Elephant Rock Arch - Sierra Ancha • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Apr 06 2025
		jillyonanadventure • Triplogs 191

Hiking	5.44 Miles	1,456 AEG

Hiking	5.44 Miles	5 Hrs 25 Mns	1.10 mph
	1,456 ft AEG	27 Mns Break

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I said last year I would never attempt this route again. In the famous words of Britney Spears, oops, I did it again!

I have been wanting to get to this arch for a really long time and for my birthday wish, I really wanted some redemption. I gathered a group of great ladies to join me this time so I wouldn’t have to torture my husband again.

We did evaluate different routes but ultimately decided that the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t…

And oh gosh, it was just as bad as last time. We had a little snow/hail on the ground in the beginning, but it was quickly melting, so it was all good thankfully. Another of the group had tried and failed this hike prior, due to deep snow.

Anyway, Charity is the fastest of the group so she ended up doing a lot of navigating. I guess it’s a blessing and a curse being the fastest. We were following some minor cattle trails for a bit, instead of sticking to the main route. This was nice for a short amount of time, but it quickly vanished and turned into a bushwhacking nightmare. It was steep with loose footing and thorny bushes everywhere. There was also a ton of deadfall to navigate around. I know I am a dramatic hiker, but I promise this was very rough terrain. Lots of blood was shed.

We finally got our first look at the arch, which rejuvenated our spirits, until we saw what else needed to be done to get there.

The final ascent was incredibly steep looking. Honestly, going up it wasn’t as bad as the bushwhacking as it was a bit more clear. Definitely was breathing heavy when I reached the top though.

Once we got to the top, it was amazing! The views were unreal and the geology was fascinating. The arch itself was huge and just really cool looking. We roamed around the top just exploring for a bit, took some pics and had a snack break before deciding it was time to leave.

The exit was brutal on my knees, but thankfully we had a bit of a better path in terms of the thorns. We did stop by the lower ruins on the exit, but they were really just some crumbling rock piles.

This really is a choose your own path and just make your way the best you can type thing. Although it’s not long mileage wise, it took a lot effort to complete. I did pull a thorn out of my leg today.

Now that I’ve completed the hike, it’s safe to say I won’t be doing this one again.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Elephant Rock

_____________________

Restless between adventures...

Apr 07 2024

jillyonanadventure

Routes 175
Photos 2,335
Triplogs 191

44 female

Joined Jan 21 2019
Pine, AZ

[ checklist ] Elephant Rock Elephant Rock Arch - Sierra Ancha

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Apr 07 2024
		jillyonanadventure • Triplogs 191

Hiking	3.11 Miles	619 AEG

Hiking	3.11 Miles	3 Hrs 1 Min	1.15 mph
	619 ft AEG	19 Mns Break

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

It’s been a minute since I’ve done a triplog, so I apologize for that. As part of my birthday weekend in the anchas, we attempted this hike on Sunday. Attempted is the key word here, as we did not make it to the arch. My triplog will be a cautionary tale, so others could save themselves from making a similar mistake.

The warnings for route finding are very accurate on this description. I’d consider myself above average with route finding skills and have significant off trail hiking experience. My husband and I had a very difficult time route finding on this one.

The terrain was quite challenging as there is a ton of deadfall in this area. There was evidence of a fire, so quite messy overall; like a maze of dead trees. Typically in off trail travel, you can find some game trails or faint paths. There were none of either, just dead trees, agave, various cacti and thorns all waiting to poke & stab you.

The constant maze and trying to figure out best paths made the travel frustratingly slow. You need to navigate across a few drainages too, so constant up and down.

We finally got to a point where we could see the arch and it was across a creek and up an extremely steep hill. The final hill you’d need to ascend looked very dense with trees. A bushwhack from hell came to mind. Now, I will note that we had just done a hard hike the day prior, camped and enjoyed beverages the night before, so we were not fresh to start with…but still capable or completing the hike. I just wasn’t willing

We opted to turn around and I have no regrets about our decision. Getting back out was just as annoying and we were happy when we finally saw the truck.

Time for a beer and a stop at workman creek as a consolation prize!

After coming back and researching more, I’d only go back doing the loop with McFadden and that’s what I’d advise for anyone not interested in a deadfall maze.

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Named place [ checklist ]

_____________________

Restless between adventures...

Oct 15 2023

emilystardust

Routes 386
Photos 49
Triplogs 792

43 female

Joined Jun 23 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Oct 15 2023
		emilystardust • Triplogs 792

Hiking	8.35 Miles	2,362 AEG

Hiking	8.35 Miles	6 Hrs 25 Mns	1.47 mph
	2,362 ft AEG	44 Mns Break

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Dragging a bit today after Humphreys yesterday but we got in most of what we set out to do. Arch was definitely highlight as mentioned below. Off trail from scenic lookout to arch was a little better than I thought it’d be. Lone donkey on the road when we started and finished.

