Maricopa Trail to Camp Creek Falls

MARICOPA TRAIL SEGMENT 22

BARTLETT DAM ROAD to CAMP CREEK FALLS

Camp Creek in Tonto National Forest

Over its 315+-mile course, the Maricopa Trail unfurls its tendrils to link county regional parks, suburbs, urban public spaces, canals, historic paths, and remote stretches of national forest.  To hike the full loop is tantamount to a walking tour of the Valley’s multi-faceted landscape. 

Mountain vistas on the Maricopa Trail

The epic non-motorized route that circles the Valley broke ground in 2007 in the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area, and the main loop was completed in 2018. 

Hikers in the Camp Creek Falls grotto

The trail continues to improve, evolve, build connectivity, and add length as it adapts to accommodate growing community interest and enthusiastic hiker, biker, and equestrian users.  Built to encourage hikers of every ilk to get outdoors, the route’s many trailheads and neighborhood access points make it simple to hop on and off the trail from anywhere in the Valley, with two notable exceptions: the Spur Cross to Bronco and Bronco to Granite Mountain segments. 

Segment 22 of the MT is wide and well signed

Where the northernmost segments of the trail pass through Tonto National Forest, there’s an average of 13 miles between drive up trailheads. And, for seasoned, well-prepared trail users, that’s where the best stuff resides.  Segment 22 which runs for 16-miles from the north border of Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve to the Bronco trailhead in Tonto National Forest was among the last passages to be completed. 

The trail heads downhill on brushy foothills

Rugged terrain, scoured washes, nasty back roads and stubborn rock contributed the difficulty encountered by trail construction crews. Then, in September and October 2020, the 15,000+-acre Sears Fire took a toll on several miles of the segment located roughly 20 miles northeast of Cave Creek.  

Hazy Mt. Ord (center horizon) viewed from the trail

Within months, work crews restored the damaged trail, fixing drainages and stabilizing eroded slopes.  While the moderately difficult entire 12.6-mile Segment 22 hike can sound intimidating for some, there’s an option for an out-and-back day hike that includes a visit to one of the Valley’s most beloved natural wonders.

Morning vista on the Maricopa Trail

Beginning along Bartlett Dam Road, Segment 22 heads north through a shadeless expanse of catclaw and saguaros.  The path briefly traces a powerline, but then veers east into wash-riddled backcountry with unobstructed mountain views.  The rocky domes of Kentuck Mountain (5,013 feet), Maverick Butte (4,870 feet), Humboldt Mountain (5, 204 feet)and St, Clair Mountain (3,252 feet) populate foreground with Mount Ord (7,128 feet) and the cloud bumping Mazatzal Range standing high over the Verde River Basin in the distance. 

The Maricopa Trail crosses sandy Blue Wash

The trail twists downhill, clinging to foothills and stony edges landing hikers at the sandy corridor of Blue Wash at the 3.4-mile point. 

Where the MT crosses Bartlett Dam Road

From a barbed wire and wood gate, an American flag planted on a prominent knoll with a Fresco Mines claim sign across the wash marks the beginning of a side trip to Camp Creek Falls. 

Interesting rock formations throughout the hike

The side trip veers left from the Maricopa Trail and follows the glassy slip of Camp Creek to a box canyon where a perennial stream of water spills about 20 feet over solid rock into a shallow plunge pool.  Desert waterfalls are rare enough, but this one in its tiny grotto fringed by cottonwoods, willows and reeds is a real gem.

Camp Creek leads to a desert waterfall

 

Flag (center) on knoll marks the falls side trip

The spring-fed fount is a critical water source for the deer, javelina and myriad little critters that live in the surrounding desert and makes for a scenic stop over for both long-distance treks and short day hikes on the Maricopa Trail.

The spring-fed waters of Camp Creek Falls

SUPPORT THE TRAIL:

If this wild and wonderful segment of the Maricopa Trail has inspired you, please consider supporting the effort by attending the Prickly Pedal Bike Race, the trail’s main fund-raising event.

Prickly Pedal on the Maricopa Trail will run 36 miles from Cave Creek to Lake Pleasant in Peoria.

The annual event is produced by Aravaipa Rides to benefit the Maricopa Trail + Park Foundation which funds trail building and maintenance projects.

Heads up that trail closures will be in effect along the racecourse.

