This trail offers a variety of terrain and vegetation. As you leave the Ponderosa Pines near the top you enter the Pinyon Pine and Juniper zone. Other types of vegetation include narrow leaf cottonwood, alder, Arizona black walnut, Gambel oak, wild grape, mesquite, acacia, and cactus.

Length: 12 miles

Rating: Moderate

Access: Take Highway 191 north of Clifton 41 miles. Parking is on the west side of the highway but the trailhead is on the east side.

This trail offers the opportunity to access Eagle Creek or to access the top of the Mogollon Rim through various other trails. It connects to the East Eagle National Recreation Trail. Trail #19 starts out in ponderosa pine and mountain mahogany and drops to a pinyon pine and juniper woodland. An occasional Arizona black walnut can be seen in the canyon.

Length: 4.4 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: Via Highway 191 to near Rose Peak

The Bear Valley Trail starts at the junction of Trail # 23 near Bonanza Bill Flat and stays relatively level as it crosses Cow Flat until it drops into the canyon near Franz Spring. There is a spring and an line cabin used by the grazing permit holder in his operation and it is a good port in a storm for hikers. The trail climbs out of the canyon here and crosses Campbell Flat to the edge of the Mogollon Rim where it descends into Bear Valley. As it crosses Bear Valley you can observe the effects of a forest fire that burned in 1993. As the trail climbs out of Bear Valley be sure to watch for trail blazes on trees and rock cairns as the trail can become indistinct from here to the Blue River. The portion of trail to Auger Tank is rough and may require some route finding skills. At Auger Tank there is a tendency to follow the drainage but that is not the trail so look for the trail to leave the drainage to the west and keep alert for blazes and cairns. The trail drops into Sycamore Canyon where there is an old, dilapidated corral and then climbs out of the canyon to Ladron Spring, a reliable water source. From here the trail descends to the Blue River over a narrow chute that is marked by several small waterfalls.

Length: 12.1 miles

Rating: Moderate

Access: Via Trail #23, Bonanza Bill Trail or from the Blue River

Here is an opportunity to see one of the largest Arizona cypress trees in North America. It is 97 feet high with a circumference of 18 inches, a crown spread of 41 feet, and is listed on the National Register of Big Trees. The trail is quite short and steep and is located near Sardine Saddle picnic area. North of the big tree is an old wood cutter's camp where you can still see remnants of saws; please look and don't touch. A portion of this trail was constructed with help from the Trailblazers, a local volunteer group.

Length: 0.4 miles

Rating: Moderate

Access: Take Highway 191 north of Clifton for 32 miles; the trailhead is on the west side of the highway.

From rocky bluffs above Blackjack Cave to the campground under the Ponderosa pine and oak trees, everyone can find something of interest. This campground is located about 10 miles east the New Mexico State Line. Shortly after crossing into New Mexico, you pass through the area known as Mule Creek and enter into some beautiful rolling grasslands. Keep an eye open for antelope in this area.

Access: Blackjack Campground is 14 miles east of Clifton, AZ, via State Road 78.

The trailhead originates at the end of Forest Road 8375, 1 mile from Highway 191. The junction with the Sardine Falls Trail #304 is about 3.5 miles east of trailhead.

Length: 2.6 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: Via Highway 191 north of Clifton about 2 miles south of Granville Campground

Although hard to access, this trail has some special attractions including a small waterfall and bright, fall colors from maples in the canyon. Chitty Creek flows year-around and attracts birds and wildlife. The waterfall is just south of the west intersection with Highline Trail #47. This trail is unusual in that it does not have a trailhead accessible from a road and it just ends in Chitty Canyon instead of at a road or another trail. The southern end starts with a junction with the Salt House Trail #18. Look for remains of Sawmill Cabin about 0.6 miles up the canyon. The northern part ends in Chitty Creek Canyon about 2 miles north of Highline Trail #47. The trail ends at a large spring which is the main source of Chitty Creek. Since the trail ends in the canyon, most people take Highline Trail over to the McBride Mesa Trail #26 and go to the top by that route.

