Black Rock Canyon Trail #292 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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I led an Arizona Backpackers Club hike on the Black Rock - Holdout Creek loop, with a side trip into the North Santa Teresa Wilderness. We drove the rough but passable road to Reef Tank, where we spent the first night. The last section of road down to Reef Tank is steep and somewhat washed out, but we made it with an F150 and a stock Cherokee Trailhawk. Driving back up out of the campsite was a bit hairy, but we both made it after a bit of wheel spinning, but I get ahead of myself. The campsite at Reef Tank has plenty of tent space. On the first morning, we headed back up the road to the top of the hill, and then down another steep road toward the Black Rock Canyon Trail. About 1.7 miles from the campsite, the trail takes a sharp turn off the road through a gate. It is easy to miss. Arriving at the bottom of the canyon, it became clear that for the most part, there is no trail down the canyon; following the wash is the way to go. There was only one slightly tricky spot around a waterfall, [ photo ] but it is easy to find the way. Right across the canyon from the confluence with Holdout Creek, there is a corral in a large meadow with plenty of places to camp.

We continued downstream into the North Santa Teresa Wilderness. We ran out of time before we got to the boundary with private property, and turned around back to camp.

On the second morning, we followed the Holdout Creek Trail back toward our starting point. There is some catclaw, but it is not serious. The bigger problem is finding, and staying on, the trail. It was easy to get sidetracked if we weren't closely following the GPX track, as there are many paths. The Holdout Creek Trail is spectacular and well worth the trip.

There was water off and on in Black Rock Canyon, and pretty much continuously in Holdout Creek as well.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Strawberry Hedgehog

Wildflowers Observation Light

	Goat Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	No flow in Goat Canyon, but light flow in Black Rock Canyon.

	Holdout Creek	Light flow	Light flow
	Light flow in Holdout Creek most of the way up the hill, and light flow in Black Rock Canyon as well.

230582

Mar 11 2026

DesertNymph

Routes 97
Photos 6,112
Triplogs 150

female

Joined Dec 09 2024

Holdout Black Rock Creek Loop, AZ

Hiking		Mar 11 2026
		DesertNymph • Triplogs 150

Hiking	16.14 Miles	2,379 AEG

Hiking	16.14 Miles	10 Hrs 26 Mns	1.67 mph
	2,379 ft AEG	47 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] Canyon Tree Frog Funereal Duskywing Butterfly Funnel-web Spider Ornate Tree Lizard Sonoran Mud Turtle

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00blackout

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

After our visit back in January, we knew we were going to want to come back to this area to check things out again, with hopes of being able to check out the large bouldery rock grottos of lower Holdout. We'd had to cut our previous trip short due to the long drive and short daylight hours - this time we headed out the day before to sleep overnight before starting early so we could maximize our time in the area before heading home.

The drive out had us wondering a little bit about the forecast - the cloud ceiling remained low the entire day, shrouding the tops of Mounts Turnbull and Graham from our view as we drove in. I'd been expecting the cloud cover to clear during the afternoon - however as we arrived at Reef Tank, the clouds were still sitting low, obscuring the views of the nearby ridgeline. The road was more or less as I remembered it, with some steep rocky sections and closely encroaching desert scrub the closer you get to Reef Tank. We were both surprised to arrive to find a pair of FJs parked - and I was even more astounded that I recognized one of them from a 2015 triplog from the same area

We woke to clear skies and temps in the high 40s. After striking camp and gathering our gear, we headed off to do our loop in the clockwise direction. The plants were covered in dew, and it wasn't long before my shoes were damp from the vegetation. The roadwalk was steep - both heading back up out of reef tank, and also the descent down towards Black Rock Canyon. After passing through a gate, the old road deteriorated, becoming faint in sections, and then narrowing and becoming nearly overgrown with manzanita before dropping into the creek bed. From there, it was mostly a walk in the drainage - with a few sections along one or the other of the benches - but a lot of the time was spent rock hopping in the watercourse. As we got closer to the confluence with Holdout, the creekbed got wider and wider - and the catclaw became more and more prevalent. We took some time to have a look at the corral - I especially liked the field of cream cups - before heading up Holdout Creek.

After a brief break near the confluence, we started making our way up Holdout Creek, staying in the drainage, with hopes of checking out some of the boulder grottos. The scrambling was making things slow, and the day was heating up fast - so we decided we'd attempt it another time. We turned back towards the confluence to pick up the Holdout Creek Trail. The trail can be difficult to stay on, with the numerous cattle paths to lure you astray. As we climbed up, we heard a dog barking - eventually the pup found us, but we didn't catch sight of any people. The dog kept with us - running ahead at times, and lagging behind at others for a bit before disappearing again - hopefully it found its people.

