Four Lake Rim hike

[DesertFernweh]

Spent the Weekend at the Rim and had a great Idea, want to know if anyone one had already done it.
Hiking from Knoll lake to Bear Canyon Lake, then to Wood Canyon Lake, and ending at Willow Springs, taking about a day at each to chill, fish, and enjoy nature.
Doesn't seem like it would be that hard. terrain is ok and it is only about 16 miles total.

[azbackpackr]

Sounds fun! I'd want to hide my backpacker camp a few hundred feet back in the woods in order to avoid issues with campground fees, etc.

[Nighthiker]

Plan on doing this soon but a mtn. bike camping trip. Park the Jeep and visit Willow, Woods Canyon, Bear Canyon and Knoll Lake.

[azbackpackr]

Plan on doing this soon but a mtn. bike camping trip. Park the Jeep and visit Willow, Woods Canyon, Bear Canyon and Knoll Lake.

I've been looking for a good mtn. bike route for my very first multiday mtn. bike tour. Dirt roads, no deep gravel, not too much traffic, not too many big hills. I've borrowed a BOB trailer to see if I'd like to buy one. What is that Gen. Crook Trail like?

[chumley]

It should be able to be accomplished. From Knoll Lake south to the rim can be hiked on the Babe Haught trail, and east from there on the General Crook Trail. You'll have to off-trail or road hike north to Bear Canyon and return to Crook to head east to Woods Canyon. The Meadow Trail takes you from Crook north to the lake from there. From Woods to Willow you can go south on Meadow to either Crook or Rim Lakes Vista (much more scenic) but it will only get you to the FR300/AZ260 junction where you will have to find old roads or off-trail it the last mile or so to Willow.

The entire section of the Crook trail is overgrown and difficult to find at all in places. Often FR300 is the better route. The area between these lakes is a spiderweb of roads and receives heavy use in the summer, so you might find it easier to just find your own way rather than trying to connect to the few existing trails I've mentioned above.

If you are into off-trail canyon exploration, an alternate (very remote, off-trail, but beautiful) route exists between Woods and Willow: http://hikearizona.com/map.php?GPS=12308

[DesertFernweh]

I am liking that idea, I am becoming a real big fan of orienteering (get lost is half the fun i think) I think I have downloaded most of the Topo maps for the state of Arizona (http://tinyurl.com/5n6ylr and kinkos will save you $$$$) and really the more remote and less trampled the better. Must be the desert Rat in me.

[pepsihla]

Love Willow Springs area. I need to get up there with my bike.

Heidi

[azbackpackr]

There's a closure in that area, east of the Mogollon Visitor Center due to an increase in bear activity.

[Nighthiker]

Bears, they think more than one batted around a few ice chests and rummaged around a couple of food boxes. They think a bear may mistake a sleeping camper for a large sandwich so they closed a portion of Apache/Sitgreaves south of AZ 260' between Woods Canyon turnoff and the Young turnoff.