Ponderosa Trail #382, AZ

Overview
This hike originates from the White Spar trailhead. It is 1 of 4 trails that take off immediately from the spot, with another five trails that are readily accessible. There’s enough parking for about 15 vehicles. Be aware that there’s no water or bathrooms at this trailhead so plan accordingly.


Hike
Take off from the southwest corner of the parking lot, bypassing a road-closed gate. The Ponderosa Trail is basically a road, and as soon as you pass through the gate, the road will split in two directions. The Ponderosa Trail is the one that heads off in the southwest direction (right). As you follow the trail to the east there are forested slopes that climb quickly above you and to the west is Highway 89. And even if you can’t see the road the sound of passing vehicles will be a constant companion for the beginning of the hike. The trail will quickly enter into the trees and is surprisingly well-shaded for a road-like trail. The trail gains a little elevation as it climbs a couple of small hills.At about 0.3 miles a dual track will take off to the east, but other than that the route is never in question. I noted 4 trail markers along the way. At about 0.8 miles the trail will turn away from the road, and begin to climb a couple of staggered hills. At 1 mile you’ll reach the top of one hill and then descend into a valley, giving the hiker their first sense of isolation. The sound of the road will fade into the distance as tree-covered slopes dominate your views. This decline does not last long. Very quickly the trail begins to climb a steep slope for the next 0.3 miles. This ascent also marks a change in the quality of the trail. Up until this point, the trail/road is fairly smooth and drivable by most high-clearance vehicles. But as the trail climbs from the valley it becomes much more rutted and rugged, more suited for quad-like vehicles. Around the 1.4 miles the trail levels off to a much gentler incline. Still gaining elevation but slowly. At 1.6 miles the trail ends when it intersects FR 64. By this point, you have gained enough elevation to get a decent view to the north and west, but the trees and hills will hinder long-distance views in the other directions.

At this time, options are limited. Unlike most of the other trails in the area, the Ponderosa Trail stands alone. One can return the way they came for a 3.2 in and out. Or, one can follow the FR east and use any number of ATV tracks to connect back into the trails that play off of the White Spar TH. Note, none of these tracks are marked and many of these routes can be steep.

Camping
The White Spar TH is also adjacent to a campsite. The area has about 50 campsites that can be utilized by tents as well as RVs. However, there are no RV sanitary dump stations available at the campground. There are 4 bathrooms on site but running water is described as “seasonal.” The cost ranges from 10-28 dollars a night, depending on the season and the site.

2023-11-01 mt98dew