Bloody Basin Road

Total Miles
37.5

Elevation

1,519.59 ft

Duration

8 Hours

Technical Rating

2

Easy

Best Time

Spring, Summer, Fall

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Bloody Basin Road 6

Trail Overview

Take a day to drive this road that will take you through Agua Fria National Monument. You'll want to take your time to explore archaeological sites and petroglyphs along the way. You can also enjoy a warm soak in the natural hot springs north of the bridge on the west side. Unlicensed vehicles are allowed in this area.

Photos of Bloody Basin Road

Bloody Basin Road
Bloody Basin Road

Difficulty

Easy: A well-maintained road that gets a bit rockier as you descend to the bridge. Wet weather creates muddy conditions, especially on side trips.

History

Most people drive this route to see the impressive Sheep Bridge at the end. The 476- ft. suspension footbridge was first built in 1943 and rebuilt in 1989. The old foundations remain in place. The 71,000-acre Agua Fria National Monument was created in 2000 and contains over 400 archaeological sites, some 2,000 years old. Please learn and obey special rules for the area. 'Bloody Basin' got its name from the Battle of Turret Peak in 1873, during which 26 Tonto-Apache Indians were killed in retaliation for earlier Indian atrocities.

Technical Rating

2

Status Reports

Bryan Rosales
Jun 15, 2024
2022 Jeep Gladiator
Open
Normal
This Trail is great till Cave Creek intersection, beautiful scenic views and nice nature. Road was great a bit dusty but smooth. Last 11 miles are very rocky and some part is needed 4H. On my way back I used Backway so I crossed the river twice the first under the bridge and second near to Dam. My vehicle is stock height and it did not have any issues. I strongly recommend doing it through Backway trail, the road is much better in general and crossing the river is a ton of fun.
Matthew Settle
Jun 15, 2024
4x4
Open
Dusty
Washboard
Rough/Deteriorated
We hit the tail off the FR 24 (Cave Creek Road to head down to Sheep Bridge. That portion of the trail requires a higher clearance 4x4. I didn’t think I needed to use the 4WD mode but did just in case. This portion is VERY rocky in long portions where we averaged 5 MPH through the 12-mile section. The Verde River was low enough to cross and park on the "rock bar" under the bridge. We took the Basin road towards I-17 which was smooth a lot smoother once we got back to the intersection of Cave Creek road (FR-24). Some great scenery and well worth the time spent to get to the bridge.
Bob Cusick
Jun 02, 2024
2023 Toyota 4Runner
Open
Dusty
Rough/Deteriorated
This trail, while not very”difficult” - is bumpy and rock AF! Lots of loose rock, there is a 1/4 mile rock garden about 10 miles in - and the rockiness doesn’t stop.
Steve Kennedy
Apr 25, 2024
2021 Jeep Gladiator
Open
Dusty
Rough/Deteriorated
We took this trail from I-17 to Sheep's Bridge, then back to Cave Creek Road to home in our stock Gladiator Rubicon. The first 25 miles of the trail going west to east (I-17 to Cave Creek Rd) is very easy and very beautiful. As a matter of fact, we stayed in 2WD for almost the entire time. The last 11 miles to (Cave Creek Rd-ish to Sheep's Bridge) was very rocky and rutted (4WD is absolutely needed along with airing down), this was the worst part of the trail and not especially fun for my wife or me. However, there was a passenger car at Sheep's Bridge so it is possible to do it in 2WD, but I wouldn't want to. We were out there mid-week so while we did see some others on the trail, traffic was non-existent. Overall, we enjoyed the ride and would definitely do the first portion of the trail between I-17 and Cave Creek Road again.

Access Description

Get off Interstate 17 at Exit 259. On east side, go past parking area and continue southeast on 9269.

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