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 ...
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This 1.7-mile segment of trail runs north-south between 3197 and the Quail Springs Loop in this primitive OHV area near New River, Arizona. This trail is more of a main thoroughfare compared to Shoemaker Springs. It's a wider, well-used road that has some challenges such as deep ruts filled in with ...
Learn more about Shoemaker Connector

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

Shoemaker Spring runs south to north at the edge of the Tonto National Forest near New River, Arizona. It's a primitive route in a lightly used OHV area that is accessed off of North New River Road. This one is intermediate difficulty because it crosses several washes, and it's rocky in spots with l...
Learn more about Shoemaker Spring

3197 runs west-east in the Tonto National Forest near New River and is an intermediate Jeep trail in a lightly used OHV area. The west end departs from the neighborhood from West Mingus Road and heads east for 1.8 miles. The trail is pretty beat in and used, with frequent signage. The easternmost po...
Learn more about 3197

497 is a wider dirt trail with lots of small and medium-sized loose rocks on the surface for much of the route. It goes through wide open desert terrain, with ruts running down the road, often filled in with loose rocks like a trough. It goes past great big saguaro cacti and a couple of spots to bac...
Learn more about King Well 497

This 18.9-mile point-to-point trail takes you along the New River Valley up into the Tonto National Forest. This trail starts easy as a maintained two-vehicle road for the first mile. Then the trail narrows to one vehicle and you start to get some washed-out sections. You will cross New River three ...
Learn more about New River Trail

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

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

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

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 quick, scenic out-and-back trail is relatively easy. The only thing to note is the river wash in the beginning, as well as water erosion areas on trail in a few spots. One or two are erosion spots are deeper and may worsen over time. These areas could also be of concern in wet (rain) conditions...
Learn more about Cramm Trail

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

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 ...
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This out-and-back offshoot leads to a fun area with a handful of both easy and advanced trails. This particular trail is not very technical itself, although water erosion on or next to the trail is very likely, with a couple of small sections that have drop-offs as a result. Avoid in (flash) floodin...
Learn more about Maggie May's Way

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

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

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 1.7-mile segment of trail runs north-south between 3197 and the Quail Springs Loop in this primitive OHV area near New River, Arizona. This trail is more of a main thoroughfare compared to Shoemaker Springs. It's a wider, well-used road that has some challenges such as deep ruts filled in with ...
Learn more about Shoemaker Connector

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

Shoemaker Spring runs south to north at the edge of the Tonto National Forest near New River, Arizona. It's a primitive route in a lightly used OHV area that is accessed off of North New River Road. This one is intermediate difficulty because it crosses several washes, and it's rocky in spots with l...
Learn more about Shoemaker Spring

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 1.7-mile segment of trail runs north-south between 3197 and the Quail Springs Loop in this primitive OHV area near New River, Arizona. This trail is more of a main thoroughfare compared to Shoemaker Springs. It's a wider, well-used road that has some challenges such as deep ruts filled in with ...
Learn more about Shoemaker Connector

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

Shoemaker Spring runs south to north at the edge of the Tonto National Forest near New River, Arizona. It's a primitive route in a lightly used OHV area that is accessed off of North New River Road. This one is intermediate difficulty because it crosses several washes, and it's rocky in spots with l...
Learn more about Shoemaker Spring