As we continued up Holdout, we followed some sections that were cairned, but the tread is often not obvious and requires routefinding. I was glad to have downloaded reference tracks to help us on our way - especially in the latter portions where the landscape is recovering from being burned and evidence of any previously established tread seems to have disappeared. The day was warmer than expected (temps hit the low 80s!), with no breeze to speak of, and it didn't help that there isn't any shade or relief from the sun to be had on the climb back out.

We eventually made it back to the trailhead, to find both FJs still there. After getting cleaned up, we made the long drive back to the valley. This was a great hike to break in my new shoes

there was a little bit of everything - packed dirt, loose gravel, rock hopping, sand, scrambling, slickrock, and wading! Safe to say they've been properly tested on all the surfaces I am likely to encounter over their lifespan

I was glad to visit the area again and do a little bit of exploring...we'll need to come back again sometime to see if we can't make our way into Lower Holdout to play among the boulders.

Wildlife: a variety of butterflies, an occasional lizard, various birds, several canyon tree frogs, and a turtle! Plenty of bunnies (cottontails and hares) on the drive both on the way in and on the way out.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Reef Tank

Wildflowers Observation Moderate

Light flow

Light flow

Medium flow

Dry

1-25% full

_____________________

Happier when hiking....I may not move fast (and I'm often distracted by wildflowers), but I'll get there eventually

230029

Mar 11 2026

00blackout

Routes 60
Photos 6,136
Triplogs 228

51 male

Joined Mar 14 2016
Gold Canyon, AZ

Holdout Black Rock Creek Loop, AZ

Hiking		Mar 11 2026
		00blackout • Triplogs 228

Hiking	16.18 Miles	2,367 AEG

Hiking	16.18 Miles	10 Hrs 25 Mns	1.79 mph
	2,367 ft AEG	1 Hour 23 Mns Break

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DesertNymph

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

S and I hiked a portion of Holdout Creek back at the end of January, but being a 4-hour drive, we did not have a ton of time, so I packed up the 4Runner, and we headed out Tuesday afternoon to camp at the TH near Reef Tank to hike this loop. 941 is rocky and has some minor erosion, but nothing a 4WD HC vehicle can't handle. 68 has a couple of minor eroded steep sections, but the biggest thing about 68 is the width, as it's pretty tight, expect a ton of AZ pinstrips. After stopping at the Taylor Freeze in Pima (I've driven by this place for years, and finally stopped), we arrived at the TH around 5:30 to discover two FJ's (one with bull horns) parked, which was a complete surprise considering the drive and seclusion of the area. Discussed moving to a different location due to the other vehicles already there, but we never saw the people driving them, and they were still there when we left Thursday evening. The TH was cold, wet, and shrouded in cloud cover due to the rain earlier in the day. We got up before sunrise and started the loop CW right at sunrise.

Easy road walk on 68 to the turn off road to Black Rock Canyon. This road is insanely steep and eroded in some places, with nowhere to turn a vehicle around if needed. I would not drive my 4Runner down it; however, tire tracks were going down it.

Black Rock Creek
We initially missed the gate by Poncho Tank but soon realized the mistake and retreated. The only carin we saw on Black Rock all day was in the creek bed after dropping down off the road; after that, it's a ton of route finding or walking in the creek. After a rock-pounding hike up/down Campaign Creek last week, part II was in store so a couple of times, we jumped on a path we thought was part of the tread, only to find it to be a cow path that ended or went up some insanely steep ridge; it definitely needs some carins built, but unfortunately, we did not have the time to do so. Most of the hike (except the last mile or so) is unburnt with tons of Pinyon Pines, the last mile is Defcon 4 for catclaw, I gave the usual sacrifices

. Spent a few minutes at the corral near the confluence, took a break in the shade, and continued.

Holdout Creek
We initially attempted to check out the grottos in Holdout, but after hiking up the creek for a few, there was a section with boulders too big to climb. S had Chumley's bypass route around; however, it was already near 1, and we didn't want to delay our climb up Holdout, so we put it on the back burner for next time. As we backtracked and started up the Holdout trail, we heard a dog barking, so we assumed our FJ friends at the TH were up there camping. However, after we made the initial small climb, we spotted the dog, walking around, barking with no one in sight. We called him over to look for a tag, but there was not one. He would not let us get within a couple of feet of him and would run away when we got close. He followed us for about a mile, then we never saw him again. We hoped he was with our FJ party, but were not certain. As it was in January, the trail is messy with sacrificial plants along the way to assist you. There are some carins, but route finding is necessary. The temps were only supposed to be in the high 60's with a nice breeze; however, S's gauge was reading 80 degrees with zero wind. With minimal shade, the heat started to get to me, and it was a slower hike out, stopping a couple of extra times to cool off and filter water in the creek. We got back to the TH a little before 5:30, cleaned up, and made the long drive home.

