Trail Overview

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 still recovering from multiple wildfires over the years. The trail has great views of the Kentuck Mountains, Horseshoe Lake, Four Peaks, St. Clair Peak (not to be confused with St. Clair Mountain just down Horseshoe Dam Road), and more. On a clear day, you can see the Fountain Hills fountain and the Superstition Mountains. The are many marked side trails nearby to explore, but be aware that many trails shown on legacy maps are now closed. Remember to Tread Lightly and honor the trail closures - a practice many seem to violate. You can get a 3-day pass at any trailhead if you have the Recreation.gov app on your phone - no cell service is required. Online, you can also purchase 6-month and 1-year permits. These permits are good for all of the Tonto OHV permit zones. If you have an OHV 2,500 lbs or less, you also need an OHV Sticker.

Photos of St Clair OHV from Camp Creek to Kentuck Staging

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Difficulty

This trail has some deep sand and short steep grades.

Technical Rating

Dan J

Dec 07, 2025

Open

Fun, winding trail with sandy washes, a few steep climbs, and great desert views. We ran across a couple hikers and one SxS, but other than that we had the place to ourselves. The trail is easy, though be aware that many places had wheel ruts deep enough to cause clearance issues for the stock 2012 Rubicon on 32s. The trail is wide enough to ride out of the ruts with the right line.

Kevin Yang

Aug 16, 2025

Open

Easy trail but still lots of fun. If you’re new to offroading, this is a great spot that doesn’t require a modified vehicle. My friend drove his stock 2nd gen Tacoma without issue behind me. A tad tight at the beginning near Camp Creek for full size vehicles but the rest of the drive is very open. Great views of the cave creek area.