Good Enough Trail, AZ

This is a short, one and a half mile round trip, trail in the Tonto National Forest. The trail is not an official Forest Service trail and is not shown on any maps that I have seen. Regardless, the trail is fairly well-marked and maintained.


The hike starts adjacent to a residential area in the community of Pine at the western end and intersects with the Pine Canyon Trail #26 as its eastern terminus. To start the hike, go through and close the gate of the fence that separates the National Forest from the homes along the forest boundary. The gate is directly east and within twenty feet of the end of Manzanita Drive. In the beginning, the trail goes through a thinned-out Ponderosa forest, with numerous wood piles. The cutting was done to provide a fire protection barrier for the adjoining homes. Continuing east, the forest becomes denser. Much of the trail follows a drainage uphill and has switchbacks, which are marked with cairns.About one-quarter mile from the trailhead, Wild Bill's Spring appears, (GPS 34 23.728N, -111 26.191W), providing a reliable water source for the wildlife. Continue east for about one-half mile to the junction with Pine Canyon Trail #26, (GPS 34 23.737N, -111 25.819). From there you can return to the Trailhead, or go on the Pine Canyon Trail #26, either north or south. Dripping Springs is about one-half mile going South and Camp LoMia is two and one-half miles north. One advantage of the Good Enough Trail is that it provides an alternative access to the Pine Canyon Trail #26, near the southern end. It eliminates the long hike on the exposed, rocky road when starting from the Pine Trailhead. Judging from the numerous paths in the area, particularly between the homes and the spring, the site is fairly popular.

2008-11-06 alexandy