While most of this area was affected by the Pinnacle fire, it is still beautiful in a different way, and the secluded nature of it adds to that. Thanks, S, for joining me on this adventure.

Wildflowers Observation Substantial

Cottonwood Canyon

Medium flow

Goat Canyon

Light flow

	Holdout Creek	Heavy flow	Heavy flow
	Good clear running water to filter.

Poncho Tank

Dry

Reef Tank

1-25% full

_____________________

Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee.

229964

Dec 06 2025

GrangerGuy

Guides 39
Routes 156
Photos 1,106
Triplogs 125

69 male

Joined Dec 26 2018
Phoenix, AZ

Drive to Holdout Creek, AZ

4x4 Trip		Dec 06 2025
		GrangerGuy • Triplogs 125

4x4 Trip	7.22 Miles	2,244 AEG

4x4 Trip	7.22 Miles	2 Hrs 10 Mns	4.01 mph
	2,244 ft AEG

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In preparation for leading a future trip on the Holdout Creek / Black Rock Canyon loop, I decided I needed to have confidence we could get to the trailhead. Other triplogs have cast doubt on both the route and the ability to drive here. I drove my Jeep Cherokee up road 941 to Road 68 to the Reef Tank Campsite. The trip is doable, albeit rocky and steep in places. I recommend only high clearance 4x4 with rear locker capability for this trip. I also drove partway down the road to the Black Rock Trailhead, but found it too nerve wracking and did not make it all the way to the trailhead. Reef tank was dry.

	Reef Tank	Dry	Dry
	A little mud in the tank, but no liquid to be seen.

227914

Apr 03 2023

martinarrowsmith

Photos 12
Triplogs 2

64 male

Joined Apr 14 2006
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Backpack		Apr 03 2023
		martinarrowsmith • Triplogs 2

Backpack	6.25 Miles	1,066 AEG

Backpack	6.25 Miles
	1,066 ft AEG

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Wanting solitude and having not visited the Santa Teresa’s before, we thought we would give this loop a try. Drove up FSR 941 to its junction with 941.6. Road was 6.2 miles and passable with high clearance. I put it in 4wd a couple miles in which helped.
Walked the old road to reef tank, where water was plentiful and started down holdout canyon. From here the tread is marginal and once in the burn it’s pretty much cross country even though the GPS said we were on trail more than 90% of the time

. The nasty catclaw, honey locust, whatever it was, took its pound of flesh.
Holdout creek was flowing nicely, even from the upper reaches.
The fire has taken a toll clearly; this area must have been something to behold before. Now it has a different more lifeless beauty.
About a mile short of the confluence with black rock canyon, we saw a great expanse of beachfront property along the creek and decided to call it home for the next 2 nights. Explored the area on Day 2 and enjoyed the running water in the many drainages in lower holdout. It was very quiet.
Except at camp. Starting around 3pm a coati clan apparently gathered in a hole in some large rocks across the river and chattered up a storm. They were still going when I went to bed at 9. What do they have to talk about for so long?
Day 3 had us needing to make up time and ground, so we bypassed the hold out - black rock confluence by taking cow trails cross country directly to black rock. Worked out well and conserved energy.
Black rock creek was flowing strong all the way up to and beyond the turn off to the hike back uphill and to the vehicle. As noted earlier, the burn damage is far less in this canyon and the last couple miles was unnoticeable. Quite lovely. The trail through the black rock canyon is navigable and while the trail map says it runs river right, the cow path is on the other side, river left. Hmmmm. Follow the cow path.

Holdout Creek

Medium flow

Reef Tank

51-75% full

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205298

Feb 19 2022

johnny88

Photos 916
Triplogs 20

37 male

Joined Jan 17 2011
Phoenix, AZ

Holdout-Blackrock Loop, AZ

Backpack		Feb 19 2022
		johnny88 • Triplogs 20

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I decided to see how the Santa Teresas faired after 2021's Pinnacle Fire by backpacking a loop of Holdout and Blackrock canyons. I had planned on driving up FR-6630 (the GET) and parking at a pull-off near some trees about 3/4-mile before the gate. This spot was previously recommended to me by the guy who ranches this area and my Subaru had made up there before just fine. However, after about 1/2-mile from leaving Klondyke Rd, there is a large gash in the road (I'm guessing made by 2021's summer monsoons).

Not wanting to risk trying it in my Subaru by myself, I made a 27-point turn on the narrow road and returned to Klondyke Rd. I drove North a very short distance, turned onto the next gated forest road (can't find its name) and parked my car at the first pull-off. This was spot was also recommended to me by the rancher. As luck would have it, that same rancher pulled up just as I was getting out of my car. He recognized me and offered me a ride up the road, eventually dropping me off near Reef Tank where I began hiking. Thank you! This saved me a ton of hiking and uphill.

