Mullican Place Tank

MULLICAN PLACE TANK

Mullican Place Tank

A narrow backroad located a few miles northwest of 7,307-foot Apache Maid Mountain hides in relative obscurity, its rocky track traversing some of the best, lightly visited terrain in the juniper-dominated rangeland between Sedona and Flagstaff.

Bottom of Rarick Canyon

Located under two miles from Interstate 17, Forest Road 213F is easy to access from paved Stoneman Lake Road. 

Gamble oaks on the high road

From the roadside parking spot, FR213F heads southeast through junipers, firs, scrub and acres of brilliant yellow annual goldeneye flowers that color the sunny meadows from September through October. 

View of Sedona from FR213F

The rough dirt two track in Coconino National Forest is open to motorized use but requires 4x4 and some skill. (In my many visits to the area, I’ve only run onto two ATVs).

Mullican Place Tank

  At the 0.2-mile point, the road splits—head left to stay on FR213F.

Tree cover on FR213F

(The other fork is a half-mile scenic walk that dead ends.) Soon, the vertical walls of Rarick Canyon appear off to the left, and in just under a mile, the road begins a 0.3-mile descent to the bottom. 

Annual goldeneye bloom Sept-October

Cluttered with water-worn boulders, the canyon crossing involves some rock hopping—easy enough for hikers with sturdy boots and poles. The road then makes an uphill crawl over volcanic stone slabs and loose rocks.  As the road gains elevation, views of Sedona and the Bradshaw Mountains start to peek through the trees.

Stony walls of Rarick Canyon 

The road tops out on a high meadow where gasp-worthy vistas stand out over the coniferous landscape.

FR9243H leads to Mullican Place Tank

From the rim of the canyon, the road levels out for a short stretch before heading uphill again to emerge at the base of 6,197-foot Table Mountain.

Apache Maid Mountain over Mullican Tank

Here, stands of Gamble oaks, cliff-rose shrubs and a smattering of pines join the juniper mix. In the rear view, the high-walled course of Rarick Canyon cuts a sinuous path through the valley below.

View from the top of Rarick Canyon

Straight ahead, the prominent profile of Apache Maid Mountain stands out on the horizon. 

Sedona seen from FR213F

The road on this high plateau is flat and much less rough than the first two miles. Moving easily through open range, the road meets another fork at the 2.7-mile point. Continue straight ahead to where the road intersects Forest Road 644 at 3-miles.

Bottom crossing of Rarick Canyon

Head right, walk a few yards and walk down Forest Road 9243H which leads to Mullican Place Tank. 

Cliff-rose

The massive created water catchment fills a shallow draw. Rife with water plants and ringed with wildflowers, willows and cottonwoods, the tank is an important water source for wildlife and domestic cattle. Take a walk along the tank’s earthen dam for scenic photo opps before backtracking through the hinterland.

trailhead

LENGTH: 6.5 miles roundtrip (out-and-back hike)

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 5,569 - 6,013 feet (1,811 feet of total elevation change)

GETTING THERE: From Interstate 17 19 miles north of Camp Verde, take the Stoneman Lake exit 306. Follow Stoneman Lake Road (Forest Road 213) 1.8 miles to Forest Road 213F on the right where there’s a gate and cattle guard.  There’s parking for 2-3 cars. Roads are paved. NOTE: FR213F may be closed in winter and when there’s flooding in the canyon.