Length: 5.2 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: Access is from other trails. The most direct route is to take the Highline Trail #47 west to the junction with Chitty, or take East Eagle Trail #33 west to the junction with Salt House Trail #18. Go north on #18 about one mile.

This is an extremely rough 4-wheel drive road. It crosses several high grassy meadows.

Length: 12.5 miles

Rating: Moderate

Access: Take Forest Road 475C to Stacey Ranch

This trail is in the ponderosa pine type with scattered southwestern white pines. Walnut Tank is a popular wildlife area.

Length: 5.9 miles

Rating: Moderate

Access: From Highway 191 to Strayhorse Campground, then to Trail #47

This is a nice trail for a day hike because it is not as steep as many of the trails in this area. The access road to the trailhead passes by the location of an old sawmill camp. Not much remains except for a few pieces of machinery and vehicles. Some good loop opportunities exist using East Eagle Trail as a starting point. The trail was partially reconstructed and re-routed in 1994 with support from the Arizona State Trails Heritage Fund and the Trailblazers, a local volunteer group from Greenlee County. Sawmill Cabin is reached after 7.5 miles. This cabin is maintained by the grazing permit holder but is open to the public. You are asked to leave it as you found it or better. West of Sawmill Cabin the canyon widens out. Previous floods have washed away much of the trail so you will need to pick your way through the rocks. The trail ends or starts west of the cabin at Honeymoon Campground.

Length: 12.6 miles

Rating: Moderate

Access: From Clifton take Highway 191 north 67 miles to trail #33, turn left onto the dirt road and proceed about 1/2 mile.

This trail is scenic and rough. It does have some steep places from the bottom of the canyon to Trail #572. The rest of the trail is moderate to Frye Springs, with Arizona cypress, rocky mountain juniper, manzanita, and New Mexico locust in the area.

Length: 4.3

Rating: Moderate

Access: From US 191 at HL Saddle, follow the HL Canyon Trail for 1.3 miles to the junction with the Frye Trail #12 to Forest Road 8375. From US 191 at HL Saddle, follow the HL Canyon Trail for 1.3 miles to the junction with the Frye Trail #12

This is a well maintained and pleasant campground for overnight use, a picnic or wildlife viewing. There is plenty of shade located in this unique ecosystem of Arizona Cypress, Quaking aspen and Gambel oak trees.

Access: Granville Campground is located 16 miles North of Clifton, AZ, along US Highway 191.

The HL Canyon Trail is a loop trail and makes an excellent day hike. The estimated hiking time is 4 hours. Both trailheads of this trail occur on Highway 191 about 2 miles north of Granville Campground and are at Sardine Saddle and at HL Saddle. They are well-marked. This trail offers a variety of vegetation including ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, and old alligator juniper. Some interesting features along the trail are an old cabin, remains of a rock corral, and several springs. It is recommended that you start at the Sardine Saddle Trailhead and head east. A connector route between the two trailheads was built in 1994 with help from the Trailblazers, a local volunteer group.

Length: 5.0 miles Rating: Difficult

Access: Take Highway 191 north from Clifton 23 miles. The trailhead is on the east side of the road.

This trail from the trailhead at Highway 191 to the bottom of the drainage is extremely steep for the last 1/2 mile, then it drops into the riparian area. The trail ends at Hagan Corral at Strayhorse Canyon. This a short trail that begins at 7,200 feet and joins Strayhorse Trail #20 in about 3 miles at an elevation of 5,700 feet.

Length: 3 miles

Rating: Moderate

Access: Highway 191 to Trailhead for Trail #31

This is an extremely difficult trail from the San Francisco River to Hickey Springs and is of moderate difficulty from Hickey Springs to the Forest boundary.

Length: 10.9 miles Rating: Difficult

Access: From Clifton travel north next to the San Francisco River until Trail #84 and then travel to the junction with Trail #311.

