Orohai Mini Loop, AZ

Overview
The Goldfield Mountains are underrated for hikers, especially those who want an easier hike without being on a crowded city trail. Close to the Goldfield Ghost Town and 25 minutes from Tortilla Flat, the area is a great spot for a half-day hike and lunch. This is a relatively popular OHV area so route finding at the start of the hike isn’t the clearest but the NFS has placed trail markers in good spots along the trails to find your way.


Hike
The hike starts at the Hackamore Gate/Hackamore Staging Area, just north of the Treasure Chest Granite Pit, and heads immediately west for a few hundred feet before turning north. You'll be following Trail 309 which is, at this point, a 4x4 track. The trail then turns north heading towards a hill about 0.5-miles north. There’s a great geocache location on the southern face of the hill. The trail skirts the east side of the hill and heads towards the green thumb, a chartreuse lichen-covered pillar. Just north of the green thumb, the trail heads off the 4x4 to the west and tracks above an arroyo along the southwest face of a ridge before climbing north to reconnect with the 4x4 track. Follow the 4x4 track as it heads quickly northwest, then turning north momentarily. Stay on the 4x4 track as it heads northeast and becomes Trail 311.After 0.35-miles, the trail catches up with a dry creek bed and turns southeast where, after about 0.17 miles it crosses MT (Motorized Trail)-3512. From this intersection, the trail becomes a singletrack and heads generally southeast. Flatiron guards the Superstitions in the distance before you. Trail markers set up by the NFS are more obvious on this side of the loop. In roughly 1-mile, Trail 311 intersects Trail 312. Follow Trail 312 directly west as it turns southwest along a hillside before temporarily joining Trail 313 for a few hundred feet in an abrupt turn northeast. Pay attention as Trail 312 then heads west off Trail 313 and turns south towards the Tonto NF boundary. Once reaching the boundary, the trail becomes a 4x4 track again and heads straight west along the fence to the Hackamore Gate/Staging Area.

2024-12-15 jregan0502