Reef Tank had some water in it and the area around it was unburned. Heading up the saddle before going into Holdout Creek, you quickly enter the burned area. Everything around here has been moon-scaped. The trail isn't too hard to follow though. Going down Holdout Creek, it seems most everything near the creek is completely burned, while rockier areas appear to be untouched. It's still a pretty and scenic canyon, but the wonderful forest surrounding the creek is gone. The fire has made travel through Holdout easier for now - the path is much less brushy. I still lost the trail many times and got some scrapes from catclaw though. I expect that within a few years or less, the path will be overgrown with catclaw and manzanita. Holdout Creek had some water flowing down it, although it looked quite brownish.

I made it to the corral area near the Holdout and Blackrock intersection and made camp for the night. The creek intersection seemed much sandier than what I remember - debris being washed down from monsoons in the burn areas? I had a peaceful night aside from some cows wandering near my camp. I woke up early the next morning and began hiking up Blackrock Canyon. Blackrock has also been burned and I followed some combination of cow paths and hiking trails. The water in Blackrock was much clearer than Holdout and the flow seemed pretty good. After a mile or less, I hiked out of the burn zone. The next miles up Blackrock make for some great hiking through a beautiful forested canyon. This was my favorite section of the trip.

Hiking out of Blackrock, I made use of forest roads to make my way back to Reef Tank, where I then took the GET back down to Klondyke Rd. This section of the GET (from Reef Tank down to the road) is unburned. It's hard to follow and brushy, but the trail usually exists somewhere. Once back to the gate on FR-6630, I had the long descent back to Klondyke Rd and my car.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Reef Tank

	Reef Tank	26-50% full	26-50% full
	Maybe 1/3rd full? Water seemed decent

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194263

Mar 28 2020

GrottoGirl

Guides 3
Routes 569
Photos 11,976
Triplogs 1,634

50 female

Joined Sep 18 2009
Tucson, AZ

Holdout Black Rock Loop, AZ

Backpack		Mar 28 2020
		GrottoGirl • Triplogs 1,634

Backpack	17.24 Miles	3,392 AEG

Backpack	17.24 Miles	2 Days
	3,392 ft AEG

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BiFrost

RedwallNHops

A return to one of my favorite places. Escapism.

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175010

Mar 28 2020

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 494
Photos 11,066
Triplogs 1,286

56 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Holdout Black Rock Loop, AZ

Backpack		Mar 28 2020
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,286

Backpack	17.24 Miles	3,392 AEG

Backpack	17.24 Miles	2 Days
	3,392 ft AEG

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GrottoGirl

RedwallNHops

Great loop in the Santa Teresa Wilderness starting at Reef Tank and dropping into Holdout Canyon. Holdout has plenty of brush and catclaw but the scenery more than compensates. By the afternoon we made to some of the bigger pools and nice boulder stretch of the canyon. We dropped packs and spent about 2 hours exploring the area before circling back to the packs. Then we headed for camp at the confluence of Holdout and Black Rock creeks which both had decent water flow.

After a relaxing night in camp we packed up leisurely in the morning and headed up Black Rock Canyon. It was a fun hike up canyon with some stops along the way at rocky outcrop and small waterfall for lunch. Nice too take our time and just enjoy the scenery. Always a great loop and thanks to Joel for putting the trip together!

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174542

Mar 28 2020

RedwallNHops

Guides 1
Routes 269
Photos 613
Triplogs 1,360

50 male

Joined Dec 22 2003
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 28 2020
		RedwallNHops • Triplogs 1,360

Hiking	17.34 Miles	3,392 AEG

Hiking	17.34 Miles	1 Day 4 Hrs 46 Mns
	3,392 ft AEG

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The Santa Theresa's are a great way to get away from everyone. Great weekend seeing no one else but a few choice companions.

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174414

Mar 24 2019

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 851
Photos 22,827
Triplogs 2,045

53 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Holdout Black Rock Loop, AZ

Backpack		Mar 24 2019
		chumley • Triplogs 2,045

Backpack	23.08 Miles	3,669 AEG

Backpack	23.08 Miles	2 Days
	3,669 ft AEG

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Jaxbe22

Decided to visit this little gem again in springtime.

I wore gaiters, but somehow forgot about all the catclaw. Pants might be advisable unless somebody gets out there and cleans it up a bit.

Water flow looked similar to last fall after the October rains. Plentiful. I thought it was flowing about the same until I dropped into the rabbit hole at the top of the chute and quickly discovered it was significantly higher flowing in the narrows. This thwarted my efforts to run the whole thing, but we managed to dip down into a couple of my favorite spots to play.

