Apache trail FR's

[vhmsports]

Hello All, New guy from east coast. I'm heading out to Mesa during the last week of May. Looking to do some exploring/wheeling while I'm there. Thinking of heading to Canyon Lake and Apache Lake area. I've been down Apache trail before but never explored the FR's off of it. I'm wondering if anyone has any insight to trail conditions and where and not to go. (fr213,80)
Looking for easy trails to go through with a rental Grang Cherokee (hah ha)and my cousins stock TJ.
I'm an avid wheeler out east with my club, but do not want to push a stock rig to hard and break out in the middle of nowhere. Any suggestions and trail reports(conditions) would be greatly appreciated.
Your site is great and very informative. I wish we had so many trails and public access up here.
Thanks
Brandon

also I have had training in Tread Lightly and working on my Master Trainer, so I'm not just another yahoo out there to destroy your trails. If anyone of you would like to visit my club site to see what we are about, please visit www.freedomtrailriders.organd thanks again

[desertdawg]

I led a trail run to Martinez cabins and the Coke Ovens in the Florence area a couple of months ago for a New Yorker wheeler (Howler4X4) wanting to do the same thing your wanting to do. He rented a stock Wrangler and did fine with it on the trail and we all had a lot of fun.

I don't know what my schedule is during the end of May but I'm willing to do the same for you as I did for Howler. I'm off Sat, Sun and Mondays and on call every three weeks. If I can't do it then I'm sure somebody will. You may get more response if you post it on the Trail Run section.

I don't know of many trails off the Apache Trail. There's the Four Peaks trail that is close by. It takes you from Highway 87 up to the 4 peaks and down to Highway 188 near pumpkin Center. Awesome views of Saguaro Lake on one side and Roosevelt on the other. Bulldog Canyon east of Mesa is another scenic and easy trail. You need a permit for that trail and it's free at the Tonto National Forest Mesa district Ranger office. You also have Montana Mountain trail east of the Superstitions.

Just be aware that a lot of the trails can close due to the fire danger in the summer months. Four peaks was one of those trails that closed last summer.

Keep me informed on details of when your going to be in town.

[RalphA]

We have been doing the roads at the end of Apache Trail where Roosevelt Lake is for some time now. Not wanting to repair steel and sheet metal parts we enjoy many nice rides off of 188 at Punkin Center and thereabouts. A-Cross, 71 to 609 both easy rides but scenic as Hell. 609 will take you to 288 which is pretty high up toward Young. Roads off of 609 are more challenging but you need lots of tiime. At this time fire danger is low and most areas are open. We just joined this club and are still learning the ratings that match our desire, skill and pocketbook.

[desertdawg]

We have been doing the roads at the end of Apache Trail where Roosevelt Lake is for some time now. Not wanting to repair steel and sheet metal parts we enjoy many nice rides off of 188 at Punkin Center and thereabouts. A-Cross, 71 to 609 both easy rides but scenic as Hell. 609 will take you to 288 which is pretty high up toward Young. Roads off of 609 are more challenging but you need lots of tiime. At this time fire danger is low and most areas are open. We just joined this club and are still learning the ratings that match our desire, skill and pocketbook.

Ralph,

Have you been to Fort Reno off of 188, (namesake of Reno Pass). I've been wanting to explore that for sometime now. I was wondering if there is anything left of the fort and if it's worth the trip.

Thanks,
Mike

[paparonbo]

Its a fun trail, but there isn't really anything left of the fort site. I'm pretty sure its still closed right now too to allow the land to recover from the fire damage last year.

[Offroader5]

One nice trail up that way, kind of half ways between Canyon Lake & Apache Lake is Tortilla Trailhead. It's been a couple years since I've been there, but it exits the main road into somewhat of a "parking lot" area. Right at the beginning leaving the parking lot, there is a small section of some more rocky trail, but easily doable even in a stock rig. The trail goes back into the Eastern Superstition wilderness through a couple grassy areas, and you'll see corrals, and such from ranches out there. It will lead back to a point where you can't drive no more and it becomes a hiking trail, but that's back in a ways.

Windows Live Local Map Of Area (http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=33.538102~-111.352439&style=h&lvl=14&sp=aN.33.525635_-111.318729_Parking%20Lot_This%20is%20the%20entranc e%20to%20the%20trail%20from%20the%20Hwy.~aN.33.537 744_-111.324630_End%20Of%20Paved%20Hwy._This%20is%20rou ghly%20where%20the%20pavement%20ends...for%20refer ence.)

