstition Wilderness
• The High Deserts
• Four Peaks and Mazatzal Wilderness
• The Central Mountains
• The Mogollon Rim

Index