Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Cave Creek, Arizona

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

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 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

West Rockaway Hills Road serves as a connector trail leading toward the Opportunity Trail. It runs east–west as a point-to-point route and provides a fun drive through the desert. The trail features large ruts formed from past rainfall, so drivers should watch their speed and line choice while trave...
Learn more about West Rockaway Hills Road

West Desert Hills Trail is a bumpy dirt route with many scattered rocks that eventually leads out to a popular shooting area. While the trail is rough in places, there are no technical sections or major obstacles, making it relatively easy to navigate. The trail is lined with desert creosote and cho...
Learn more about West Desert Hills Trail

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

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

Fence Line Connector is a north–south connector trail linking the Trail of Opportunity with the West Desert Hills Trail. The connection point also serves as an entry access into the surrounding trail system. The route travels over a few small hills with occasional ruts and minor washouts, but there ...
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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

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

Trail of Opportunity is a point-to-point connector trail that runs primarily east–west through the desert before turning as it approaches the wash. The route is a dirt and gravel road that is generally easy to drive but can be bumpy with a few scattered rocks along the way. The trail is easy to navi...
Learn more about Trail of Opportunity

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 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

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 dirt-covered service road that is regularly maintained. It's a fun, easy route for getting to different areas. There's nothing technical about this trail aside from a couple of sandy washes. Note of caution, people tend to drive really fast out here. Trophy trucks and performance side-by-s...
Learn more about El Paso Pipeline Road

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

This is a side trail off the New River Trail that ends atop a beautiful hill with unlimited photographic possibilities. It is a great place for a stop to stretch legs, take pictures, have a bonfire during sunset (if / when allowed), and take in some of the most breathtaking scenic views of the area ...
Learn more about Photographic Hill

The Oasis Trail (FR37) is a 2.5-mile side trail from New River Trail (FR41). It ends at a beautiful oasis of waterfalls and pools, some of which are big enough to swim in. The trail begins at the intersection of FR41 and FR37 near a water tank with a large solar panel. On the map, this is called, "R...
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New River Mesa Approach (FR 17) is a 2.44-mile one-way out and back trail. This trail is called the New River Mesa "Approach" as it leads to the base of New River Mesa. It is mostly easy, with a few washed-out sections that can be difficult to get through without 4WD. You will run this road mostly ...
Learn more about New River Mesa Approach

A quick, short little section of trail that connects Lake Pleasant road to Saguaro Way trail, which leads to a shooting area. There is nothing terribly technical about this route aside from a couple of rocky sections to navigate, one of which is on a slight grade. There is also a short sandy wash to...
Learn more about Cactus Express

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

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 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

West Rockaway Hills Road serves as a connector trail leading toward the Opportunity Trail. It runs east–west as a point-to-point route and provides a fun drive through the desert. The trail features large ruts formed from past rainfall, so drivers should watch their speed and line choice while trave...
Learn more about West Rockaway Hills Road

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

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 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

West Rockaway Hills Road serves as a connector trail leading toward the Opportunity Trail. It runs east–west as a point-to-point route and provides a fun drive through the desert. The trail features large ruts formed from past rainfall, so drivers should watch their speed and line choice while trave...
Learn more about West Rockaway Hills Road