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May 01 2023

LindaAnn

Guides 110
Routes 2,246
Photos 8,982
Triplogs 2,600

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

McFadden Duo and Elephant Rock Arch, AZ

Hiking		May 01 2023
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,600

Hiking	11.01 Miles	3,101 AEG

Hiking	11.01 Miles	7 Hrs 14 Mns	1.87 mph
	3,101 ft AEG	1 Hour 21 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] Elephant Rock Elephant Rock Arch - Sierra Ancha

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The_Eagle

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Bruce suggested a hike out in the Sierra Ancha. I like that range, so I was game. Got started a little after 0800 and headed up McFadden Horse Trail. The trail obviously doesn’t get much use, and there’s some deadfall, but fairly easy hiking and cairns keep you on track. My legs were tired from the start, which kind of sucked, but I tried to keep the whining to a minimum.

At the top, we went over to what appeared to be the high point, looked around, and had a snack. Cool temps, and a nice breeze. After that, we headed north along the ridge, which had great views, until we reached the end and had to drop down. This was a bit of an unknown, but we had Joe & Karl’s track from many years ago. After some trial and error, we scrambled down through the top cliff band, making sure not to descend anything we couldn’t climb back up if we had to turn around.

After that, it was a very steep descent down a chute. Lots of loose rock, dried leaves, and dirt. I think that was the longest butt scoot I’ve ever done. Amazingly, my brand new leggings were still intact a couple hundred feet later. It was impossible to avoid sending rocks down the chute, so Bruce would descend until he found a good rock or tree to hide behind, then I would descend to the same point. We did that a few times until we made it down and began traversing across to the arch.

The arch was the highlight of the loop, with amazing geology and views. We had lunch in the shade of the arch and enjoyed the breeze. After that, we headed down and over to the road. All off trail, with some scratchy vegetation in places, but overall straightforward. Bruce stirred up one rattlesnake not long before reaching the road. Lots of old bear scat, saw one deer.

After that, it was a sunny but breezy road walk up to McFadden Peak. Looked around the summit a bit, and then decided to take the road straight back to the car rather than looping around to the west. The idea of having to gain a few hundred feet right at the end of the hike via the planned loop was not appealing to either of us at that moment, and the road seemed like an easy way to finish out the hike. So it was an easy (but dusty) final few miles to the day.

Fun to see some new territory and hike with Bruce. Thanks for driving!

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark Miscellaneous Survey Marker

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

May 01 2023

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,762

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

McFadden Duo and Elephant Rock Arch, AZ

Hiking		May 01 2023
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,762

Hiking	11.96 Miles	3,180 AEG

Hiking	11.96 Miles	7 Hrs 14 Mns		1.98 mph
	3,180 ft AEG	1 Hour 11 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

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McFadden Horse Mtn Gully (lower)

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LindaAnn

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Linda was up for an adventure in the Ancha. If this place was not so far from home, I'd spend a lot more time out here. But so would everyone else.

My plans were to do a CCW loop. McFadden Horse Mountain #146 > to the overlook up top > drop down to hit Elephant Rock Arch then off trail it to 288. After this hit McFadden Peak and complete the loop using McFadden Park Trail #55.

We parked in the pullout. All the Maps I've seen, call this Cienega Spring Trail #145. The sign at the TH call this #146 McFadden Horse Trail. Cienega Spring Trail does not join in and split off, until farther up. Not sure which is correct.

Branches and forest litter have been placed across the beginning to keep the Quads off the trail.
This trail gets your heart beating right out of the gate climbing 1900' to the McFadden Horse Mountain Peak. After this it trends slightly down, heading north towards the overlook and out to our drop in point. There's quite a bit of deadfall on this trail that is easily bypassed.

Loaded with a GPS track from @joebartels and @Bifrost, we checked out all our choices to drop in and finally settled on one we were both comfortable with. We found a steep loose chute and let the butt scoot begin.

We ultimately made our way over to the promised highlight of the day, Elephant Rock Arch, and enjoyed a break and some lunch. I never get tired of the geology in the Ancha. The route back over to SR288 is all off trail and can be slow going.

Next, up to the McFadden Lookout. Nobody was home and it was all locked up, so we took a break in the shade and enjoyed a snack.

I still have a bit of a lung funk going on, so Linda agreed that it's be ok to walk the road back in lieu of completing the loop on McFadden Park Trail #55. This cut off a couple of miles and some elevation gain at the end.

Pretty nice weather all day. Breezes kept in descent.