Black Rock was flowing nicely all the way to the climb out, including a couple of the side drainages. But I doubt I'll ever see it flowing as high as last October in a steady rain.

The ruts in the road to Reef Tank have been cleaned up a bit, and there was an FJ and an F150 with street tires camping there. That was a bit of a surprise. We didn't see the campers. We did encounter another hiker on the loop who looked like he had probably just disposed of a body. He was from Tennessee of all places. And of course we followed in the footprints of the grotto norb group all weekend, without realizing it was them until getting back to town Sunday night.

Always a good one!

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Reef Tank

_____________________

I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

164439

Mar 23 2019

RedwallNHops

Guides 1
Routes 269
Photos 613
Triplogs 1,360

50 male

Joined Dec 22 2003
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 23 2019
		RedwallNHops • Triplogs 1,360

Hiking	20.12 Miles	4,892 AEG

Hiking	20.12 Miles	1 Day 4 Hrs 46 Mns
	4,892 ft AEG

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GrottoGirl

After sampling the Santa Theresa's a few weeks ago, I had to get back there with all the flowing water. What an awesome overnight trip.

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164433

Mar 23 2019

GrottoGirl

Guides 3
Routes 569
Photos 11,976
Triplogs 1,634

50 female

Joined Sep 18 2009
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 23 2019
		GrottoGirl • Triplogs 1,634

Hiking	20.12 Miles	4,892 AEG

Hiking	20.12 Miles	1 Day 4 Hrs 46 Mns
	4,892 ft AEG

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RedwallNHops

Amazing how much water was flowing in the Santa Teresa. I had gone in December of 2017 for NY’s and it was nearly dry.

Lower Holdout was still the gem of the trip, however, I was sad I didn’t get to do the full down under journey.

I played a joke on Chumley when we left the trailhead and saw his vehicle! Hehe!

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164423

Oct 07 2018

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 851
Photos 22,827
Triplogs 2,045

53 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Holdout Black Rock Loop, AZ

Backpack		Oct 07 2018
		chumley • Triplogs 2,045

Backpack	23.08 Miles	3,669 AEG

Backpack	23.08 Miles	2 Days
	3,669 ft AEG

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	JoelHazelton	Jonnybackpack
	Powerstroke

After a perfect trifecta of issues that thwarted another plan, this was part 1 of our last minute revision. You just can't go wrong here, and I can't believe it took me three years to return.

Note to self: gaiters

On Reef and Holdout most of the ribbons are long gone, I saw maybe half a dozen remnants clinging to life. Rare cairns are a treat though we certainly managed to get off track a handful of times. Black Rock is easy creek hiking, though the turn to leave the canyon can be missed.

We camped higher up to be closer to the creek. Pat and I ran the chute first while the others set up camp, and it was so much fun, we hiked back up and ran it again! I took the first leap of faith off the last waterfall into the darkness below. The pool ended up being over my head, and after swimming out to the other end I decided it would be a good time to put things in my drybag!

Many photographs were taken in this unique geologic wonderland.

It must have been the noise that four people tend to make, but I am absolutely shocked we didn't see either a bear or mountain lion, as the prints in the sand all along the creek near our camp were plentiful. The weather provided some great cloud drama in the morning and I hiked up canyon into the heart of Lower Holdout in search of Crows Nest Spring, but came up empty. Not even a sign of something that might have once existed there. Luckily the scenery here was more than worth the effort!

We hiked out in a steady rain as the cold front pushed through. Black Rock swelled with flow from the runoff, which made this even more fun than normal. As darkness fell we were treated to the spectacle of the SpaceX rocket from Vandenberg illuminating the moonless night sky.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Black Rock Canyon Lower Holdout Reef Tank

_____________________

I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

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159391

Dec 29 2017

GrottoGirl

Guides 3
Routes 569
Photos 11,976
Triplogs 1,634

50 female

Joined Sep 18 2009
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Backpack		Dec 29 2017
		GrottoGirl • Triplogs 1,634

Backpack	16.00 Miles	1,800 AEG

Backpack	16.00 Miles	2 Days
	1,800 ft AEG

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Pete and I did a NY trip for our first anniversary. On the way to our adventure we stopped at the Klondyke cemetery to pay our respects to the Power family. I’ve been fascinated with the Galiuros and the Power story for a while.

We didn’t know if there would be water in the Santa Teresa’s so we placed 10-11 liters of water a piece plus supplies for three days.

We headed down Holdout first. The beginning part of the trail was well maintained by cows. You just need to pay attention that you don’t take the wrong cow trail. After a while there is a gate and that means less cows so the trail was faint at best to follow until we got to Blackrock.

