White Tanks Tower Trails

[DREDnot]

Does anybody know if you can take either the North(off sun valley pkwy) or South(verado/caterpillar) trails up to the towers?

Ive lived here 11 years and that big white road going up from the end of Indian school has been calling me.

Years ago I found a locked gate at the end of Indian school and a buddy of mine said they went in once from the north side but was following someone else.

It looks pretty cool on google earth but nobody talks about it. Its like its out of bounds in the park.

Anybody been up there?

[Deviljeep]

I have several times...haven't been anywhere near since they put in Verrado tho.
There is another gate at the top that hill that wasn't locked often, but probably is now that they moved/took out (I'm betting moved) the gate at Indian School.
Have never been in from the north.

[AZG23]

I havent seen any entrances from the North...there are a few trails that head "up" and get cut off by either Park signage or barbed wire fence...

Im sure after the AF truck wreck a few months back its all off limits now...

[Antman]

I havent been up there in years, but suspect it still takes a key and a reason to get up there. I helped installed a new tower up there for the State, but its been over 15 years since I was up there through the old Cat proving grounds.

[desertkj]

Its all getting developed out there now. There used to be a gate at the end of Bethany Home and now I just headed out there and its becoming another housing development. I believe the same can be said for Indian School. It's mostly getting all developed all the way up to the park now.

[mookee54]

Back in '76, in my old CJ, we could go up from the north side (before the Sun Valley Parkway was built) but now its all fenced off (County Park). The only way I know to get up the "big white road" is to get a key from the Game Ranger but you'll probably need a deer permit too. I've heard there's a road that gets you up near the towers coming in off the west side of the Tanks but I haven't found it. It's kind of like the Estrella Mtns - pretty much off limits and virtually no trails.

[Stu Olson]

The road (that big white one you see from I-10) is a private road and there are multiple locked gates along the way. It is maintained by the mountain top association (group of commercial users that pay a yearly fee for road maintenance among other things).

The road going up is quite boring, although the view of the valley once on top is OK if the city is not covered with a brown cloud (which it usually is). While not suggested, it can be driven in 2WD....however, to keep from digging up the road, 4WD is required.

I've come down the road and have been stopped by the Buckeye Police to inquire as to what I was doing. As I am part owner of a building on West Peak and have the requisite gate keys, etc., all was good with the officer. He admitted that he normally didn't see my kind of "service vehicle" making the trip to the top to work on radio gear. He had a big gun....I wasn't going to argue with him. :)