Highline Trail is nearly 15 miles from east to west as it follows contour lines from 7600 feet to about 7000 feet in elevation. The vegetation remains constant with ponderosa pine predominating. As the trail winds west, the pine trees thin out and juniper and oak brush become more numerous. Big game animals are indigenous to the entire area as well as smaller mammals and many species of birds including wild turkeys. Some wildflowers are in bloom most of the year and cattle graze the hillsides, emphasizing the multiple-use concept of our forests.

Length: 14.6 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: Take Highway 191 north from Clifton for 61 miles to Strayhorse Campground. The trail starts on the west side of the highway at the north end of the capground.

This trail starts on the Blue River about 3 miles upstream from XXX Ranch. Next you will arrive at Horse Canyon Cabin and after that there are high ridges both to the north and the south. This trail accesses Trail #7, Bullard Peak, Maple Peak, Charlie Moore Mountain, and ends at the junction with Trail #310.

Length: 11 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: Via the Blue River upstream of XXX Ranch

This trail traverses the west fork of Hot Air Canyon through ponderosa pine, pinyon pine, and juniper-covered slopes. The slopes and ridges are used by elk for winter habitat.

Length: 1.2 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: Accessible from Sheep Saddle Trail #16 at Highway 191 to its junction with the Hot Air Trail #15.

The trail follows the canyon bottom and becomes rough due to the seasonal high water that comes from Hot Air Creek. After the trail climbs steeply out of the canyon, it climbs to the highway at Rose Peak.

Length: 5.2 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access:From Highway 191 at Rose Peak

Located next to Eagle Creek, the area is ideal for camping, picnicking, fishing and wildlife viewing. It is a quiet, remote site with lots of shade provided by sycamore and cottonwood trees along with pinyon and juniper trees.

This trail is in the ponderosa pine and oak forest and enters the Blue Range Primitive Area. It drops over 300 feet in elevation from the highway in the first 1/3 mile as it follows a canyon to its junction with Strayhorse Creek.

Length: 3.3 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: On the east of Highway 191

This trail starts on Alma Mesa at the Arizona-New Mexico state line. The upper end of Alma Mesa is very open with spectacular 360-degree views. About a mile from the trailhead you will pass a grazing permit holder cabin called either Stateline or Alma Mesa Cabin. After traveling about 8.5 miles you exit the narrow canyon and reach Bear Valley. This is a popular campsite with a corral and good spring water. Remains of an old cabin are nearby and signs of pre-historic use can also be found. Visitors are asked to look but not touch the artifacts. About 2 miles after the trail leaves Bear Valley it begins to climb steeply through some rocky switchbacks to the top of the Mogollon Rim. At this point you can see the trail junction with the WS Lake Trail #54. Just west of here a steep climb to the fire lookout on Bear Mountain can be very rewarding with excellent views. The trail ends at the junction with the Largo Trail #51.

Length: 10.7 miles

Rating: Moderate

Access: From US Highway 180 in Alma, New Mexico (just north of Glenwood) turn west at the Alma Mesa sign. This will be just north of the bridge. Upon crossing the river (do not cross when flooded) , take Forest Road 104 to the right up the river bottom. It will eventually turn west toward Alma Mesa and a junction with Forest Road 711. Continue west on FR 711 until it approaches and then parallels the fence. The trail starts near here at a walk-through gate.

Shaded by large Gambel oak and sycamore trees, this campground is lightly used. It also has some remnants of times gone past. What looks like an old, hand dug cistern well can be seen north of the campground.

Access: Lower Juan Campground is located 27 miles North of Clifton, AZ, via US Highway 191 and Forest Road 475. Just 1/4 mile away from the Upper Juan Miller CG.

This trail is steep at the top and follows the ridge line to Dry Prong Canyon. The vegetation is primarily pinyon and juniper in the lower 2/3 of the trail.

