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I am looking for approximately a 6-8 mile one-way overnight trip this weekend. I was looking at the Cabin loop and trying to decide if I should hike up Houston Bros from FR300 and camp at Aspen Springs Cabin, or Due the U-Bar from Pinchot and camp at Buck Springs Cabin. I will be with my dog, so any advice or alternatives would be great.

Dan

Buck Springs Cabin is the site of a large university research camp. There are probably 50 people camped there right now. Big tents, portable toilets ... the works! Probably not somewhere you'd want to be!

Houston Brothers is always a good choice. You can also hike from Pinchot to Dane Springs/Cabin which has a nice camp site as well. Or reverse it and hike Barbershop to Dane. Both the Dane options are between 5-6 miles.

Another option with a little more mileage would be to hike Fred Haught from FR300/General Springs Cabin to Pinchot and either camp there or head up the extra 1.5 miles to Aspen Spring. (6.6 miles to Pinchot, 8.1 to Aspen Spring)

chumley wrote:Another option with a little more mileage would be to hike Fred Haught from FR300/General Springs Cabin to Pinchot and either camp there or head up the extra 1.5 miles to Aspen Spring. (6.6 miles to Pinchot, 8.1 to Aspen Spring)

I like this one.

Aspen Spring is one of my favorite campsites for easy overnighters.

Thanks, Chum! I had tried to follow the Fred Haught Trail right before the roads opened and the trail just disappeared on me. I ended up heading back to General Springs for the night. With that said, between Fred Haught and Houston Bros which is more scenic and private? Thanks for the heads up on the 50 campers, would not have been excited about that one!

Once you leave the main road and get onto the FRs to the Cabin Loop would a VW Tiguan be OK? I'm dying to take my son up there but want to know my transportation will be good.

@Jason Cleghorn
If you take it slow and careful. There is always the occasional big sharp rock or deep pothole, but I take a sedan on worse roads than that pretty often.

big_load wrote:but I take a sedan on worse roads than that pretty often.

But aren't they normally Rentals?

Ddub wrote:With that said, between Fred Haught and Houston Bros which is more scenic and private?

I think Fred Haught is more diverse and interesting but Houston Bros. is definitely easier and particularly pleasant. You'll no doubt see other groups out there no matter which you hike (possibly me ). Aspen Springs is definitely a popular backpacking camp and for good reason. Fred Haught might have more private camping options. If you head off trail into Fred Haught canyon you can find some nice secluded spots. There is a really great one if you go another 100 yards or so past the old cabin.

@Jason Cleghorn
If you stay on 87 past Blue Ridge ranger station and take FR95 to the northern end of Fred Haught, Houston Bros and U-Bar trails you will have a slightly shorter and much smoother off highway drive than if you use FR 300 to access the southern end of the trails, (although total miles will be more, perhaps +20ish)

I've been down 300 in a Prius before... though it did take a lot of duct tape to get back to Phoenix afterwards

The Eagle wrote:

big_load wrote:but I take a sedan on worse roads than that pretty often.

But aren't they normally Rentals?

Quite so, but I treat them well. I don't like unexpected fees.

Last month Arizona Highways did a feature on the rim road. At the end where it puts stats and info it said "vehicle requirements: none".

I was tempted to write a letter because while I have seen virtually every vehicle imaginable on that road I think it's worth mentioning that it can be a very slow trip if you don't have a little clearance. And in wet weather a real mess too!

I'm taking my wife backpacking for her first time this weekend. We're starting at General Springs and heading down Fred Haught as far as we feel like it, perhaps around Quien Sabe Spring. The next day we'll reverse our path. I was in the area a week and a half ago hiking the AZ Trail from Pine to Elden Pueblo. There's lots of water from General Springs north.

if by the responses you feel the cabin "loop" will be a little popular, you can also hike down into any of the local drainages, barbershop canyon for instance. game trails are easy to follow and although the scenery wont change much over six miles, you prolly won't see many people. check it: http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=15762
you could lolly pop it, or just stay in barbershop until you get closer to rim rd 300.