Route Editor
Route Scout
Overview: Trail starts by crossing lower Ash Creek and loops around & through the old ranch farming fields and on to the Ranch/Game & Fish buildings then up to the Bat Barn. Taking the ranch service road back to the info center completes the loop. Bats roost in the barn March through October and there are benches & info signs set up to view the hundreds of bats that emerge from the barn at dusk. Check out the Triplogs. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your hike to support this local community.
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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.
Most recent Triplog Reviews
Bat Barn Loop - Cluff Ranch
Checking Out the Creek after the Fire... First Time in this Area and it was good to catch up with Chad again... My Vehicle did pretty well going up. The Crossing that gave everyone trouble before is a Piece of Cake now. But the Hill afterwards gave my POS Aging AT's a run for their Money... But then, even the best 4x4 wasn't going to go any farther as the Upper Creek Crossing is about 15 Feet below the Road and straight down... They would pretty much need to build a Span to cross that now... Amazing Country even with the Burn... Sad to see the Aftermath with a Dead Bear though... Cluff Ranch is a nice little Gem as long as you don't yell at the Locals for Littering.... A******s!
2017-11-11 outdoor_lover
Bat Barn Loop - Cluff Ranch
Lower Ash Creek Canyon
Met up with Pam in Safford and together we drove out to Cluff Ranch.
Cluff Ranch area was hit hard with flooding that came down Ash Creek Canyon after the Frye Fire. I wanted to check on the status and condition of several spots.
On arrival we first checked out the lower ranch & pond #3, both areas looked good.
We then backtracked to Ash Creek road and headed up. To my surprise the first lower creek crossing & hill up was very 2wd doable with only a few minor obstacles. 1.5 miles further up the road and the drive ends suddenly at the first upper creek crossing which is now destroyed from the major flooding that ran down the mountain. I doubt this crossing will be repaired any time soon if ever.
We parked, loaded up and took off across the creek and up what little road here remained. At the second crossing we headed straight up Ash Creek Canyon now with a creek channel 'bout 5x wider and 3x deeper then before the flooding. All foliage has been swept out of the middle canyon and the creek bed down to bedrock, what was swept away has now been replaced with boulders & silt ..... but, it was Awesome hiking up!!!
This "new look" canyon now has many cool boulder formations, lot's of small waterfalls, scenic twists & turns carved up the canyon and the highlight being 2 nice 15-20 foot waterfalls towards the end. 1.5 miles up our trek ended at a huge chock stone in the narrowing canyon just below where the Ash Creek Trail #307 meets the creek.
We returned back down and onto a segment of road that brought us to the lower TH for the Ash Creek Trail #307. This whole area south of the road and up the mountain as far as I could see was a total burned over area. After now seeing the lower & upper condition of this most loved Pinaleno trail, I fear it may never be re-opened ..... FS has already put it in a minimum 3 year closure.
After the canyon, we drove back down to the ranch for another hike or two. First stop was back at Pond #3 where a few minutes after parking 2 young punks drove in. I think most of us have ran into these types - 2 young men, pickup truck, drunk, throwing their trash & beer cans out the window into the trees and letting everyone at the lake hear what was playing on their radio. I don't play well with people like this and after Pam let them have it vocally ..... I felt it best to move on. We then made a stop at the lower ranch for a hike on the Bat Barn Loop. Chose counter-clock with a visit to the main barn, the bat barn, Evans Pond & back around to the start. We saw deer, many birds including a kestrel and the shock of the day ..... off to the corner of the road we first smelt then found a full grown dead and rotting black bear. During the Frye Fire many bears came down off the mountain to the lower valley and I'm sure that is what happened here. How it died though is ?
After the Bat Barn we ended the day with a short hike up the "scenic overlook trail" outside the ranch for sunset before returning back to town.
Many questions on my mind were answered this trip, the hike up the canyon was fantastic, Cluff Ranch looked great & it was fun hiking and giving Pam s**t and getting it right back again ..... Thank You Pam for taking me, you skinny B!
Cluff Ranch area was hit hard with flooding that came down Ash Creek Canyon after the Frye Fire. I wanted to check on the status and condition of several spots.
On arrival we first checked out the lower ranch & pond #3, both areas looked good.
We then backtracked to Ash Creek road and headed up. To my surprise the first lower creek crossing & hill up was very 2wd doable with only a few minor obstacles. 1.5 miles further up the road and the drive ends suddenly at the first upper creek crossing which is now destroyed from the major flooding that ran down the mountain. I doubt this crossing will be repaired any time soon if ever.
We parked, loaded up and took off across the creek and up what little road here remained. At the second crossing we headed straight up Ash Creek Canyon now with a creek channel 'bout 5x wider and 3x deeper then before the flooding. All foliage has been swept out of the middle canyon and the creek bed down to bedrock, what was swept away has now been replaced with boulders & silt ..... but, it was Awesome hiking up!!!
This "new look" canyon now has many cool boulder formations, lot's of small waterfalls, scenic twists & turns carved up the canyon and the highlight being 2 nice 15-20 foot waterfalls towards the end. 1.5 miles up our trek ended at a huge chock stone in the narrowing canyon just below where the Ash Creek Trail #307 meets the creek.
We returned back down and onto a segment of road that brought us to the lower TH for the Ash Creek Trail #307. This whole area south of the road and up the mountain as far as I could see was a total burned over area. After now seeing the lower & upper condition of this most loved Pinaleno trail, I fear it may never be re-opened ..... FS has already put it in a minimum 3 year closure.
