Bear Valley Trail, AZ

Apache - Sitgreaves FS Details
The Bear Valley Trail starts at the junction of Trail # 23 near Bonanza Bill Flat and stays relatively level as it crosses Cow Flat until it drops into the canyon near Franz Spring. There is a spring and an line cabin used by the grazing permit holder in his operation and it is a good port in a storm for hikers. The trail climbs out of the canyon here and crosses Campbell Flat to the edge of the Mogollon Rim where it descends into Bear Valley. As it crosses Bear Valley you can observe the effects of a forest fire that burned in 1993. As the trail climbs out of Bear Valley be sure to watch for trail blazes on trees and rock cairns as the trail can become indistinct from here to the Blue River. The portion of trail to Auger Tank is rough and may require some route-finding skills. At Auger Tank there is a tendency to follow the drainage but that is not the trail so look for the trail to leave the drainage to the west and keep alert for blazes and cairns. The trail drops into Sycamore Canyon where there is an old, dilapidated corral and then climbs out of the canyon to Ladron Spring, a reliable water source. From here the trail descends to the Blue River over a narrow chute that is marked by several small waterfalls.

Notes:
This trail is in the Blue Range Primitive Area so no motors or machines (ie. bicycles) are allowed.
This trail will require good route-finding skills from Bear Valley to the Blue River.

Trail Log:
0.0 Junction with Bonanza Bill Trail #23 at Bonanza Flat
0.7 Junction with S Canyon Trail
1.2 Junction with Franz Spring Trail #43
1.4 Junction with Lanphier Trail # 52
1.6 Junction with shortcut trail to Franz Spring
3.6 Junction with WS Lake Trail #54
5.2 Junction with Little Blue Trail #41 at the corral
5.3 Remains of Bear Valley Cabin
5.4 Trail heads west out of Bear Valley
6.4 High point on trail at junction with an un-maintained trail to Little Blue Creek
8.9 Rock cairn marks un-maintained trail to the south to Winter Cabin
9.9 Auger Canyon
11.1 Sycamore Cabin at old corral
11.6 Ladron Spring
12.1 Blue River


USGS Maps: Alma Mesa, Ariz-N.M. and Blue, Ariz-N.M.

Access: Via Trail #23, Bonanza Bill Trail or from the Blue River