Good times in the Ancha. Good hiking with you again Linda.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark Miscellaneous Survey Marker

Pools to trickle

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

2 archives

Mar 11 2023

wanderingtrails

Guides 2
Routes 2
Photos 557
Triplogs 33

35 female

Joined Oct 05 2019

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Mar 11 2023
		wanderingtrails • Triplogs 33

Hiking	1.00 Miles	250 AEG

Hiking	1.00 Miles
	250 ft AEG

no routes

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Trying to catch up on my triplogs. Tried to do this one but way too much post-holing with all the snow. We ended up turning around after it took us an hour to go a mile. Ended up heading to Workman Creek falls and had to park along the road before the falls because the road was also impassable. Was awesome to see how much snow the high country had, though!

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Postholing

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[ checklist ] Workman Creek Falls

Jul 03 2022

TboneKathy

Routes 18
Photos 79
Triplogs 23

female

Joined Apr 28 2018
Chandler, AZ

Sierra Ancha Elephant Rock Arch and Mesa Ruins, AZ

Hiking		Jul 03 2022
		TboneKathy • Triplogs 23

Hiking	4.71 Miles	1,237 AEG

Hiking	4.71 Miles	5 Hrs 37 Mns	1.14 mph
	1,237 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break

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John10s

Three weeks before, after hiking McFadden Horse Mountain, we got to the edge of the first ravine on this Elephant Rocks Arch hike and decided that this would be a good place to start another day. Even after gazing upon the steep ravine, and feeling completely lost unless I checked my GPS as we returned to the trailhead that day, I, along with @john10s, did indeed return.

We reached that first ravine and it didn’t look nearly as steep as I remembered. Ha! We weren’t in the same spot. But crossing it is crossing it, and we did just that.

I must have been zoomed out when I studied the map, however, for I thought that this ravine was the only major ascent before the one immediately before the arch. But there were several ravines, and ascending one was particularly brushy, with plenty of spiny, thorny flora. (But it wasn't as bad as the later descent in a slightly different spot!) But the area was beautiful, and finding the ruin was exciting, despite its poor condition. There, with the arch first visible in the area of a ruin, I couldn't help but immerse myself as best I could in the world of hundreds-of-years-ago when the “ruin” was a "vital ancestral site.") (Thank you Picture Canyon folks for that distinction.)

The reward for that last push up the steepest ascent to the arch was so much more than I expected. The arch would have been enough, but we were greeted with a wonderland of rocks that equals the many other “wonderland of rocks” out there. The rocks themselves swirl with their own stories of creation, and windows and views abound before reaching the actual arch.

After extending exploration and photography as much as we dared on the exposed rock and under darkening clouds, we moved on to the mesa and unnamed canyon, peaceful and rugged gems. The canyon was varied, with spires and caves, and the views were amazing.

On the return trip, we stumbled upon a second ruins site. Elephant Rock was visible from there, and we were pleased to find that it was rather sprawling, with multiple rooms.

All in all, a great day, and we need to return after carefully studying the triplogs to try and find things we missed, such as more ancestral sites.

Jul 03 2022

John10s

Guides 25
Routes 376
Photos 5,897
Triplogs 346

40 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Sierra Ancha Elephant Rock Arch and Mesa Ruins, AZ

Hiking		Jul 03 2022
		John10s • Triplogs 346

Hiking	5.99 Miles	1,550 AEG

Hiking	5.99 Miles	7 Hrs 24 Mns	1.27 mph
	1,550 ft AEG	2 Hrs 40 Mns Break

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TboneKathy

Elephant Rock Arch was the second hike of the day for us a few weeks ago, and we ran out of time to reach the arch, so we started there today. It was a comfortable but humid morning in the low 70s, and it the cooler temps felt great after a few weeks of local hiking around Phoenix. Early on, I came across a small snake along the route...it looked like a garter snake, but hopefully someone can confirm the specific variety [ photo ] .

It didn't take long to pass our turnaround spot from a few weeks ago, and we made our way up and down several drainages. One stretch was choked with wild raspberries and other thorny brush, but the forest opened up a little more as we approached the ruins site and got our first views of Elephant Rock and the arch. There were a few scattered pieces of pottery around the ruins, which were badly deteriorated, as others have noted. But it was interesting to see where the natives built and wonder if the arch had any significance in that decision.