RACE: 8:30 (pre-registration required)

EXPO & AFTER PARTY: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Public is invited to enjoy the finish line party with beer garden, exhibitors, music, and fun.

https://pricklypedal.com/

 

LENGTH: 7 miles round trip, out-and back to the falls

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 2,833 – 3,303 feet (793 feet of elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

SOUTH TRAILHEAD

BARTLETT DAM ROAD-WILDCAT HILL OHV PARKING:

From Loop 101 in Scottsdale, take the Pima/Princess Drive exit 36 and go 13 miles north on Pima and turn right on Cave Creek Road.  Continue 4.1 miles to Bartlett Dam Road, turn right and go 0.4-mile to a dirt road on the right 0.1-mile past the Tonto National Forest ranger station.  Turn right and park along the dirt turn outs. Follow the Maricopa Trail signs to cross Bartlett Dam Road and continue north.

TONTO NATIONAL FOREST CAVE CREEK RANGER STATION:

40202 N. Cave Creek Road, Scottsdale.

May be closed on weekends and holidays.

Use the 0.2-mile connector that starts at the big Maricopa Trail kiosk.

INFO & MAPS:

https://www.maricopacountyparks.net/park-locator/maricopa-trail/

 

Second Water Trail

SECOND WATER TRAIL

Mountain vistas on Second Water Trail

Garden Valley, on the western edge of the 160,200-acre Superstition Wilderness, is one of those places that sears vivid images into the memories of those who trek through it. 

Chain fruit cholla in Garden Valley

Rife with otherworldly scenes of desert life in an environment sculpted out of ancient volcanic ash, the area’s story arc spools out from violent origins, cataclysmic geological events, erosion and resurgence.

Globemallow bloom year-round in Garden Valley

Between 25 and 15 million years ago the craggy backcountry was a roiling cauldron of molten rock and white-hot ash that eventually collapsed on itself forming a series of depressions called calderas.  The grand scale “super-volcano” activity was like what’s incubating beneath Yellowstone National Park right now.

Flatiron (center left) seen from Second Water Trail

Ringed by mesas, mountain ranges and bizarre pillars and piles of solidified ash or “welded tuff”, the yawning basins have settled into a quiet old age marked by a slow-motion epoch of falling apart.

Four Peaks viewed from Second Water Trail

 The Second Water Trail offers an approachable option for exploring this haunting hinterland of rugged terrain and mysterious tales of hidden gold caches and lost souls.

Lush desert plants on Second Water Trail

Beginning at the First Water trailhead that’s located roughly 45 miles from Downtown Phoenix near Apache Junction, Trail No. 236 is accessed by following the Dutchmans Trail 0.3-mile to the first signed junction.

Hackberry Mesa (left) rises over Second Water Trail

Twisting over slickrock and sections of crumbling stone, the trail bends northeast, flanking scoured gorges above the course of First Water Creek.

Petrified volcanic ash in First Water Creek

  Recent wildfire damage has left spots of charred cholla and scarred saguaros, but expansive views of the Goldfield Mountains, Superstition ridgeline, the Flatiron and iconic Weaver’s Needle remain as breathtaking as ever.

White bladderpod blooms Jan - May

 The trail swings by the junctions for Black Mesa and Hackberry Spring trails which may be used to build longer loop hikes.

Rugged terrain along Second Water Trail

Second Water trail continues through a series of rocky uphill segments that land hikers in the heart of Garden Valley—a sprawling flatland dominated by chain fruit cholla, prickly pear cacti, jojoba, mesquite, hackberry shrubs and fields of wildflowers.

Desert vegetation in Garden Valley

Superstition Ridgeline on the horizon

This once botanically lush plateau took a major wildfire hit, but many survivor specimens and green sprouts pushing out from deadwood hint at recovery.

Weaver's Needle stands out over Second Water Trail

Here, the massive forms of Hackberry Mesa, Four Peaks and the mountains around Canyon Lake to the north begin to stand out on the horizon. Plant life grows more robust as the route starts a spiral down into a reedy, damp gorge where it intersects the Boulder Canyon Trail, the turnaround point for the hike.

Jojoba shrubs and saguaros on Second Water Trail

A major geological upheaval notwithstanding, the slow-burn erosion and superficial smudges incurred regularly on the Second Water Trail are barely perceivable over a single human lifetime.

A rocky ascent on Second Water Trail

 

Fires, rock falls, flood displacements and seasonal transitions are like costume changes in a long-running show with ear worm tunes that hijack the mind but somehow never get old.

Saguaros clutter a ridge above Boulder Canyon

LENGTH: 7 miles round-trip (out-and-back hike)
RATING: Easy-Moderate
ELEVATION: 1,940 to 2,420 feet (878 feet of accumulated elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, go east on US 60 to exit 196 for Idaho Road (State Route 88). Turn left and follow Idaho to SR88, turn right and continue to First Water Road (Forest Road 78), which is located about a half mile past the entrance to Lost Dutchman State Park (between mileposts 201 and 202) and is signed for First Water Trailhead. Turn right and go 2.6 miles to the trailhead. Forest Road 78 is maintained dirt with some potholes and washboard sections passable by carefully driven sedan.

