The Back Roads to Tonto Creek

The Back Roads to Tonto Creek

The pebbly fringe of Tonto Creek north of Roosevelt Lake.

Occupying a few dusty acres between nowhere and Roosevelt Lake, the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it community of Jake’s Corner is a popular waystation for outdoor enthusiasts.

A rustic gate along Forest Road 184D

Its outwardly ramshackle appearance and come-as-you-are ambiance are big draws for anglers, hunters, boaters, bikers and ATV riders.  Sometimes, hikers find the place, too. 

Located 22 miles north of the lake along State Route 188 in Gila County, the iconic watering hole is the northern outpost of a string of RV parks, creeky-floor honky-tonks, bait shops and general stores.

The back roads around Jake's Corner are rough but scenic.

The scenic stretch of SR 188 runs through the Tonto Basin—a drainage gorge that separates the wilds of the Mazatzal Wilderness and the Sierra Ancha Mountains.  Dozens of creeks and streams in the area flow off the foothills into the major course of Tonto Creek which feeds Theodore Roosevelt Reservoir.  Although recreation in this hilly, watery back country usually involves a motorized vehicle, there are plenty of places to hoof it along dirt roads.

Paper Flowers bloom year-round above Tonto Creek. 

Tonto Creek

Other than the state-traversing Arizona Trail which makes a grueling climb through the mountainous terrain to the west, there aren’t many non-motorized routes nearby unless you go 20 miles north to Payson.  But, hiking on shared-trails can be just as enjoyable when common courtesy is applied.  Directly across from Jake’s Corner Bar, a maze of forest roads offer miles of boots-on-the-ground exploratory options.  Like the adjacent community, the walkabouts here harbor no pretense. They are simply-signed and retain a raw, non-nonsense air. Many of the routes are championed by the Tonto Recreation Alliance--a volunteer organization that works with government agencies to maintain and promote off-highway vehicle access and educate recreators about public access issues in the Tonto National Forest.  

Cacti and mesquite frame Mazatzal Mountains views.

One circuit to try is a rough-cut route to Tonto Creek.  From a dirt parking area a half-mile from the bar, follow Forest Road 184A a few yards, then head left at Forest Road 184D. The first mile is a wobbly trek through wide-open high desert with great views of the Mazatzal Mountains.  After a series of dips and climbs on choppy two-tracks, pass a gate at the one-mile point and hike up to a knoll where a faint road curves to the left.

Glimpse of Tonto Creek from the difficult downhill hike.

From this highpoint, head right and continue to the Forest Road 184D/951 junction.  Ahead, to the left, is “hell’s half mile”. 

Mazatzal Mountains on the western horizon.

Primitive FR951 descends nearly 500 feet with take-no-prisoners aggression toward the creek.  A hiking stick is essential to work through the loose rock and uneven trenches.  Expect to pick up some mud and grit on this half-mile plunge. There’s no mercy until the messy road meets the sandy edge of Tonto Creek.

Sycamore and willow saplings grow in flood plains.

Rapids in Tonto Creek.

Lined with cottonwoods, sycamores and willows, this beautiful bend in the creek features white-capped rapids, calm reflecting pools and optional miles of streamside exploring. 

Tiny waterfalls in Tonto Creek.

Take time to watch for waterfowl and spy the footprints of deer, raccoons and bobcats pressed into sandbars before heading back the way you came.

The descent to Tonto Creek is steep and rocky.

Short in miles but with an overall elevation change of 917 feet, the effort warrants a post-hike beer and burger reward at Jake’s. Dressed in dusty boots and trail garb, you’ll blend.

A calm bend in Tonto Creek

A snowy bank where FR951 meets Tonto Creek.

LENGTH: 4 miles round trip

RATING: moderate-difficult

ELEVATION: 2607 – 3101 feet

GETTING THERE:

From State Route 87 (Beeline Highway) south of Rye just past milepost 235, go 3.2 miles south on State Route 188 to the community of Jake’s Corner.

Across from Jake’s Corner Bar, turn left onto Forest Road 184 (not signed) and continue 0.5-mile to Forest Road 184A (utility poles) and park.  Roads are paved and sedan-friendly dirt.

