A remote, high-desert mountainous area with many old mining roads to explore. Scenic when viewed from high vantage points. Stay clear of open vertical mine shafts and never enter mines. A more difficult optional route to the east is narrow and more suited for ATVs and UTVs, but smaller 4x4s can manage it with careful tire placement.
(623) 580-5500Bureau of Land Management, Hassayampa Field Office
Check the Weather05/04/2025
Submitted By Craig
Ran this with a 2024 Bronco Raptor (stock on 37s). It’s in quite good shape, especially considering a lot of trails around Arizona are driving more difficult than they were a few years ago. There is a tiny little area near the mine that may be pushing moderate with some off-camber areas, but overall this was pretty mellow and easier than some “easy” rated trails I’ve done recently. It is a half-day run pretty close to the Phoenix metro. It seems like you could spend more time exploring a lot of the area beyond what Wells’ calls out in the book also.
09/21/2022
Submitted By Leighann
Use caution if it’s raining or has rained recently. Check weather before heading out to this trail. There’s a series of several washes at the very north end that filled up with deep, fast-moving water and we ended up having to wait several hours to be able to cross safely. These are located just off Vulture Mine Road at the very beginning of the trail, or if you decide to start from the end of the trail and make your way towards Wickenburg, it would be at the very end of the trail.
11/21/2021
Submitted By Douglas F.
We drove this trail two more times recently (back and forth). It remains the most mellow Charlie Wells moderate trail I have driven as of late 2021 be it in AZ, UT, or CO. There is some erosion on the side of the short climb to the mine traveling northbound and there was one nasty hole that had opened on the eastern edge of the mellow section leading to that point from the south.
12/23/2020
Not sure what this Trail is rated now the rating probably should be changed to a moderate or blue run. I’m working out of the second edition
03/19/2019
Submitted by Chuck Wells
We will be changing the rating on this trail from easy to moderate. There are just a few steep sections that have gotten a bit more washed out and rutted. I had no problems in my stock Wrangler Sport.