Holdout is amazing! It’s like the Dragoons but better. Beautiful rocks and no people!!! I really can’t wait to come back and explore the Upper part of Holdout more. I was more focused on doing a loop than on exploring and trying to figure out which tower was which. Definitely will have to return.

We decided to camp before the confluence. I admit that the weight of the water plus all the catclaw was getting annoying so I wanted to stop. By carrying our own water we could camp anywhere so we picked out a nice spot.

In the morning we did an explore without our big packs. We went into the drainage and explored the amazing passages under all the gigantic boulders! I definely want to come back when the water is flowing through there. It would be a site to see. There was some water in the pools but we were able to stay dry.

After our adventure we decided to pack up and see how far we could make it. Blackrock Canyon was much easier to navigate. It was dry and mostly clear of catclaw so we pressed on and we were back to the truck by sunset.

What an amazing place!!! Even the drive in is an adventure - definitely recommend 4x4.

	Holdout Creek	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Pools near the confluence with Blackrock

	Reef Tank	1-25% full	1-25% full
	Enough for the cows and deer to be happy.

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151038

Oct 30 2015

slowandsteady

Routes 67
Photos 966
Triplogs 694

52 female

Joined Jan 05 2012
Phoenix,AZ

Holdout Black Rock Loop, AZ

Backpack		Oct 30 2015
		slowandsteady • Triplogs 694

Backpack	23.00 Miles	3,500 AEG

Backpack	23.00 Miles	3 Days
	3,500 ft AEG

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	BiFrost	chumley
	clairebear	John9L
	nonot

Great into to the Santa Teresa's, hiking is definitely a pants party to get through all of the prickly stuff.

Autumn Foliage Observation Light

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123862

Oct 30 2015

clairebear

Photos 188
Triplogs 163

44 female

Joined Oct 26 2011
Tempe, AZ

Holdout Black Rock Loop, AZ

Backpack		Oct 30 2015
		clairebear • Triplogs 163

Backpack	25.91 Miles	3,873 AEG

Backpack	25.91 Miles	3 Days
	3,873 ft AEG

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	BiFrost	chumley
	John9L	nonot
	slowandsteady

First of all, I loved so much about this trip- the beautiful and rugged scenery, the company, our exposed and treeless camp and especially the isolation. This was one of those great wilderness experiences where there was not a single other person to be found except those in our group.

DAY 1 ~
We departed Tempe on an overcast morning and rendezvoused with Kathy and Karl in Globe. Our trip will take us back down the familiar Klondyke road from a few weeks ago when we hiked to Powers Garden. We turned onto the 4x4 road, passed some cute cows and admired the landscapes. Once prepared at the trailhead we departed and dropped into Laurel Canyon. After passing the slimy green reef tank we followed Holdout Creek Trail. Views in Holdout creek for this portion of the hike are fantastic ~. I've very partial to watery Arizona hikes along creek beds.

We determined that camp near the confluence of Black Rock Canyon and Holdout creek would be work since we would be exiting via Black Rock Canoyn on day 3. With sunset approaching we started to set up camp. 9L made us a very nice fire while Chumley had engineered some bridges to cross the creek to our tents. The rest of us settled in and gathered firewood. Later that night while we were trying to sleep some neighborhood coyotes serenaded us with some not too distant howling and the next morning fresh coyotes poop was found on our beach camp.

Day 2 Exploring from basecamp
It was nice to wake up and pack a few things in a small day back. From camp we headed north to Fisher canyon. For a mile we boulder hopped off trail through the canyon and followed some more of the GET. After we found some shade and took a break we decided to return to camp and before perusing a hike through Holdout Canyon. I was glad to return to camp to filter some more water from the creek and after relaxing a bit we headed out. Our hike in had bypassed this part of the creek so it was great to go back and check out the scenery. Holdout canyon is so picturesque with interesting rock formations carved out from the water. I followed the creek as much as possible. Once the canyon narrowed and the boulders grew to house sizes and I struggled to find a dry path. Chumley and Karl explored deeper into the canyon, with Karl opting for an adventurous canyoneering route. I wish I had been more patient and waited to follow their route. I did enjoy navigating my own way through this part of the canyon, however I had to bail and climb back up to the top when it seemed like forging a
path through the house sized boulders alone was no longer safe. Another time !!! As we settled in by the fire that evening we were joined by Nonot.
Silence from coyote camp that night.

