VINEYARD TRAIL

VINEYARD TRAIL

Tonto National Forest

Roosevelt Lake 

At the north end of Roosevelt Lake, an elegant suspension bridge that straddles the gap between the Superstition Mountains and Four Peaks Wilderness serves as the gateway to Passage 20 of the Arizona Trail. This 19.5-mile   stretch of rugged roads and narrow footpaths shimmies through of some of the state's most spectacular country.   For a relatively short hike, this one really packs a scenic punch and a grueling climb at the start adds satisfaction to the vistas that unfold on the way up. The heart-pumping initial ascent along Inspiration Point tops out at 1.5-miles with 360-degree views of the lake, Sierra Ancha Mountains and green floodplains of Tonto Basin. From here, the hike is tempered by rolling grasslands as it moves west  toward Four Peaks.

View of Four Peaks

Roosevelt Lake and the Tonto Basin

Next, get your camera ready because the trail curves around a low slung, saguaro-populated ridge where the Salt River gorge and snaking form of Apache Lake shimmer a thousand feet below. This is one of the prettiest places in central Arizona. Beyond the river-and-lake eye candy, the trail dips down though rock fall and cacti to meet Forest Road 429 and the end of trail #131 at the Mills Ridge Trailhead where you can backtrack for a 9-mile day hike or continue 469 miles north to Utah on the Arizona Trail.

Salt River below

The old 4.5-mile Vineyard Trail #131 that was once used to service a reflector on a pinnacle above the lake has been harnessed into this section of the AZT's state-traversing course.

LENGTH: 4.5 miles one way

RATING: difficult

ELEVATION: 2,200' - 3,700'

GETTING THERE:

The trailhead is located on the northeast side of the Roosevelt Dam Bridge and can be accessed via State Routes 188 and 88. There are several ways to get there from Phoenix including the shortest route that's a precipitous drive on the rough dirt mountain grades of SR88.  But the faint of heart should instead take State Route 87 north to the SR188 junction and head 30 miles south to the trailhead parking turnout at the big Arizona Trail sign on the left just before the bridge. The hike begins across the road at the AZ88 junction sign.

INFO: Arizona Trail Association:

http://www.aztrail.org/passages/pass_20.html

Tonto National Forest: Tonto Basin Ranger District, 928-467-3200

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tonto/null/recarea/?recid=35787&actid=24

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BROWN'S PEAK

BROWN’S PEAK Four Peaks Wilderness Several states, including Arizona, feature images of mountains on their vehicle license plates, but unlike Washington’s treacherous Mt. Rainier or the oxygen-deprived peaks of Colorado, our own bumper icon, Brown’s Peak, is accessible to anyone with a high-clearance vehicle and a sturdy pair of boots. Hikers must hurdle a triad of challenges in order to gain the summit of Brown’s Peak, the highest (7,657 feet) of the four signature pinnacles on the horizon east of Phoenix. First, the drive to the trailhead is a kidney-jarring adventure on sinuous dirt roads. Next, hike 2 miles up a boulder-strewn, forested slope to a wide saddle with views of Roosevelt, Apache and Saguaro lakes as well as the silhouettes of seven mountain ranges. The final challenge is a rock scramble to the summit. Experienced hikers will have no trouble following the cairned route up “hiker’s gully” but, if you fear heights, are out of shape or have a dog or child in tow, don’t even think about attempting the 700-feet of vertical, hand-over-foot climbing. The apex is a jumble of crags and wispy grasses bearing little resemblance its stamped-metal knock-off. LENGTH: Four miles round-trip to the saddle or five miles to the summit. RATING: moderate-difficult ELEVATION GAIN: 1,700 feet GETTING THERE: From Fountain Hills, take Highway 87 north and turn right onto Four Peaks Road (FR 143) then drive 18 miles on the unpaved road to FR 648 and turn right. Follow FR 648 for1.3 miles to the Lone Pine Trailhead. A high-clearance vehicle is required.