HikeArizona.COM

Wondering if anyone has been to the Bull Pen area on WCC lately? Looking for a car camp spot close to the trailhead.
I thought I'd heard that area was closed to camping like maybe two years ago?

Camping is prohibited within 1 mile of Bull Pen Ranch, which is now designated as a Day Use Only area. A quick web search resulted in an article that says overnight parking is available for those using it as a trailhead to access the the wilderness on multiday trips.

Dispersed camping is permitted when you are more than 1 mile away.

It's fairly easy to backpack the 1 mile to a creekside campsite from the trailhead. There is not really any good car camping there since they closed the TH to camping. There may be a spot to pull over on the road there, but I don't remember anything appealing.

There's an option to car camp at the upper trailhead off 214 & 214A. It's a few miles north of Bull Pen though. The nice thing is you can hike in from the upper trailhead & it won't be crowded. It depends on what kind of hike you want to do.

GPS Joe did a nice write up on a loop option.
http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=1523

John9L wrote:There's an option to car camp at the upper trailhead off 214 & 214A. It's a few miles north of Bull Pen though. The nice thing is you can hike in from the upper trailhead & it won't be crowded. It depends on what kind of hike you want to do.

I've seen some nice big trout at the large pool where the trail from this upper trailhead first hits the creek, too. And there is a perfect backpacking campsite right next to it.

@Joel Hazelton
Hmm I'm not sure but I think, just maybe, that comment might get ALMAL's attention

Hmmm, so that's maybe 1-1.5 miles past the 4th crossing coming upstream from bull pen, the large pool I can see from satellite directly at the point where the trail begins steep uphill?

I'm guessing that the road into the upper trailhead is not car friendly?

Blodgett Basin TH
FR / Dirt Road / Gravel - Car Okay
...
Cars can make it, many rocky sections are better suited for high clearance.

Read more at: http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=385

ALMAL wrote:Hmmm, so that's maybe 1-1.5 miles past the 4th crossing coming upstream from bull pen, the large pool I can see from satellite directly at the point where the trail begins steep uphill?

Not quite. My route down to that pool here: http://hikearizona.com.... Route starts where I parked my Forester. Got a bit too rocky for my comfort after that. Keep in mind you break away from trail 17 to a well-worn path that hits the creek much farther upstream than trail 17. Three miles flat from the upper trailhead. Would be more like 5 from Bull Pen, but to be honest, it may be easier from Bull Pen in spite of the extra distance. The climb up the hill to the upper trailhead in summer/late spring heat is exposed and brutal.

Joel Hazelton wrote:The climb up the hill to the upper trailhead in summer/late spring heat is exposed and brutal

Yeah there is a pretty bad section near the top. Apparently some tight switchbacks washed out, now it's a hundred? foot dirt slide. Last round I pretended it was no big deal hoping Bruce would follow through without questioning... that kinna worked

@joebartels
I don't remember much of any landslide? I just remember steep with pretty much no shade.

never does justice... http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=338159

guess it didn't wash out, just never built proper