After the canyon, we drove back down to the ranch for another hike or two. First stop was back at Pond #3 where a few minutes after parking 2 young punks drove in. I think most of us have ran into these types - 2 young men, pickup truck, drunk, throwing their trash & beer cans out the window into the trees and letting everyone at the lake hear what was playing on their radio. I don't play well with people like this and after Pam let them have it vocally ..... I felt it best to move on. We then made a stop at the lower ranch for a hike on the Bat Barn Loop. Chose counter-clock with a visit to the main barn, the bat barn, Evans Pond & back around to the start. We saw deer, many birds including a kestrel and the shock of the day ..... off to the corner of the road we first smelt then found a full grown dead and rotting black bear. During the Frye Fire many bears came down off the mountain to the lower valley and I'm sure that is what happened here. How it died though is ?
After the Bat Barn we ended the day with a short hike up the "scenic overlook trail" outside the ranch for sunset before returning back to town.
Many questions on my mind were answered this trip, the hike up the canyon was fantastic, Cluff Ranch looked great & it was fun hiking and giving Pam s**t and getting it right back again ..... Thank You Pam for taking me, you skinny B!
2017-11-11 SkyIslander18
Bat Barn Loop - Cluff Ranch
Part work, part pleasure out at the ranch this afternoon.
First stopped by the Game & Fish office to pick up some posters for Roper Lake SP.
Then hiked the Bat Barn Loop & drove out to Pond #3 before leaving.
Big dark clouds moving in from the north producing lightning as I drove out!
First stopped by the Game & Fish office to pick up some posters for Roper Lake SP.
Then hiked the Bat Barn Loop & drove out to Pond #3 before leaving.
Big dark clouds moving in from the north producing lightning as I drove out!
2015-06-16 SkyIslander18
Bat Barn Loop - Cluff Ranch
Can't believe it's been 11 months since my last visit to the Ranch, that's unacceptable!
I should be going out there at least every 3 months, it's too beautiful of an area to wait longer.
In fact, I hope someday to build & live out there
This afternoon's trip started with the Bat Barn Loop and a short off-trail trip across the big wash to a very nice prehistoric habitation site.
I then drove to Pond #3 and completed the circumference loop before settling in on top of the mesa for sunset and the grandest of views up the northern face of Graham!
I should be going out there at least every 3 months, it's too beautiful of an area to wait longer.
In fact, I hope someday to build & live out there
This afternoon's trip started with the Bat Barn Loop and a short off-trail trip across the big wash to a very nice prehistoric habitation site.
I then drove to Pond #3 and completed the circumference loop before settling in on top of the mesa for sunset and the grandest of views up the northern face of Graham!
2014-04-05 SkyIslander18
Bat Barn Loop - Cluff Ranch
Charger55's recent triplog out to the ranch reminded me that I have not been out to the area in some time and was due for a visit. I had another area planned for an evening hike and with Cluff Ranch located along the way, I decided to stop for a couple of hours and a couple of trails. I first looped the Bat Barn Trail then drove down the road for the Pond 3 loop. Big clouds with cool breezes made both trails real nice today! No big wildlife on this trip, but the great news of the stop was that for the first time in 4 years Lower Ash Creek was running down through the ranch from all the good snow melt! Made me think about what Ash Creek Falls might look like high up on the mountain ..... next week? 
Another good trip out to the ranch before heading out to Red Knolls for the evening .....
Another good trip out to the ranch before heading out to Red Knolls for the evening .....
2013-05-06 SkyIslander18
Bat Barn Loop - Cluff Ranch
Started with the Bat Barn trail that loops the lower G&F ranch area. A mile in and I arrived at the bat barn, took a peek inside and saw nothing so I decided to squeeze my way inside (signs warn you against doing this 
) I then looked up and saw hundreds of bats right over me.....Yikes! Took a few too many pics which woke them up and all at once they dropped and flew circles around me.....Double Yikes! 
Quickly got my pumpkin out of the barn and finished the loop then continued on down the road to Pond #3 which I looped finishing just before sunset. Besides the bats, wildlife spotted on this trip were - 2 hawks, 3 white-tail deer and 6 javelina crossing the road on the bat barn loop. I often drive out to this area when I need a wildlife fix, and once again Cluff Ranch delivered!
) I then looked up and saw hundreds of bats right over me.....Yikes! Took a few too many pics which woke them up and all at once they dropped and flew circles around me.....Double Yikes! Quickly got my pumpkin out of the barn and finished the loop then continued on down the road to Pond #3 which I looped finishing just before sunset. Besides the bats, wildlife spotted on this trip were - 2 hawks, 3 white-tail deer and 6 javelina crossing the road on the bat barn loop. I often drive out to this area when I need a wildlife fix, and once again Cluff Ranch delivered!2012-05-29 SkyIslander18
Bat Barn Loop - Cluff Ranch
Only got a couple miles of this GET section completed before the pumpkin wind (terrible gusts) forced me back down Berry Patch/#307 Rd. Off-trailed down to Pond 3 at Cluff Ranch and completed the loop then hiked down to the ranch entrance and completed the Bat Barn loop. Saw a few poppies along the way and had a cool encounter with a sounder of javelina (6) by the bat barn. A quick hike up the very short scenic overlook trail ended the trip. Cluff Ranch is always a good time, but the wind really sucked a lot of the fun out of it today!
2012-03-09 SkyIslander18