INFO: Mesa Ranger District, Tonto National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tonto/recarea/?recid=35525

 

Peralta Regional Park Preview

PERALTA REGIONAL PARK

Trail users spoke. Park developers listened.

Peralta Regional Park will open Jan. 12, 2023

The footprint of Peralta Regional Park isn’t visible from the access road. That was the idea.

The master plan for the Pinal County Park that’s scheduled to open to the public on January 12, 2023, leaned heavily into stakeholder input that advocated for a minimally disruptive footprint and preservation of the natural landscape.

Park is located just outside Tonto National Forest

“The less development, the better,” says Kent Taylor, Director Pinal County Open Space and Trails of input received from stakeholders.

Kent Taylor, Director Pinal County Open Space and Trails

Pre-construction feedback from government agencies, and trail users like bikers, hikers, and equestrians, helped ensure that park planners thought of everything.

“A couple of things that we never considered came out of our conversations with stakeholders,” Taylor said. “First was an idea for stargazing which we incorporated into the plans with a trail and stargazing node.

Trail to the Stargazing Node

Second, the potential for rock climbing came up and that will be addressed in the park’s future phase two planning.”

The park offers a primitive, pristine and safe outdoor experience.

Occupying a natural pocket of Upper Sonoran Desert at the edge of the Superstition Mountains and Tonto National Forest a few miles north of U.S. 60 near Gold Canyon, the site is a unique outdoor recreation hub that straddles the gap between an amenity-rich park and bare bones backcountry experience.

A drive-up tent camping site

Roads are dirt and picnic, and camping sites are simple and designed with profiles and colors that blend into the landscape.  There’s no electricity or water.

Hike-in backpacking campsites are bare bones.

“The park is 500-acres, but only 22 acres were disturbed for construction,” Taylor said. “We used existing dirt roads where possible and didn’t want to over develop.”  Extra care was taken to preserve the native vegetation and soils as well. “We harvested 100 saguaros during construction. Eighty of those were replanted in the park and another 20 were given to Tonto National Forest to use in forest restoration projects. Disturbed ground was restored and planted with native seeds."

It's located near popular recreation hubs.

While the park is new, the surrounding desert has long been a popular destination for outdoor recreation. The park sits just a few clicks down Peralta Road (Forest Road 77) from the Lost Goldmine Trail, Carney Springs Trailhead, and the Peralta trailhead--a busy jumping off point for the Peralta Canyon, Dutchmans and Bluff Spring trails in the Superstition Wilderness.

Stargazing node, under construction on Dec. 16.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s not glamping (No glamorous hot showers here, kids.)

Camping in the park embraces the low-impact theme. “Glamping” it’s not. There are no RV accommodations or cabins. Only tents are allowed.  There are two types of tent camping opportunities to appeal to those in search of an authentic roughin’ it style experience with the comfort of being within a managed space with a nearby site host and rangers in case of an emergency.  The choices are simple or primitive. Traditional “car camping” sites are drive-up clearings with a picnic table and fire pit.  Hike-in backpacking sites are accessed from non-motorized trails and are no more than small clearings where pack-hanger posts are the only luxury afforded.  Neither have electricity, water, or trash service so campers must pack in what they need and pack out all waste.

The Desperado Trail in Peralta Regional Park

All camp and picnic sites have easy access to 9 miles of non-motorized trails and a quarter-mile barrier-free interpretive walking path. “Even in a compact space we were able to build trails with good diversity from easy to difficult.” Taylor says.

Except for the Desperado and North Star Trails, which have some difficult sections, park trails are rated moderate and link up nicely for creating loop options.

Barrier-free interpretive trail has educational signs

The stargazing node will be a big draw.

The park’s shiny penny is its stargazing node. Equal parts vortex, sanctuary and educational launch pad, the tiny gathering place is tucked into a natural bowl-like amphitheater with big sky views.  The science-centered node features a circular siting area with directional posts and room for telescopes.

The park was built with minimal environmental disruption

A short trail leads to the cliff-bound site that flanks a tree-cluttered wash. It’s a beautiful little spot that oozes as much spirituality as it does science.  

Picnic ramadas are designed to blend into the landscape

While it's not yet designated an official International Dark-Sky Association location, certification work is on the agenda. Taylor, who has camped out in the area, says nights here are free of light pollution and extraneous sound. So stars, planets and galaxies will be  really pop against the inky darkness.  