It looked like a long, steep climb up to the arch from that point, but it wasn't bad. We dropped down a rocky slope into another drainage, which had some pools and plenty of poison ivy at the bottom. There were some low walls (probably not native?) next to a large boulder in that area. It was a steady climb south up the ridge to toward the arch, but the area exceeded expectations, with multiple natural windows/arches, tunnels, hoodoos, and formations in addition to impressive views overlooking the Cherry Creek drainage. To the north, we could see the unnamed canyon on the far side of Elephant Rock Mesa, which we planned to get a closer look at later. And there was an intriguing mesa and peak to the northeast [ photo ] . If I had to guess, based on the map I'd say Gunsight Butte and Castle Peak or Peak 6419, but feel free to confirm or correct me on that

.

Before we went up to Elephant Rock Arch, we spent some time exploring the tunnel/window below, and the cool breeze blowing through felt great after the humid climb. The geology in that area was beautiful, with reddish swirls on the gray rocks. We spent more time enjoying the arch and the other small arch/window nearby, but darker clouds started to gather, so we cut things shorter than we otherwise would have.

[ youtube video ]

On the way out, we hiked north along the mesa to a viewpoint overlooking the unnamed canyon below. That was another rewarding Sierra Ancha vantagepoint, with the classic orange cliffs, caves, spires, and formations: [ youtube video ] . We relaxed there for a while and stayed closer to the west edge of the mesa as we hiked back, where we could enjoy the views down into the canyon on that side.

When we'd almost reconnected with the route we'd followed to the arch on the way in, I took a short detour to a small hill nearby. I wasn't expecting to find anything, but it turned out there was a second ruins site there. The walls were badly deteriorated at this site, too, but this one was larger than the first and appeared to have multiple rooms and a perimeter wall. We didn't see much pottery, but it was a nice surprise to unexpectedly stumble across a second site--I hadn't seen any pictures or descriptions of this one on HAZ. This one also had views of Elephant Rock, though the arch wasn't visible because of the angle.

[ youtube video ]

The remainder of the hike was uneventful, and the early clouds and afternoon thunderheads never turned into storms, fortunately. We'd talked about hiking to the Hell's Hole ruins today if time permitted, but that didn't work out, so that'll wait for another day. The 100% off-trail miles were slow, and we took our time enjoying the landscape and geology today. Despite being a lower-mileage day, it was a fun one and nice to get back to higher elevations and cooler weather, and there was a lot of impressive scenery packed into a six-mile hike.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Century Plant

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Striped Whipsnake

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Natural Arch

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Castle Peak Elephant Rock Elephant Rock Arch - Sierra Ancha Elephant Rock Mesa - Sierra Ancha Wild Gunsight Butte McFadden Peak McFadden Peak Fire Lookout

2 archives

Jun 11 2022

John10s

Guides 25
Routes 376
Photos 5,897
Triplogs 346

40 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Jun 11 2022
		John10s • Triplogs 346

Hiking	1.54 Miles	247 AEG

Hiking	1.54 Miles	1 Hour 27 Mns	1.65 mph
	247 ft AEG	31 Mns Break

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TboneKathy

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

We hiked to Elephant Rock via McFadden Horse Trail earlier in the day, so we were within a few tenths of a mile of Elephant Rock Arch when we were up on the ridge. We decided not to try the steeper bushwhack on the connector trail to approach the arch from the south and instead drove the short distance up 288 after the first hike to follow the official route to the arch. We were a little short on time and knew we probably wouldn't have time to reach the arch, but we wanted to check out the start of the route.

I was expecting at least a faint, informal trail since it's a reasonably popular destination, but there was no hint of a trail. As far as off-trail hiking goes, the forest wasn't bad, and the brush wasn't too dense, but dodging branches and foliage did slow things down. The trees were thick enough that views were limited much of the time, but we caught glimpses of some interesting caves high on the cliffs on the north side of McFadden Horse Mountain.

Around three-quarters of a mile in, still a few tenths of a mile short of the deteriorated ruins, we reached a steep ravine and made that our turnaround spot for the day. We may have been able to make the arch before we needed to get going, but we also wanted to hike to the overlook at the edge of the mesa to the north, and there wasn't going to be time for both, so we saved those for a future return. We took a short break near the ravine before hiking back through the forest. The timing didn't quite work out to fit everything in today, but between the ruins, the arch, and the mesa, it should make for a nice add-on hike for another day when we're in the area.

1 archive

Apr 30 2022

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 491
Photos 10,890
Triplogs 1,257

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Elephant Arch and McFadden Peak Lookout, AZ

Hiking		Apr 30 2022
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	7.60 Miles	1,896 AEG

Hiking	7.60 Miles	4 Hrs 57 Mns	1.83 mph
	1,896 ft AEG	48 Mns Break

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slowandsteady

Two hikes in one in the Ancha! From the Young Highway 288 at the saddle near McFadden Peak we hiked generally east off trail towards the arch. It's a traverse for the most part dodging trees and small brush along the way. The fire that happened a few years ago burned part of the area so we found staying off the up slope kept us out of the burn area and also made for easier travel.

