Route Editor
Route Scout
| Guide | ♦ | 10 Triplogs | Mine 0 | 1 Topic |
details | drive | no permit | forecast | route |
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| 219 | 10 | 1 |
Canyons are inherently risky. Flash floods occur without notice on sunny days. Technical skills & surrounding topography knowledge required yet does not eliminate risk.
Where are the oaks? by RickVincent Overview A lush winding canyon surrounded by steep canyon walls with a slow running perennial creek running down the center. Water appears to come from springs and disappears underground in a few places. Don't be surprised if the creek bed is dry near the mouth of the canyon.Hike The trailhead is not marked but is an obvious dirt pull-out that is just a few hundred feet shy of the mouth of the canyon. You can keep going and drive all the way up to the canyon, that is if you haven't had enough of the Arizona pinstriping you've already acquired on your approach to the trailhead. There are signs just inside the canyon that warn against further motor vehicle use beyond the posted area. The route is completely off-trail. Occasional game trails make for the easiest travel, but most of the hike involves boulder hopping, creek crossings, and a bit of bushwhacking. The canyon gets better and better as its sheer walls tower above you 200-300 feet. The walls are vertical and in some areas deeply undercut, creating a canopy of stone around the winding curves. I didn't see any "oaks" like the name hints, but there are plenty of sycamores, cottonwood, sumac, and one small stand of maples. At about 1.5 miles in you will begin to notice a pair of stone spires towering about 200 feet above the canyon. Not long after this, you will come to a seemingly impassable boulder jam (van size boulders). I tried climbing up a cliff to the left but ended up too high. I stowed my camera gear and bouldered my way through the obstacle. As an alternate, you could try one of a couple of game trails that meander up a slope between the stone spires. I returned this way, wanting to get an overhead view of the canyon from above the tree line. Once you pass the twin spires, the canyon opens up, the creek has completely disappeared and overall the hike becomes less interesting. I continued for about 1/2 mile beyond this point, enjoying the solitude and the fall colors of the sycamore. Camping There are several forested pull-outs along Turkey Creek to camp. Many spots already have a fire ring. If you find any fire rings near the cliff walls, please move them away from the cliffs. Fires too close to the cliff create ugly black smoke scars on the cliff walls. Check out the Official Route and Triplogs. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your canyon trip to support this local community. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
