Calloway Tank

CALLOWAY TANK

Calloway Tank

My hiking pal had to pee.  Prostate, or something. While destination Winslow could wait, Nature’s call demanded an immediate pull off from State Route 260.

Forest Road 9364R

Shaded by Ponderosa pines and lots of thick scrub, the turnout at Forest Road 9405D on the Mogollon Rim seemed as good a place as any for an urgent pit stop. 

Gate on FR 9405D

While my pal heeded the call of the wild, I casually pursued the hike possibilities of our impromptu rest stop. Armed with forest service maps and an urgent need (though not quite up to my pal’s) to hit the dirt, I quickly determined that the area offered much more than adequate cover for tending to ones bodily functions.

Barestem Larkspur

  The woodsy backroads south of West Clear Creek Wilderness where we pulled over are a tight-knit maze of exploratory hiking options. 

Calloway Tank

The main arteries show up on forest maps, but many others, too short to plot, intersect the primary routes without fanfare. Sitting on the Mogollon Rim in Coconino National Forest, Forest Road 9364R makes for an easy-to-access walk in pine-oak woodlands. 

Spring snow cover Gambel oak leafs, Apr. 14, 2026

From our pull over site, the hike starts on Forest Road 9405D with a short walk of a few yards on blacktop to a gate.

Calloway Tank

Beyond the barbed wire gate (close it behind you) the road meets the junction with FR 9364 at the 0.2-mile point, where the route bends left. 

Small-leaf pussytoes

The road condition is deeply rutted and rocky but it’s signed where those unmapped spur routes spin off.  Just follow the 9364R signs to stay on track. A few of the spurs appear to lead to nowhere, but offer mini side trips where wildflowers color the understory of shrubs and prior season’s deadfall.

Pink Woodhouse's phlox

Calloway Tank

At the 1.3-mile point, first glimpses of Calloway Tank peek through pines on the right. 

Snow-capped logs at Calloway Tank

One of many human-created water catchments built in Arizona forests to hydrate wildlife and domestic livestock, the tank is a critical, life-sustaining resource.

Forest Road 9364R

The glassy surface of Calloway Tank reflects sky, clouds  and the ring of stately ponderosa pines that ring its banks. Springtime brings a blast of wildflower sprouts including Barestem Larkspur, Desert paintbrush, Small-leaf pussytoes, Woodhouse’s phlox and groundsel. 

Forest Road 9364R

Desert paintbrush

Fallen tree trunks camouflaged by a canopy of Gamble oaks near the water make convenient viewing benches for spotting blue jays, hawks, towhees, mountain bluebirds and ravens that dive for insects. 

Forest Road 9364R

By this point, my pal needed to find yet another privy place.  Important to note: when nature calls, always select a place at least 200 feet from any water source, if you must use toilet paper--do without if you can or use leaves instead or carry a plastic bag with a little baking soda in it and carry the tissue out with you.. at the very least, bury it 6 inches deep and conceal it with leaves or rocks. Leave no trace!

A pine meadow along the route

The tank is a good turnaround point, but dozens of primitive backroads can add miles to this quick and easy walk in the forest. 

Trailhead at Forest Road 9405D

LENGTH:  3 miles roundtrip

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 6,760 - 6,954 feet

GETTING THERE:

From Interstate 17 in Camp Verde, go 29 miles east (toward payson) on State Route 260 to Forest Road 9405D on the left, just past milepost 248. Park in the turnouts along the access road.