INFO: Tonto Recreation Alliance

http://www.tontorecreationalliance.org/

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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

MORE PHOTOS:

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ICEHOUSE CANYON

ICEHOUSE CANYON TRAIL Pinal Mountains, Globe
 It’s a bit tricky to stay on track, but with some attention to detail, hiking to the cool pockets of aspens and maples high on the slopes of the Pinal Mountains is an exhausting yet memorable adventure. From the trailhead, hike a short distance uphill along Forest Road 112 to the Telephone Trail on the right. Follow the Telephone Trail for two-tenths of a mile to the Icehouse Canyon Trail junction, hang a right and go downhill and through a dry wash. Next, pass through a cattle guard and continue up to the top of a rise. From there, go left and follow the road for a half-mile to a junction where there are spring-fed water troughs and salt licks for the domestic cattle (and black bears) that inhabit the area. Veer left and continue on the Icehouse Canyon Trail following the signs to FR 651 (7,560 feet), the turn around point for this hike. To visit Signal Peak (7,812 feet) and Pinal Peak (7,848 feet), continue up the road toward the radio towers and follow the signs. IMPORTANT NOTE: Pinal trails are notoriously overgrown and rife with obstacles. In addition, directional signage is sparse--so hikers must have excellent map and route-finding skills in order to safely navigate these trails. A good map resource is the National Geographic Maps, Salt River Canyon, Tonto National Forest #853. INFORMATION: www.natgeomaps.com/ti_853 LENGTH: 10 miles round trip ELEVATION: 4,520 – 7,560 feet RATING: difficult. BEST SEASONS: March - November (warm in summer) DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 95 miles one-way GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, take Highway 60 east to Globe. Once in Globe, follow the “Besh-Ba-Gowah Ruins, Globe Ranger Station” signs through downtown to Icehouse Canyon Road (FR 112). Turn right onto FR 112 and continue for 4.2 miles to the Icehouse CCC campsite which is indicated by a brown sign that says: “197, 192”. INFORMATION: (928) 402-6200, www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/recreation/rogs/hikingtrail/grd/IcehouseTrail198.pdf

INDIAN FARM to TONTO CREEK

Sometimes a little confusion makes for a good team-building exercise. That’s what we got while hiking the Indian Farm Trail. Or, at least we THINK we hiked the Indian Farm Trail. Our first mistake was to trust the hike description given in a popular hiking book which turned out to be over simplified and rife with typos---noteworthy among them was the back-ackwards FS road number which makes up the majority of the hike. Next, the maps in the book showed the route as a straight-forward path. However, what we found was that the area is riddled with a maze of unnamed 4x4 roads and informal trails—none of which appear on the forest servce maps or in the National Geo TOPO software. Soooo, we decided to trudge along anyway, using GPS waypoints and carin-building to create our own route. (see details below) We were not disappointed. After a short, uphill climb, the trail dips down into Tonto basin—a sprawling river gorge flanked by desert mountain peaks. After about a half-mile of hiking, the sycamore-and-cottonwood-lined river channel is visible below the trail. The floodplain is massive—sinuous, wide and feeding a healthy band of green where birds of all sorts populate the trees and shorelines. The road we followed ends roughly a quarter mile from the creek. At this point, it became necessary to plot many waypoints and build elaborate cairns so we would be able to find our way back through the dense mesquite bosque and clusters of sycamore and cottonwood trees. Exploring along the creek is a blast. There are lots of reed-choked coves, riffles, fishin’ holes and sandy beaches to hold your interest. Although we found some corral ruins and a pipe that may have been a well; we doubt it was the Indian Farm described in the book. No matter; it was a great day on the trail. LENGTH: 6 miles round trip ELEVATION: 1550-3,036 feet RATING: moderate hiking, difficult route-finding IMPORTANT NOTE: this trail is closed December thru June to protect nesting native birds. GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, go north on Highway 87 to the Gisela Road (FR 417) which is located just north of milepost 239. Turn right onto FR 417 and then take the first right onto FR 184. Follow FR 184 for 3.8 miles to FR 1434, a steep Jeep road on the left side of the road. (if you get to the metal bridge, you have gone too far). Park in the turnoffs along FR 417. THE HIKE: From FR 417, hike uphill along FR 1434. 1st junction: stay right and go downhill. 2nd Junction: continue straight down a narrow road. Cross a wash. 3rd Junction: near the 1-mile point, stay straight. The spur trail on the right leads to a scenic campsite over Tonto Creek and is worth the quarter-mile it adds to the trip. 4th Junction: at a wash, go left, then take an immediate right on to the road that heads uphill. 5th Junction: cross the wash and continue straight. 6th Junction: go straight. After the 6th junction, the trail narrows and heads steeply downhill on a twisting path that leads to a sandy wash at the edger of the flood plain. Here is where route finding becomes critical. Mark your path and bush whack your way down to the creek. From here, head north, making up your adventure as you go.