Day 3
We broke down camp and made our way out sometime around 9:30 AM. Our hike out through Black Rock Canyon was easier than much of the trails we had followed all weekend. For five miles we enjoyed the picturesque creek of Black Rock Canyon until reaching the Jeep trail that will take us back to Reef tank. Steep uphill climb, but the trail was wide and there was no fighting with catclaw here.
On our way back into town we stoped at AZ wilderness because it was fitting and delicious to end the trip drinking a Santa Teresa Enkel. Thanks for indulging me with my AZW cravings

Thanks Chumley for putting this together ! I adored this trip and I'm glad everyone came together for it ^^^^

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1 archive

123647

Oct 30 2015

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 494
Photos 11,066
Triplogs 1,286

56 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Holdout Black Rock Loop, AZ

Backpack		Oct 30 2015
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,286

Backpack	25.91 Miles	3,873 AEG

Backpack	25.91 Miles	3 Days
	3,873 ft AEG

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

	chumley	clairebear
	John9L	nonot
	slowandsteady

Great long weekend in the Santa Teresa's exploring Holdout and Black Rock Canyons. We started on the Klondkye side driving up an old two track to forest boundary. From there it was up the Reef Tank Trail over the divide that drops into upper Holdout Canyon. Once in upper Holdout the views of the pinnacles and granite rock slabs as well as range high point Cottonwood Mtn and Pinnacle ridge were awesome! We continued down Holdout in some light rain following the GET blue ribbons occasionally crossing Holdout Creek which had decent water. Eventually we made it down to the Holdout-Black Rock confluence and found a camp spot arriving just before sunset.

Next day we headed out on day hike up Fisher Canyon to explore more of the GET section. We briefly continued up Fisher Canyon leaving the GET but found the catclaw and deteriorating trail conditions more than we wanted to slog through. We turned around and hiked back to the GET exploring more of that section before heading back to camp. We only hiked about 4 miles total that morning but it was slow going particularly in Fisher Canyon although the water was nice to see.

Back at camp we took a short break and then headed our for second day hike this time back up Holdout and dropping into the creek 2 miles upstream from the confluence. The goal was to explore Holdout Creek since the trail goes around this entire section. We were not disappointed as this section had the nicest rock formations and pools in the entire range. Towards the bottom there is a 1/4 mile section where the creek goes under house sized boulders creating caverns, pools, and waterfalls. Chumley volunteered to carry my day pack while I climbed and waded through the pools eventually navigating to the end. Holdout Creek was definitely the highlight of the weekend.

After exploring Holdout we headed back to camp to spend another relaxing night around the fire. We also linked up with Nonot who hiked in that day and joined up that night. Next day we hiked out and up Black Rock Canyon which was very nice walk in the creek bottom. Very easy walking despite no trail and just following the creek for 4.5 miles. Then we hit an old road/trail which also was easy walking and great views on the ridgeline above Black Rock Canyon. Eventually we passed by Reef Tank completing our loop and back out to the vehicles. Thanks for organizing the trip Chums

Autumn Foliage Observation Light

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1 archive

123590

Oct 30 2015

nonot

Guides 107
Routes 249
Photos 2,067
Triplogs 515

male

Joined Nov 18 2005
Phoenix, AZ

Holdout Black Rock Loop, AZ

Backpack		Oct 30 2015
		nonot • Triplogs 515

Backpack	18.00 Miles	2,500 AEG

Backpack	18.00 Miles	2 Days
	2,500 ft AEG		33 LBS Pack

no routes

no photosets

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

	BiFrost	chumley
	clairebear	John9L
	slowandsteady

It is always great when you can head into the desert without concerns about water or it being too hot/too cold. Also, visiting a Wilderness you have never been to before is always a treat.

The road to Reef Tank TH is definitely 4wd/high clearance, but you could always just hike it as it is part of the GET.

I'm still not quite sure where Holdout Creek Trail starts, nor where it exists in places. Someone has done a good job of flagging a route, but large portions of the trail are overgrown, and it seems in some places that the flagging simply takes a brush free path, rather than following the original trail. Once you get over the second major ridge the impressive inner basin of Holdout Creek greets you with the large granite mountains and boulders with a lightly flowing creek that you skirt along, more or less. The views are great throughout this basin, while the catclaw is annoying it isn't terrible and I made it to the confluence to meet up with the rest of the group who had gone in the day before. Arriving at dusk, they already had a campfire up and going for me, and despite my alias, 9L did a fine work of tending to the fire all night.

The next day we headed up Black Rock Canyon. There are slim signs of a trail, but the hike along the creek is fantastic, and there is a good road that allows for a brush free journey back to reef tank. I would rate this entire section as fantastic, as even the hike up the road was nice, since it was still clear of catclaw.

It was good to meet a new HAZ member and to see other HAZ'ers I haven't seen in years.

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated

	Cottonwood Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	I seem to recall a trickle coming out of this canyon.

	Holdout Creek	Medium flow	Medium flow
	nice flow through the lower half of this creek.