Eventually we reached the arch area and a drainage that had a little water. From the drainage it's up a ridge and followed the ridgeline to the arch base. Great views on top of everything around Elephant Arch which juts out on the ridgeline. We had lunch and spent about 45 minutes enjoying the arch and surrounding rock features.

After the lunch we headed back the way we came except that I stayed down slope more this time. That avoided the burn areas and made for much easier travel. We made it back to the road quickly by taking the better route.

Still being early in the afternoon we decided to check out the McFadden Peak Lookout from the same parking spot. The gate was locked which was good and we had the whole road to ourselves. It's about 1.3 miles one way I think to the lookout. Unfortunately it was locked up and could not get up on the platform. A few minutes checking things out and we hiked back down the road to our vehicle. Good second hike to round out the afternoon.

Bonus for the days effort we hit Guayo's Mexican for dinner

before heading back to Phoenix.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cag Shot

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[ checklist ] McFadden Peak Fire Lookout

	McFadden Horse Mtn Gully (lower)	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	a few pools and a trickle

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2 archives

Nov 19 2021

eru

Guides 8
Routes 10
Photos 1,028
Triplogs 40

44 male

Joined Jun 14 2019
nomadic

McFadden Horse Mtn Elephant Rock Arch loop, AZ

Hiking		Nov 19 2021
		eru • Triplogs 40

Hiking	9.00 Miles

Hiking	9.00 Miles	9 Hrs 30 Mns	0.95 mph

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Elephant Rock Arch McFadden Horse Tl Connector

[ checklist ] Elephant Rock Elephant Rock Arch - Sierra Ancha McFadden Horse Mountain

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A nice all day hike (to be able to soak the cool spots in), and much better counterclockwise than clockwise IMO.

Parking area is easy to find, and the jeep road leading up from it was well graded with some nice views. More tire tracks on it than boot prints. A faded sign is at the junction of the horse trail, which I found easier to follow than anticipated. It gets a bit steep and a little loose in places, and had one significant deadfall we had to route around. I was able to clear about 2/3 to 3/4 of the deadfall impacting the trail on the way up due to the lack of density in them, which was kind of fun. It gradually more forested as you climb, and the cairns increase in frequency.

The plateau of the peak itself I really enjoyed - a really nice mix of agave, grass, and scattered trees gave it a fascinating ambience. Very few cacti. The trail does become a bit hard to follow once you're past the "peak" (we hopped over to find a USGS marker or register and were unsuccessful) but gains clarity once you're on the ridge where the terrain is obviously constrained. Other than that brief section the cairns were more an affirmation I was on the right route vs something I was searching for in order to navigate. Didn't see any boot prints, but some hooves have been on the trail recently, and we saw both cow and deer up on the plateau.

The scenic point at the end of the trail was a great place to stop for lunch, and well worth exploring. A few minutes before it there's some pillars off to the east visible from trail, and an obvious break in foliage to drop down and see them - well worth visiting.

We backtracked and looked for a way to connect to elephant rock arch - a direct route failed, but topo looked friendlier at a nearby gully/canyon and we found a cow path that took us to an easy if slow traverse across the side of the plateau we were on top of earlier. Some really cool multi-colored scooped out rocks that probably haven't been seen by too many people recently near the arch.

We ended up above the arch, looking down on the top of it hah. A really neat spot, we lingered there, dropped around the eastern side of the arch and onto where most people probably go, then wandered around there onto the little point north of it.

The hike back to 288 was pretty straightforward off-trail, we hit the road 10 minutes before sunset and had a simple hike down the road to our vehicle at the #146 TH with amazing views of the sunset (whilst snacking on BBQ chips). The puffies we wore in the morning came in handy on that walk down.

More detailed route info on the arch & connector guides as they were written from this trip. :p

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Troy Quartzite

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Camp-fire HAZ Food

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Named place [ checklist ]

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sunset

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

	McFadden Horse Mtn Gully	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Single murky pool.

	McFadden Horse Mtn Gully (lower)	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Multiple murky pools, much bovine interaction.

3 archives

Oct 16 2019

DixieFlyer

Guides 99
Routes 1,485
Photos 16,072
Triplogs 1,375

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

The McFaddens & Elephant Rock Arch, AZ

Hiking		Oct 16 2019
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,375

Hiking	9.30 Miles	2,685 AEG

Hiking	9.30 Miles	6 Hrs 7 Mns	2.12 mph
	2,685 ft AEG	1 Hour 44 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] Elephant Rock Elephant Rock Arch - Sierra Ancha

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SecretMtnLover

I managed to convince Tracie, my favorite and intrepid hiking partner, to join me on a trip to the Sierra Anchas. The plan was to do 2 hikes: Hike #1 was to go to the McFadden Peak Summit via FR 561, and then when we got back to the TH we'd go up to Elephant Rock Arch; Hike #2 was to go to the summit of McFadden Horse Mountain.