[LauraA]

Ralph,

Have you been to Fort Reno off of 188, (namesake of Reno Pass). I've been wanting to explore that for sometime now. I was wondering if there is anything left of the fort and if it's worth the trip.

Thanks,
Mike

Hi Mike, sorry about the slow response to this one...I'm Ralph's wife. Yes, we've been to the site of Fort Reno, if you look on the map that the Tonto Nat'l Forest puts out, their location for the Fort is incorrect. They're showing Camp Reno on FR 409, actually that's the site of what used to be a general store that used to supply the Fort with goods. The Fort itself was located on the next road over FR 524, this is also the same road you'd take to the Transfer Station (dump) Before you get to the dump area, take the road to the left (FR 524) The Fort was located on a flat plateau overlooking the valley and creek below. All that's left of the fort are rocks delineating the approximate shape of the fort. It's a bit hard to spot, and if you come to a barbed wire fence before a small rocky wash, you've gone too far, turn around and head back for approx. 1/4 mile. We did some metal detecting at this site and only came up with a couple of horse shoes. The site of the general store has a spring, a couple of foundations and some scraps laying around. We didn't metal detect that area because it's an historical site.
It's snake breeding season out here, so if you go, use caution, rattlers are really irritable this time of year :D
Hope this helps,
LauraA
"Old Peep's Jeep"

[desertdawg]

Hi Mike, sorry about the slow response to this one...I'm Ralph's wife. Yes, we've been to the site of Fort Reno, if you look on the map that the Tonto Nat'l Forest puts out, their location for the Fort is incorrect. They're showing Camp Reno on FR 409, actually that's the site of what used to be a general store that used to supply the Fort with goods. The Fort itself was located on the next road over FR 524, this is also the same road you'd take to the Transfer Station (dump) Before you get to the dump area, take the road to the left (FR 524) The Fort was located on a flat plateau overlooking the valley and creek below. All that's left of the fort are rocks delineating the approximate shape of the fort. It's a bit hard to spot, and if you come to a barbed wire fence before a small rocky wash, you've gone too far, turn around and head back for approx. 1/4 mile. We did some metal detecting at this site and only came up with a couple of horse shoes. The site of the general store has a spring, a couple of foundations and some scraps laying around. We didn't metal detect that area because it's an historical site.
It's snake breeding season out here, so if you go, use caution, rattlers are really irritable this time of year :D
Hope this helps,
LauraA
"Old Peep's Jeep"

Laura,

Thank you very much for the info. How long does it take to get to the general store and the fort from 188? The reason I ask, I'm planning a trip up Four Peaks and Edwards park then down the backside to 188 next weekend. With time permitting and the consensus of the group, I'd like to check those sites out. Sounds very interesting.

Mike:)

[LauraA]

Laura,

Thank you very much for the info. How long does it take to get to the general store and the fort from 188? The reason I ask, I'm planning a trip up Four Peaks and Edwards park then down the backside to 188 next weekend. With time permitting and the consensus of the group, I'd like to check those sites out. Sounds very interesting.

Mike:)

Mike,
From 188 to the area called "Camp Reno" (in reality the general store area) on FR 409 by the forest service is about 3-ish miles. It's fenced in barbed wire and has a sign at the entrance erected by the Boy Scouts. The surrounding areas were severely damaged by the big fire, but finally beginning to show some green again. From 188 take 409 and stay on it, the road will split and one unnumbered road goes down to the wash (a fairly nice shaded spot to picnic) the road you want, bears right.
The true area of Camp Reno, FR 524, is a bit further, depending on the road condition, it'll take 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. You'll need to look to your left when you get to the plateau area of the mesa, look for rock piles. This are overlooks the area where the general store was located, but you can't access one area from the other because Camp Reno was located on the mesa plateau with a steep hill and a creek bed between. I suspect when the fort was operational, they probably had stairs built to get down to the store. There's not a lot to see in either location, but a lot of history took place there and we always like to imagine what it must have been like. Both areas are open (as of two weeks ago) The electric company has been in there laying underground powerlines, so they've smoothed the road out considerably.
If you do go (and I haven't gotten you totally lost :eek: ) please post your trip :)
Have fun and be careful where you step out there!
LauraA
"Old Peep Jeep"

[desertdawg]

Thank's again Laura!:) I'll be posting it next week when I'm more firm on being able to go.