Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Carefree, Arizona

This is a very easy trail that takes you from the Tonto National Forest Border in Cave Creek to the Cave Creek Trailhead in the Seven Springs Recreation Area. This is one of the most overlooked areas in this part of the Tonto National Forest. The first 2.2 miles of the trail are paved, and the remai...
Learn more about Gateway to Seven Springs

FS 285 begins off Gateway to Seven Springs and is an out-and-back gravel shelf road offering beautiful views of the valley to the south. About a quarter mile in, the gravel becomes rougher with larger rocks scattered along the trail, some reaching up to 12 inches. The route is lined with tall natura...
Learn more about FS 285

This is a very scenic loop between Bartlett Lake Road and Horseshoe Dam Road. The trail takes you through deep sand washes, rolling dirt trails, and passes a few rock formations. This trail is part of the Tonto National Forest St. Clair OHV Permit Zone trail system opened on 1-1-2025. This area is s...
Learn more about St Clair OHV from Camp Creek to Kentuck Staging

FS 483 begins off Gateway to Seven Springs Road (FS 24). A small parking area is located at the start of the trail. This gravel road winds through a wash before transitioning into a popular scenic gravel route. Along the way, you’ll be treated to views of the surrounding hills, tall desert vegetatio...
Learn more about FS 483

This is the new entrance trail to the Tonto National Forest Desert Vista OHV Area as of October 2024. The entrance used to be farther north, but after the closure due to fires, the USFS built a new entrance trail to the system. This trail is difficult to find from the trail system, so look for the S...
Learn more about Entrance Trail to the Tonto National Forest Desert Vista OHV

This is a short ATV trail in the Tonto National Forest that accesses hundreds of miles of trails near Camp Creek, Arizona. Although accessible by ATV, it's more like a single track and is mostly ridden by dirt bikes because it's pretty narrow. It goes flat and straight through green desert terrain w...
Learn more about Camp Creek Access ATV Trail

3200 is a shortcut between two halves of the Quail Springs Loop. This trail is more ridden and beat in. It's a hardpack dirt surface with some loose rocks, some steeper grades, and ruts on the sides of the trail, but is much less rocky than Shoemaker, 3197, and 497. It goes through wide-open desert ...
Learn more about 3200

398 is a longer powerline trail in the Tonto National Forest near Camp Creek, Arizona. It's a main route from the west entrance to this OHV area off of North 14th Street and runs east, accessing tons of 4x4 trails before ending at an overlook of the canyon that is Camp Creek. A lot of it is a wide a...
Learn more about 398 Powerline

You can take this short single track from the staging area off of North 14th Street to access the Powerline Trail, which will take you to the many other off-roading trails in this zone of the Tonto National Forest. The trail is a mile-long meander through the green desert landscape full of saguaros ...
Learn more about Camp Creek Access Single Track

2123 is a fun and scenic trail in the Tonto National Forest near Camp Creek, Arizona. It's a wide rim trail that runs east to west above a little canyon. This area is pretty popular for UTVs and dirt bikes. The trail is generally pretty easy and straight. It has lots of whoops, ruts, uneven ground, ...
Learn more about 2123

This out-and-back trail begins right off Seven Spring Road, and immediately there is a sandy river wash to cross. Be aware that it could be hazardous in flash flooding conditions. Shortly after, there is a gate that could potentially be closed, maybe in the winter months or for land management. The ...
Learn more about Walnut Spring Trail

1109 is a short and wide dirt Jeep road in a wide-open desert full of massive saguaro cacti. It has uneven ground, ruts, bumps, and rutted corners;it crosses sandy washes and goes past a massive saguaro with a trail sign next to it. It's very easy, with only a couple of spots with slight uphills. Th...
Learn more about 1109

The entrance to Deer Flat (FS 1099) is located off Seven Springs Road (FS 24), near the Gateway to Seven Springs area. This is an out-and-back trail featuring a long rock garden climb that zigzags up the hillside. Expect large rocks ranging from 12 to 18 inches throughout the trail. While not highly...
Learn more about Deer Flat - FS 1099

Camp Creek Road is in the Tonto National Forest and requires a pass, which can be purchased at the ranger station. The road is a mixed surface road combination of sand, rocks, and gravel, most of this trail runs in a wash. Please do not attempt when rainy as this area is very prone to flooding, camp...
Learn more about Camp Creek