Length: 9.4 miles

Rating: Moderate

Access:The trail begins at the junction with Dry Prong Trail #45. Junipers and other brush cover a grassy ridge which stretches for several miles.

This trail offers a variety of scenery and vegetation. An interesting day trip would be to travel about 5 miles to Woods Canyon to see the petroglyphs on Painted Bluff. They are about 500 feet above the trail. At the beginning of the trail you pass an old, silica-rich rock pit that was once mined here and used in the smelter operation at Clifton. Other interesting features found along the trail include collapsed mines, springs, pyrite (fool's gold), and Eagle Creek at the end of the trail. The last 2 miles of the trail are hard to follow due to the rocky surface.

Length: 11.1 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: Take Highway 191 north of Clifton for 19 miles; the trailhead is on the west side.

The Pleasant Valley Trail is actually an extremely hazardous road that is used by high-clearance, 4-wheel drive vehicle but it is not recommended for motorized vehicles. The trail begins in the canyon. On the right side in Limestone Gulch, in less than a mile, an old rock smelter ruin can be seen.

Length: 14 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: The October 1983 flood destroyed the bridge in North Clifton. Cross the river between Section 19 and 30 to approach Limestone Gulch. Follow Forest Road 212 on the northeast side of the river for a mile to Limestone Gulch. Forest Road #212 proceeds northwest from the trailhead to the Martinez Ranch and on down the San Francisco River to Clifton, crossing the river about 55 times. Forest Road #212 proceeds south from the trailhead to AZ 78, known locally as the Mule Creek Road.

Ponderosa pine and other conifers are prominent at the highest elevations. As Raspberry Trail drops 2500 feet to the Blue River, the mixed conifers remain but thin out while oak and juniper predominate. At the river level, cottonwood and sycamore are common as well as many species of brush. Most game animals, turkeys and numerous songbirds are found on this trail. Some cattle are also in evidence. Geological Note: Movement on the east-west Strayhorse Fault has depressed the country on the south nearly 2000 feet in reference to that on the north (Mogollon Rim).

Length: 9.2 miles

Rating: Moderate

Access: Forest Road #281 continues north to US 180 near Alpine. The road also follows the Blue River south for another mile where it ends where the Blue River Trail begins. For easiest hiking, start at the Strayhorse Campground as it is downhill almost all of the way to the Blue River.

In the fall (October) the colored leaves at the top of the trail are quite colorful. A small stand of flaming red maple leaves joins the oak and a few aspen to make a fine display.

Length: 6.8 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: From the Rose Peak turnoff on Highway 191, follow the old road around the north side of the picnic table for about a mile to the beginning of the trail.

For the first five miles from Honeymoon Campground, this trail is in the riparian area of Eagle Creek. It becomes steep as you leave Eagle Creek up to the top of the mesa. Vegetation includes pinyon and juniper trees and various shrub species on the slopes.

Length: 10.9 miles

Rating: Easy

Access: Via Highway 191 to Trail #27 north

This trail connects East Eagle Trail #33 at 6000' with US 191 at 9200'. Salthouse trail is very steep on the upper end. As it drops down to East Eagle Creek it becomes more gentle as it follows the slope of the creek. Many species of wildlife, including elk, may be seen in this area. In the fall of the year the elk can be heard bugling in the canyons.

Length: 6.6 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: Via Highway 191 just northwest of Blue Vista

A popular area for hunters, this trail receives little use except for hunting season. Like many of the trails on the Apache National Forest, this short trail is a connector to several other trails. Starting out in the ponderosa pine forest, this trail is very rocky.

Length: 1.4 miles

Rating: Moderate

Access: Take Highway 191 north of Clifton for 53 miles. The trail is on the west (left) side of the highway.

This trail accesses the old Spur Cross homestead and it provides a variety of vegetation and rock formations. The predominant vegetation consists of Arizona cypress, sycamore, and white oak. Another interesting feature of this trail is a small cave about 4 miles down in the bluffs near the ridgeline. The smoke-stained ceiling indicates pre-historic use. The Spur Cross homestead is on private land so please respect their privacy. This trail can be hard to follow due to its rocky nature.

