Great Western Trail
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did you try this?
http://gwt.org/desc/arizona.html
I know 7 Springs/Bloody basin is a part of it, don't know where it goes after crossing the I17
http://gwt.org/desc/arizona.html
I know 7 Springs/Bloody basin is a part of it, don't know where it goes after crossing the I17
yeah, that site and others are worthless
some people on AZVJC have run it, trying to get more info from them
I know it starts in Fountain Hills, up through 7 Speings, Bloody Basin across the fwy, up through Cherry, Mingus Mtn, Jerome, then on down past sedona
The Smiley Rock trail is a part of the trail
some people on AZVJC have run it, trying to get more info from them
I know it starts in Fountain Hills, up through 7 Speings, Bloody Basin across the fwy, up through Cherry, Mingus Mtn, Jerome, then on down past sedona
The Smiley Rock trail is a part of the trail
Great Western trail was a big idea with a lot of support about 10-12 years ago. The concept was a border to border north south route through AZ, UT, ID, WY and MT. With as much off pavement as possible.
The local guy supporting this is/was Gary Keller of the Mesa 4 wheelers. I haven't heard much about him in some time, so who knows what's become of the whole deal. Gary was the main guy out there looking for routes that could be connected. I think he was getting frustrated by the lack of access and increasing closures getting in the way.
In addition to the trails mentioned above, there are designated pieces in the Florence Jct. and Chiva area as well.
Also, the "Arizona trail" is actually the AZ piece of the Great western. (I think)
The local guy supporting this is/was Gary Keller of the Mesa 4 wheelers. I haven't heard much about him in some time, so who knows what's become of the whole deal. Gary was the main guy out there looking for routes that could be connected. I think he was getting frustrated by the lack of access and increasing closures getting in the way.
In addition to the trails mentioned above, there are designated pieces in the Florence Jct. and Chiva area as well.
Also, the "Arizona trail" is actually the AZ piece of the Great western. (I think)
im glad you chimed in daniel,,, i remember gary.
the western is not completely drivable, at least not when i did the AZ part. i dont know that he ever finished it.
the AZ trail stays a little east of the western and they are seperate trails,, the AZ is geared to hikers,, no motorized travel. its kinda like AZ's version of the pacific crest. i have mtn biked prolly 60 miles of it.
also check out the Trans America Trail, it connects the E and W coasts and is all drivable.
ive done parts of all three and its on my list to do the Trans AM trail form end to end.
the western is not completely drivable, at least not when i did the AZ part. i dont know that he ever finished it.
the AZ trail stays a little east of the western and they are seperate trails,, the AZ is geared to hikers,, no motorized travel. its kinda like AZ's version of the pacific crest. i have mtn biked prolly 60 miles of it.
also check out the Trans America Trail, it connects the E and W coasts and is all drivable.
ive done parts of all three and its on my list to do the Trans AM trail form end to end.
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I took a look at the Trans Am site...Doesn't say anything about trucks. Is it restricted to ATV/ Cycles only?
ALso interesting about the statement that you "can only do it east to west" is this a posted rule or simply because the site did the navigation based on east to west?
ALso interesting about the statement that you "can only do it east to west" is this a posted rule or simply because the site did the navigation based on east to west?
i dont know why it says some of that about the transam trail, there are alot of farm roads and backroads that are used to make up the trail and for as i know you need to be licensed to drive the majority.
homedad the red part might be all that is technically implemented, but alot of that trail is existing its just a matter of calling it a trail i guess? ive driven alot of the green and parts of both blues,,, its a real nice backcountry trip,,, part of it goes up near dugas and in the area is a little known valley with native growing gourds, pretty cool.
homedad the red part might be all that is technically implemented, but alot of that trail is existing its just a matter of calling it a trail i guess? ive driven alot of the green and parts of both blues,,, its a real nice backcountry trip,,, part of it goes up near dugas and in the area is a little known valley with native growing gourds, pretty cool.
lance i know a few motorbike guys in utah that say they have been on good stretches of it also, but i have no exp. the guy who boought my KTM actually rode it home to SLC from here, he did about 3-400 miles of dirt and alot of it was the western trail, or proposed trail.
Hi all,
I also have seen the posts marking the Great Western Trail far outside the red zone. The most notable were in northern Arizona just south of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon near the old Moqui Stage Station. According to the map, that is WAY to the west of the proposed corridor shown!
If you can locate a back issue of Adventure Magazine from August 2004, Charles Graeber wrote an article on traveling backroads and trails from Canada to Mexico through Idaho, Oregon, Nevada and California that looks very interesting!
BTW, back in 2000, I started out in my 68 FJ40 south of Blythe California, crossed the Colorado River on a one lane bridge and 5 long days and 500+ miles later popped out in New Mexico south of Duncan Arizona. Made it with a total distance traveled on pavement of less than 2 miles. The longest stretch was about a ½ mile crossing the Gila River at Gillespie Dam. It was not a particularly technical trip with the only 4wd in the Trigo Wash, a section of the Kofa Mtns, and on a gas line north of Oracle, and then south of Duncan. I made it on one gas fill up(have an auxillary tank) at I-10 near Toltec.
Are you Mr. Parks from the old LCML? I took inspiration from your posts, and tried in 2003 to do a South-North crossing of AZ, but didn't have much luck do to lack of research, road closures, fire-damage closures, no GPS, and an unfortunate "incident" involving 2 flats, bent rim, and a bent leafspring (fortunately I had 2 spares). Also, (like a retard) I was by myself (though well prepared)... I started east of Naco, and ended east of Young just below the rim...
Hi Rob,
Yes I am that guy from the old LCML. Thanks for the nice words--I always wondered whether anyone ever acted on any of those posts. I would say that once you were in the Young area that your options were opening up as far as choices that would have taken you a long way northward--too bad about your "incident". I certainly can't fault you for going out alone--many of my walks and drives have been of the solo variety.
I would be interested in hearing about your specific path from Naco to Young and where you had planned on heading from there.
Take care!