Hike #1 went off without a hitch. The hike up to McFadden Peak on the forest road was basically a mini Mount Ord hike. There were some nice views at the summit and along the way up, but the hike wasn't terribly exciting. I really enjoyed being up on Elephant Rock Arch, although the hike there was slow going -- it was entirely off-trail, and there was quite a bit of vegetation to go around or through. I would definitely recommend a GPS track for the hike up to the arch -- there are several good tracks in the triplogs on this site.

The hike up to the arch took a bit longer and was more tiring than I expected, so we did not go all the way to the summit of McFadden Horse Mountain. Instead, we took the McFadden Horse Trail up to the junction with the Cienega Springs Trail and then turned around and went back to the TH. The TH was a small pullout on Highway 288 just across from mile marker 288. I plan to go back to the area before long and bag McFadden Horse Mountain and Aztec Peak.

Mileage and elevation gain above is the sum of the 2 hikes: The hike to McFadden Peak and Elephant Rock Arch was 7.3 miles with 2,025' of elevation gain; the hike up and down the portion of McFadden Horse Road was 2.0 miles with 660' of elevation gain.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Indian Paintbrush

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Reference Mark

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Autumn Foliage Observation None
There was virtually no fall foliage to be seen -- there was a bit of sumac and a random leaf here and there. I imagine that it will be a week or 2 before much fall foliage is seen.

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

1 archive

May 04 2019

jamminaz

Routes 11
Photos 614
Triplogs 37

58 female

Joined Apr 15 2016
Gilbert, AZ

Globe, AZ

Hiking		May 04 2019
		jamminaz • Triplogs 37

Hiking	4.00 Miles	1,261 AEG

Hiking	4.00 Miles	3 Hrs 55 Mns	1.10 mph
	1,261 ft AEG	17 Mns Break

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partners

Jagardner833

Wanted to explore more in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness and I’m a sucker for arches so.... We downloaded a route used in 2015 by @The_Eagle et al as our guide and set off. No trail. No cairns. Look at the maps beforehand. This is truly a meander through the woods. You really can't follow a route - or you'll just drive yourself insane! The last push to our target was steep. The arch and the area on top was so cool! Views are incredible.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Elephant Rock Arch - Sierra Ancha

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1 archive

Jun 29 2018

kingsnake

Guides 117
Routes 339
Photos 11,415
Triplogs 895

63 male

Joined Dec 20 2010
Sunnyslope, PHX

[ checklist ] Elephant Rock Elephant Rock Arch - Sierra Ancha McFadden Peak

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Jun 29 2018
		kingsnake • Triplogs 895

Hiking	7.04 Miles	954 AEG

Hiking	7.04 Miles	4 Hrs 13 Mns	1.67 mph
	954 ft AEG

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none

no linked trail guides

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none

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The Sierra Ancha’s blessing & curse is that it is so remote. McFadden Peak is 67 miles, as the buzzard flies, from Sunnyslope, but it takes three hours to drive there. (And that is when one considers the speed limit optional.)

This was my first time in Sierra Ancha since hiking Tanner Peak nearly a year ago. Why? Because the World Cup was on and life has priorities.

I started hiking from the pullout opposite FR 561 (the McFadden Lookout access road). It was immediately obvious I had entered a significant burn area. (Either from 2000’s Coon Creek Fire, or maybe earlier, judging by vegetation recovery.) Despite many significantly damaged large trees, there was still plenty of shade from a mixture of pine and deciduous trees.

Elephant Rock Arch was easily visible from the indian ruins, a half mile southeast. (Both Google Maps and the map on my GPS have misplaced the arch, in a location just yards from the ruins.)

The canyon bottom below the ruins is not nearly as congested as one might expect. I turned north, to the left, heading gradually downward. That is not a problem, because the top of Elephant Rock Mesa also slopes down to the north. Despite going down, I was actually getting closer to the rim of the mesa.

I bumped into a half dozen cattle, who scattered down canyon ahead of me. I followed their splattery panic poos for a few hundred yards.

In a quarter mile, I found a cattle path heading up sixty easy feet to the ‘rim’. You should avoid heading much further down canyon, as it soon becomes much deeper, with sheer walls.

I had intended to follow the rim all the way around Elephant Rock Mesa, but the cattle path took me to the mesa’s interior, rather than north. If you want to follow the rim, it would be easy, as the mesa top is free of serious obstacles, rocks or even grab & stabs. In fact, there were almost no cacti, other than a few ping pong ball-sized fuzzy cactus. Most of the stabby plants were agave. Despite extensive fire damage, it was still easy to find shady spots.