Length: 5.8 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: Take Highway 191 north of Clifton for 21 miles. The trail is on the west side of the highway about 1 mile north of Granville Campground.

In 1996 and in a cooperative effort with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the upper end of this trail was re-located and the trailhead constructed to provide access for horse trailers. The first mile of the trail is on a gentle slope and provides a beautiful view of aspen. About 2 miles down the trail there is a usually reliable spring. Saunders Cabin is maintained by the grazing permit holder but it is open to the public. You are asked to leave as you found it or in even better condition. Past the cabin you head south into Squirrel Canyon and eventually to Dry Prong of Eagle Creek.

Length: 8.8 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: Take Highway 191 north of Clifton for 68 miles to Forest Road 54. From Alpine, take Highway 191 south 29 miles to Forest Road 54. Take FR 54 west 5 miles to the signed junction with FR54D and drive 1/4 mile to the trailhead. Follow FR 54D until Trail #34 leaves the road.

Just six miles below the Mogollon Rim, it provides a cool shady site for picnics or camping. The campground is set among large ponderosa pine and Gambel oak. Strayhorse is the trailhead for two major trails: Highline Trail #47 follows the bottom of the Mogollon Rim and Raspberry Trail #35 provides access into the Blue Range Primitive Area.

Access: Strayhorse Campground is located 26 miles South of Alpine, AZ on US Highway 191.

A popular route to the Blue River, Strayhorse Canyon Trail #20 starts near Rose Peak Lookout. The trial starts in mixed conifer and ponderosa pine forest. The vegetation changes to pinyon and juniper forest as you go down in elevation, towards Blue River. About 0.5 miles down the trail you pass an abandoned cabin, this was the home for early fire lookouts at Rose Peak some 50 years ago. The cabin was located here to be close to water, large old pumps were left behind when the cabin was abandoned. Just off the trail to the east of the junction with Lengthy Trail #89 you will see the remains of another old cabin known as Strayhorse Cabin. Exploratory mining took place near the bottom of the trail. These drill holes were not capped and you can hear water running in them if you listen carefully. The trail enters the Blue Range Primitive Area just after you leave the information Kiosk. Therefore no bicycles or motorized use are allowed past this point.

Length: 9.4 miles

Rating: Moderate

Access: Take US Highway 191 North of Clifton for 49 miles. The trailhead is on the eastside

Less than 2 miles from US Highway 191, this lightly used campground is shaded by large Gambel oak and sycamore trees. The area provides camping, water play and wildlife viewing.

Access: Upper Juan Campground is located 27 miles North of Clifton, AZ, via US Highway 191 and Forest Road 475.

This trail is along, moderate slope that starts in the ponderosa pines and goes through oak woodlands onto Robinson Mesa, where you will see pinyon pines, juniper, and grass.

Length: 2.7 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: This connector trail is accessible from various routes including Honeymoon Campground and trails #33 and #27.

This trail connects the Highline Trail #47 at Saunders cabin (6600 feet) with Dry Prong Trail #45 (5800 feet). The portion of this trail that winds through Warren Canyon is built through a stand of timber.

Length: 3.2 miles Rating: Difficult

Access: Via the Highline Trail #47

Where the trail begins off of Forest Road 475C, the vegetation is just brush, but the elevation and number of trees increase so a recognizable forest is found where Trail #7 joins the Horse Canyon Trail.

Length: 11.3 miles

Rating: Difficult

Access: This trail is quite remote and little used except by hunters. It is rocky and rises 2400 feet in its eleven mile length. The approach to this trail is even an ordeal. Without a 4 x 4 it shouldn't be attempted. The Juan Miller Road #475 branches off a little more than a mile from the Blue River. Forest Road 475C becomes rough as it drops into the Blue River Canyon. After crossing the river the trail branches off Forest Road 475C to the north.