 “We anticipate a lot of interest in night sky viewing here as well as requests for weddings, which can be arranged by permit.”

Celestial events will shine at the Stargazing Node

When asked if there’s going to be a prize for the first person to site a UFO, Taylor laughed.

“We hadn’t thought of that.”

Park map

  

KEY PARK FEATURES:

• 9 miles of non-motorized trails that range in difficulty from barrier-free to challenging.

• Stargazing

• Car and tent camping sites

• Picnic ramadas

• Interpretive trail

• Equestrian staging area

• Waterless restrooms

PARK HOURS: dawn to 10 p.m. daily for day-use

FEES:

Day-use:  $7 daily. Pay in advance online, or at park entrance by scanning a QR code or with exact change at the self-serve kiosk.

Camping & Picnicing:

Camping and picnic sites are first-come-first served but may also be reserved online.

Camping reservations: $10 per night

Picnic ramada reservations: $10 per day or $35 for group ramadas.

GETTING THERE:

From U.S. 60 in Gold Canyon, turn left at the Peralta Road (Forest Road 77) stoplight and Peralta Trailhead sign just past milepost 204.  Follow Peralta Road 5 miles to the park entrance on the right. Peralta Road is maintained dirt suitable for all vehicles.

INFO:

Peralta Regional Park

https://www.pinal.gov/1204/Peralta-Regional-Park

International Dark-Sky Association

https://www.darksky.org/

 

Forest Road 502 to East Verde River

FOREST ROAD 502 to EAST VERDE RIVER

A calm bend in the East Verde River near Payson

From sweeping mountain vistas, to rolling, juniper-dotted rangeland and a leafy river canyon, a walk along Forest Road 502 delivers a packed agenda over its short, hilly course. 

View of North Peak from FR 502

Adopted by the Tonto Recreation Alliance, a non-profit, volunteer partner of Tonto National Forest that works to keep hundreds of miles of forest trails open and maintained for motorized off-road use, the dirt two-track a few miles west of downtown Payson offers a quick, lightly trafficked route to the East Verde River.

High desert valley vistas abound on FR 502

Sego lilies bloom Apr - July

Located a few miles south of Tonto Natural Bridge State Park east of Pine Creek, the road, which is open to hikers, equestrians and OHV use is a sweet find for those who appreciate a simple trek peppered with many points of visual interest.

You might encounter livestock on FR 502

 

From a dirt pull out along Doll Baby Ranch Road, the hike begins by passing through a barbed wire gate (close it behind you) where visitors are immediately smacked with breathtaking views of  Mazatzal Wilderness peaks including 7,449-foot North Peak, the northernmost  prominent peak in the Mazatzal Range.

Goodding's verbena blooms Feb - Oct

Barberry shrubs bloom Feb- May

The road veers left at an unsigned fork at the 0.1-mile point. After that, all junctions are signed “502”.  As the road makes an easy push through sunny juniper-pinon open range, views of a landscape rife with landforms with imagination-stoking names like Polles Mesa, Whiterock Mesa, White Hills, Horsethief Bench, Limestone Hills and Pilot Knob roll out in all directions.

Milkvetch is a common spring bloomer

Majestic land forms all around.

The largely unshaded route is flanked by a fringe of flowering shrubs, yucca and a colorful understory of classic high-desert wildflowers including delicate sego lilies, purple Goodding’s verbena, milkvetch, Blackfoot daisies and flame-red paintbrush. 

Velvet ash trees huddle around East Verde River

At just over the one-mile point, the road begins a series of gradual ups-and-downs that land hikers at the East Verde River. The final,  descent into the river canyon is somewhat rocky and steeper, but not too difficult.

Paintbrush bloom Mar - Sep

The road meets the water at 1.8 miles where hikers may explore along the rocky banks and spindly velvet ash trees to spy trout swimming in deep pools.

Trailhead on Doll Baby Ranch Road

Road ups and downs total over 780 feet in elevation change

While the river makes for a good turnaround point, hikers may consult the Tonto Recreation Alliance downloadable maps to extend the trip by way of several connecting roads.

Blackfoot daisies bloom Mar- Dec

LENGTH: 3.6 miles roundtrip (to the river and back)

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 3,717 – 4,058 feet (781 feet of accumulated elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

From State Route 87 in downtown Payson, go 6.3 miles west (go left at the light) on Main Street which will turn into Country Club Road and then Doll Baby Ranch Road (FR 406) to the trailhead on the right.  Park in the dirt turn outs by the gate and the “502” sign.

INFO & MAPS:

Tonto Recreation Alliance

tralaz.org