I took my first break, sitting on the canyon rim, at Photo OP 1. (You can read “OP” as either op, as in opportunity, or as observation post.) The views were amazing, and only got better as I worked my way around Elephant Rock Mesa.

Working my way over to Photo OP 2, at the mesa’s northeast corner, I ran into the same herd of cattle I had encountered in the canyon. There was quite a bit of fire damage at Photo OP 2, making it hard to get decent photos up Cherry Creek, without getting dangerously close to the crumbly rim.

Photo OP 3, on Elephant Rock Mesa’s east rim, had much better views, up & down Cherry Creek, and east towards the White Mountain Apache Reservation.

However, Photo OP 4 was the pick of the crop, both for canyon views, and views of Elephant Rock. Down in Cherry Creek, FR 203 was obvious, and there was quite a bit of green, leafy, trees. Wish I had a vehicle that was capable of handling that rugged forest road.

There is a cairn at Photo OP 4. No idea why, as it is not the mesa’s ‘summit’. I did not find a log in the cairn.

It was 12:30 p.m., and already in the high 80s, so I decided to forgo scrambling 360 ft. up to Elephant Rock Arch. Instead, I headed back to the cattle trail, took another break, then backtracked to the trailhead on AZ-288.

On our way back to Phoenix, my wife & stopped at Big Daddy’s Pizza, in Tonto Basin, at the west end of Roosevelt Lake. Despite starving, I could barely cram down two slices, they pile on so much cheese & toppings. Big Daddy’s is for sale, so hopefully they find a good buyer!

Hike Video: https://vimeo.com/498335969

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cairn HAZ - Selfie Mine Shaft

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Wildflowers Observation None
Absolutely zero.

_____________________

http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored.

1 archive

Aug 24 2016

mazatzal

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

McFaddening, AZ

Hiking		Aug 24 2016
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	9.00 Miles	3,100 AEG

Hiking	9.00 Miles	6 Hrs	1.80 mph
	3,100 ft AEG	1 Hour Break

no routes

Linked

7 linked trail guides

Haigler Creek via Fishermans Point

Pleasant Valley Vista Loop #9

McFadden Peak via Park McFadden Trail #55

Park McFadden Trail #55

[ checklist ] Cagle Cabin - Sierra Ancha Elephant Rock Elephant Rock Arch - Sierra Ancha McFadden Peak Lookout

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Decided to check out a few new places

First up was Haigler Creek from Fisherman's Point - great area. Looks like the creekside campground a bit further downstream is pretty nice too.

After Haigler I headed south through Young and hit McFadden Peak - nice short hike up the road to the lookout and a short detour down the Park McFadden trail.

Last up was McFadden Horse Mountain, just to the high point. Some light rain on the way back down the steep trail.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Saguaro - Crested

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

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2 archives

Sep 19 2015

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,797
Photos 14,494
Triplogs 5,894

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

McFadden Super Loop, AZ

Hiking		Sep 19 2015
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	20.40 Miles	4,300 AEG

Hiking	20.40 Miles	10 Hrs 18 Mns		2.19 mph
	4,300 ft AEG	1 Hour Break	14 LBS Pack

Linked

6 linked trail guides

McFadden Peak via Park McFadden Trail #55

Park McFadden Trail #55

Cienega Spring Trail #145

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partners

BiFrost

Redo of Bruce's masterpiece plus Cienega #145.

McFadden Horse Trail
Most will rate this lower due to the steep approach. The forest up top, eastern and Elephant Butte views win me over.

Elephant Rock Arch
Bridged the gap connecting McFadden to Elephant Rock. Shorts are fine, took under a half hour. We stopped above the arch then headed down. 1 class four downclimb. Ironically I climbed up it last time out of curiosity. I couldn't figure out the downclimb last time so I jumped 10? feet. Got the twist move on the first try this time then did it again for fun. Fairly certain you could backtrack a bit to avoid the obstacle.

McFadden Peak
Just a road walk up. Impressive views of the thick mogul berber carpet of pines.

Park McFadden Trail #55
Majority of this is an old road down to Circle Ranch. Without using Hank's track I would have missed where it leaves the road for awhile. The cairns at each end are faint and the trail is faint for that segment. Found a tank and added to the map. From Circle Ranch down it's a nice trail. The upper isn't bad but most would prefer the lower part.