	Reef Tank	1-25% full	1-25% full
	disgusting

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http://hikearizona.com/garmin_maps.php

Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, ankle-twisting, HAZmaster crushing ROCKS!!
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, shin-stabbing, skin-shredding plants!
Hike Arizona it is full of striking, biting, stabbing, venomous wildlife!

123565

Oct 30 2015

John9L

Guides 6
Routes 194
Photos 6,057
Triplogs 1,660

male

Joined Mar 12 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Holdout Black Rock Loop, AZ

Backpack		Oct 30 2015
		John9L • Triplogs 1,660

Backpack	25.91 Miles	3,873 AEG

Backpack	25.91 Miles	3 Days
	3,873 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

linked

[ checklist ] Black Rock Canyon Cottonwood Mountain Fisher Canyon Holdout Creek Holdout Mesa Laurel Canyon Mud Spring Mesa Pinnacle Ridge Reef Tank

Partners

partners

	BiFrost	chumley
	clairebear	nonot
	slowandsteady

Chumley planned this hike and it turned out to be fantastic! The hiking was rugged but not overwhelming. The views were epic and vast! We spent three days and two nights exploring this area. It was a great trip with a fun group!

Our trip started on Friday morning. The five of us (Karl, Kathy, Chumley, Claire and myself) left Phoenix in two vehicles and met at McDonalds in Globe. From there we caravaned to trailhead. Nonot is hiking in solo on Saturday. All of us will hike out together on Sunday.

The first mile and a half are easy going as you descend to the creek in Laurel Canyon and then make your way to the northeast towards Reef Tank. At that point we started our lasso loop and headed east into Holdout Canyon. The going was rugged and slow going as we were constantly route finding. It really helped having a GPS route and a group of five to sniff out the route. Sections of the route are overgrown but we pushed through and dropped down towards the confluence of Black Rock Canyon and Holdout Creek. We selected a campsite near the bend in the creek located next to the corral. We set up camp in the waning light and started a fire. I brought brats for dinner and there were dynamite!

Our group of five woke on day two and talked about our options. We decided to spend a few hours exploring to the north into Fisher Canyon and the GET. The going was tough as we proceeded up a drainage. After a mile we hit the old road. The GET takes off to the east and Fisher Canyon heads to the north. We originally followed Fisher but the old road has deteriorated and is covered in catclaw. It was no fun so we turned back and followed the GET for a bit. The landscape looked rather plain up ahead so we cut that short and returned to camp.

After a break our group hiked back up our trail from yesterday and dropped into Holdout Creek. From there we worked our way down canyon and admired this beautiful creek! It was very picturesque with lots of water flowing. As we neared the bottom of Holdout Creek we came to a large cluster of boulders. And by large I mean house size boulders with lots of debris from flash floods! Karl and Chumley explored the creek below the boulders while Claire and I checked it out from above. The going seemed like too much of a hassle to me so I climbed out and returned to camp via the trail. Our group reconvened at camp and were met by Nonot right before sunset. We settled in for another night around the fire.

On day three we took our time packing up camp and enjoying breakfast. Our group of six then started the hike up Black Rock Canyon. We were all pleasantly surprised to find the hiking very easy and enjoyable. The creek was wide open with a decent flow of water. Just about all of us got our shoes wet as we worked our way up canyon heading west. We took a break at the scenic waterfall and then continued on to the old road. From there we climbed out of Black Rock Canyon and made our way via the old road back to Reef Tank. We made good time and then completed our lasso loop back to the vehicles where we took one last break before making the drive back to Phoenix with another stop at Arizona Wilderness Brewery for beers and dinner!

This was another great trip and a wonderful area! I never paid much attention to the Santa Teresa Wilderness and didn't quite know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised with the beauty and intimacy of this canyon. It has a feel similar to Wilderness of Rocks. Plus we were the only ones in this wilderness. That was a real treat. Thanks Chumley for driving and organizing! It was a fun trip and a great group!

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Black Widow Spider

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Camp-fire Campsite

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

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4 archives

123562

Dec 27 2014

azdesertfather

Guides 16
Routes 81
Photos 1,271
Triplogs 1,168

52 male

Joined Apr 30 2008
Tucson, AZ

Grand Enchantment Trail #7-9, AZ

Backpack		Dec 27 2014
		azdesertfather • Triplogs 1,168

Backpack	63.07 Miles	11,436 AEG

Backpack	63.07 Miles	3 Days 26 Mns
	11,436 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

9 linked trail guides

Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness - GET #7

Aravaipa Canyon

Cottonwood Mountain Trail #66 - Santa Teresas

Black Canyon Trail #65 - Santa Teresa

Underwood Canyon - GET #9