This is a short high-clearance primitive road that starts off of North New River Road and connects to Shoemaker Spring. It's uneven and bumpy, with deep ruts that are filled in with round softball-sized rocks. Loose rocks are strewn about the trail for much of it. It's mostly flat in a green desert ...
Learn more about Shoemaker Spring Access Trail

This very short, easy, loop trail around Cramm Mountain offers sweeping 360 views of the desert landscape. It does seem that this trail is minimally used and therefore has vegetation overgrowth in places - higher clearance vehicles advised. This overgrowth makes the trail less obvious in spots, but ...
Learn more about Cramm Mountain Loop

Mesa Connection is an ideal route for scenic explorers and beginners seeking an easy gateway to expansive desert vistas and primitive high-country camping. Stretching approximately 3.2 miles, this unpaved dirt trail serves as the starting or ending segment of a massive 60-mile backcountry adventure,...
Learn more about Mesa Connection

This is a very nice loop between Horseshoe Dam Road and Bartlett Lake Road that takes you through varied terrain and some very interesting rock formations. This trail is part of the St. Clair OHV trail system and was opened to the public on April 6, 2024. This area was decimated by fire several year...
Learn more about St. Claire OHV Loop

This is a short and easy Jeep trail in the Tonto National Forest near Camp Creek, Arizona. It's wide, hardpack dirt for most of it, with ruts running straight through the trail, and is mostly straight with some easy corners. The wide-open views here are pretty epic, with huge saguaros and mountains ...
Learn more about 028

Maggie May’s Way offers an engaging yet highly manageable desert excursion for four-wheel-drive enthusiasts and SxS riders looking to explore the rugged foothills of the Tonto National Forest. This scenic 1.6-mile out-and-back trail branches off Forest Road 468, climbing gently from 3,477 feet to 3,...
Learn more about Maggie May's Way

This is a very easy trail that takes you from the Tonto National Forest Border in Cave Creek to the Cave Creek Trailhead in the Seven Springs Recreation Area. This is one of the most overlooked areas in this part of the Tonto National Forest. The first 2.2 miles of the trail are paved, and the remai...
Learn more about Gateway to Seven Springs

FS 285 begins off Gateway to Seven Springs and is an out-and-back gravel shelf road offering beautiful views of the valley to the south. About a quarter mile in, the gravel becomes rougher with larger rocks scattered along the trail, some reaching up to 12 inches. The route is lined with tall natura...
Learn more about FS 285

This is a very scenic loop between Bartlett Lake Road and Horseshoe Dam Road. The trail takes you through deep sand washes, rolling dirt trails, and passes a few rock formations. This trail is part of the Tonto National Forest St. Clair OHV Permit Zone trail system opened on 1-1-2025. This area is s...
Learn more about St Clair OHV from Camp Creek to Kentuck Staging

FS 483 begins off Gateway to Seven Springs Road (FS 24). A small parking area is located at the start of the trail. This gravel road winds through a wash before transitioning into a popular scenic gravel route. Along the way, you’ll be treated to views of the surrounding hills, tall desert vegetatio...
Learn more about FS 483

This is a very easy trail that takes you from the Tonto National Forest Border in Cave Creek to the Cave Creek Trailhead in the Seven Springs Recreation Area. This is one of the most overlooked areas in this part of the Tonto National Forest. The first 2.2 miles of the trail are paved, and the remai...
Learn more about Gateway to Seven Springs

FS 285 begins off Gateway to Seven Springs and is an out-and-back gravel shelf road offering beautiful views of the valley to the south. About a quarter mile in, the gravel becomes rougher with larger rocks scattered along the trail, some reaching up to 12 inches. The route is lined with tall natura...
Learn more about FS 285

This is a very scenic loop between Bartlett Lake Road and Horseshoe Dam Road. The trail takes you through deep sand washes, rolling dirt trails, and passes a few rock formations. This trail is part of the Tonto National Forest St. Clair OHV Permit Zone trail system opened on 1-1-2025. This area is s...
Learn more about St Clair OHV from Camp Creek to Kentuck Staging

FS 483 begins off Gateway to Seven Springs Road (FS 24). A small parking area is located at the start of the trail. This gravel road winds through a wash before transitioning into a popular scenic gravel route. Along the way, you’ll be treated to views of the surrounding hills, tall desert vegetatio...
Learn more about FS 483