Cienega Spring Trail #145
Just a road. A little closer and personal views such as from McFadden Peak.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Teva

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Elephant Rock Arch - Sierra Ancha

	Cienega Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Super fresh clear

Park McFadden Tank

Dry

_____________________

- joe

Sep 19 2015

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 491
Photos 10,890
Triplogs 1,257

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

McFadden Super Loop, AZ

Hiking		Sep 19 2015
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	20.48 Miles	4,391 AEG

Hiking	20.48 Miles	10 Hrs 18 Mns	2.20 mph
	4,391 ft AEG	1 Hour Break

no routes

Linked

6 linked trail guides

McFadden Peak via Park McFadden Trail #55

Park McFadden Trail #55

Cienega Spring Trail #145

Partners

partners

joebartels

Joe put together a great loop that was derived from an earlier trip to Elephant Arch. We hiked up McFadden Horse Trail from Hwy 288 to get to the arch gaining 1600 feet right from the start. Once on top we had excellent views traversing out to the arch with this area definitely the highlight of the loop. Just the approach to the arch was half the fun negotiating the rocky cliffs and great views. We took a nice break at the arch before heading downhill and another traverse towards McFadden Peak.

On the road to McFadden Peak the views again were excellent and the tower was in good shape. Spent some time checking it out with birds eye view of the entire range. Coming off the top we picked up the Park McFadden Trail and followed this down several miles to Circle Ranch and Reynolds Creek area. Lots of shade on the way down with impressive stands of ponderosa and large oaks. We crossed Hwy 288 and headed up another road following Reynolds Creek for a few miles.

We finished off the day looping around to Cienega Spring which was nice surprise. The spring box was feed by a pipe with very clean looking water and cool meadow area. From there we followed Cienega Spring Trail to close the loop from where we started early in the morning.

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Natural Arch

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cienega Spring Elephant Rock Arch - Sierra Ancha McFadden Peak Fire Lookout

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2 archives

Aug 22 2015

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,797
Photos 14,494
Triplogs 5,894

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Aug 22 2015
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	3.72 Miles	1,340 AEG

Hiking	3.72 Miles	3 Hrs 49 Mns		1.45 mph
	1,340 ft AEG	1 Hour 15 Mns Break	4 LBS Pack

no photosets

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none

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partners

rayhuston

The_Eagle

We just finished McFadden. It was getting toasty. My enthusiasm and prehike odds for completion were running low. Scrolling or hiking straight across ravines presses my blood pressure like no other. So of course I piss and moan enough to make anyone commit suicide and next thing I know I'm leading this friggen hike. The cherry on top is Bruce giving minute by minute backseat play by play on how Larry did this, Larry did that, Larry is god. Do you see Larry? Say Larry one more time!

With a 200 foot drop in front of us followed by an immediate 600 foot ascent we took a break. I took my meds. The weather got ridiculously nice. We inched our way to the pearly gates of heaven. Ray had enough. He topped out and was maybe a hundred yards from glory. Yet I was mighty impressed how far he made it. He made the right decision knowing when to say when.

The little elephant arch looks cute from afar. Up close it's wicked cool. I wasn't expecting the sculpted sandstone? / limestone?. Impressive. White puffy clouds running rampant and I think we heard a choir singing. Maybe that was me, at any rate this little gem was a game changer in attitude.

Darn good burger at Judy's in Globe and home with a smile.

_____________________

- joe

Aug 22 2015

rayhuston

Guides 1
Routes 447
Photos 4,407
Triplogs 938

68 male

Joined Mar 09 2012
Gilbert, AZ

Elephant Rock Arch - Sierra Ancha, AZ

Hiking		Aug 22 2015
		rayhuston • Triplogs 938

Hiking	4.10 Miles	1,150 AEG

Hiking	4.10 Miles	3 Hrs 49 Mns	1.37 mph
	1,150 ft AEG	49 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

joebartels

The_Eagle

Hike #2 for the day was an out and back, off trail trek to the arch below Elephant Rock. We followed a track that Grasshopper and Oregon Hiker blazed in Feb 2014. While I enjoyed this hike as well, the earlier hike on the McFadden Horse Trail left me short on stamina; I had to work very hard to keep up.

We ditched our packs at the bottom of the last ravine before the ascent to the arch, a 600 foot climb in about a 1/4 mile. When we reached the top, I found myself wanting to find a shady spot and sit for a spell rather than boulder hop the short distance to the arch. When I saw a nice flat rock with my name on it, my mind was made up. I got horizontal and enjoyed a nice breeze while Bruce and Joe continued to the arch. It was going to be a struggle on the way back, for me anyway, so I was going to rest up.

I intend to come back out here another day, maybe add on the McFadden Peak trail, which would have been hike #3 today if we had the legs for it. Even Joe said no to that one.

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3 archives

Aug 22 2015

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,762

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,