MESCAL RIDGE

MESCAL RIDGE TRAIL #186 Hellsgate Wilderness Area Follow the guide given for the Bear Flat hike (separate blog entry) to the Bear Flat-Mescal Ridge junction, then go right (west) at the trail sign and continue up a rocky path onto Mescal Ridge. Views of the Mogollon Rim and other curiosities abound along the scenic ridge. Lichen-covered boulders of quartzite litter the perimeters of the trail and provide comfortable niches for horned lizards. Lush valleys of pine, scrub oak, agave, yucca and manzanita plunge hundreds of feet downhill on both sides of the trail. Cattle still graze in the area and there’s an old corral, feeding trough and watering hole along the way. At about the 2.5-mile point, there’s a large clearing with sweeping views and although it makes a nice place to stop, it’s not the end of the trail. From there, continue along the faint footpaths for about another mile to the point where the trail skirts the very edge of Mescal Ridge. There, spectacular drop-offs and big sky views give a true sense of “wilderness” before the trail dead-ends into a private property fence. LENGTH: 6 miles round trip RATING: Moderate ELEVATION GAIN: 4960' - 5610'    GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, drive east on Loop 202 and connect to Highway 87 north (Country Club Drive). Continue north on Highway 87 for about 90 miles to the town of Payson. Once in Payson, go right (east) onto Highway 260 and continue for 11.4 miles to the turn off for FR 405A, which is just past milepost 263 on the right. NOTE: this turn off is not signed, so start paying attention once you pass the Little Green Valley area because the turn off is just past it. Continue on FR 405A, for another 2.7 miles to the signed junction for Bear Flat and FR 405. Follow FR 405 (veer right) for just over 3 more miles to the Bear Flat campground. FR 405 is a good dirt road but is narrow and has several abrupt hairpin turns and steep drop offs. There are ample pullout areas for passing but it is advisable to drive slowly and with caution.

BEAR FLAT

BEAR FLAT TRAIL #178 Hellsgate Wilderness Area, Payson The hike begins with an immediate crossing of Tonto Creek. From the trailhead sign, scope out the wooden trail marker across the creek and then head toward it using the handy stepping stones to hop the shallow creek. Once at the trail sign, head east (left) toward the houses that are on private property and follow the carined trail up through a conifer forest to the wilderness area signs. From there, the easy-to-follow trail heads steeply uphill through pines and junipers for one mile to the Bear Flat-Mescal Ridge junction sign. From there, go left (east) and continue for another mile through open grassy meadows and manzanita where views of the Rim country stretch out for miles. After a short distance, the trail turns abruptly downhill into a densely forested canyon to the wilderness area boundary and the turn around point for this hike. LENGTH: 5 miles round trip as described here.  Full trail is 9.25 miles one-way RATING: easy - difficult ELEVATION: 4960'-5610' (2500' - 5800' for entire trail) GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, drive east on Loop 202 and connect to Highway 87 north (Country Club Drive). Continue north on Highway 87 for about 90 miles to the town of Payson. Once in Payson, go right (east) onto Highway 260 and continue for 11.4 miles to the turn off for FR 405A, which is just past milepost 263 on the right. NOTE: this turn off is not signed, so start paying attention once you pass the Little Green Valley area because the turn off is just past it. Continue on FR 405A, for another 2.7 miles to the signed junction for Bear Flat and FR 405. Follow FR 405 (veer right) for just over 3 more miles to the Bear Flat campground. FR 405 is a good dirt road but is narrow and has several abrupt hairpin turns and steep drop offs. There are ample pullout areas for passing but it is advisable to drive slowly and with caution.
INFO: Payson Ranger District, Tonto National Forest
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tonto/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=35633&actid=50

JUG TRAIL

Sycamores

Typical hiking scene in the gorge

JUG TRAIL Salome Wilderness Overlooking Roosevelt Lake, the Salome Wilderness offers solitude, fabulous geological features and a variety of vegetation zones. Blazing hot during the summer months, inaccessible in spring due to high run-off and occasionally buried in snow in winter, there is a narrow window of opportunity to visit this rugged area. The Jug Trail is a 2.2-mile-long old Jeep road that descends along a ridge to Salome Creek. Along the way, stunning views of the Salome “Jug”, a water-filled ravine carved out of pink and white granite dominate. The official trail ends at the wilderness sign just before a cattle gate, but it is possible to extend the hike by following informal footpaths along the rim of the canyon. For a more challenging adventure, follow the obvious spurs that lead down to the creek. Some hand-over-foot scrambling is necessary to get to the water, but it’s not too difficult for reasonably fit hikers. It’s wise to check with the ranger before visiting the area because flooding can make the access roads impassable. LENGTH: 4.5 miles round-trip ELEVATION:  3,330' - 2,680' RATING: moderate GETTING THERE: From Fountain Hills, go north on SR87 to the SR188 junction. Drive south on SR188 to milepost 255 and then turn left onto A+ (A-Cross) Road (FR 60). Continue 1 mile uphill on A+ Road (rugged dirt) to the ford of Tonto Creek--do not attempt to cross when flooded! Once over the ford, continue another  10 miles to the signed “A Cross” trailhead on the left.
INFO:  Tonto Basin Ranger District, Tonto National Forest, 928-467-3200

Trailhead

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