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Gillespie Dam and Bridge - 5 members in 12 triplogs have rated this an average 3.4 ( 1 to 5 best )
12 triplogs
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Mar 24 2023
avatar

 Guides 1
 Routes 136
 Photos 22,415
 Triplogs 1,041

77 male
 Joined Feb 28 2003
 Tucson, AZ
Margies Cove/Gillespie Dam, AZ 
Margies Cove/Gillespie Dam, AZ
 
Scenic Drive avatar Mar 24 2023
rwstorm • Triplogs 1,041
Scenic Drive
Scenic Drive
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Margies Cove Trail
Gillespie Dam and Bridge
Partners none no partners
I figured with all the water being released into the Salt River system, this would be a good time to see how things looked at historic Gillespie Dam along the Gila. It was. :) Since I was in the area, I drove over to Margies Cove West trailhead, since I had never been. There are a few sites at the small campground by the trailhead, but all I can say is that is quite the drive just to use a remote toilet. :lol: Nice isolation out there, but nothing that excited me. After Margies Cove, it was on to the main attraction. Pretty impressive show of water I must say! It was amazing to see the long ribbon of water reflecting the late afternoon sun all the way down highway 85 to its turn to the west at Gila Bend. :D
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Bridge
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Plenty of flowers and the brittlebush is pouring it on now.
_____________________
 
Jan 30 2021
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 Guides 4
 Routes 205
 Photos 9,282
 Triplogs 526

72 male
 Joined Apr 06 2005
 Phoenix, AZ
Gillespie Volcano Loop, AZ 
Gillespie Volcano Loop, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Jan 30 2021
Hansenaz • Triplogs 526
Hiking6.05 Miles 862 AEG
Hiking6.05 Miles   4 Hrs   25 Mns   1.49 mph
862 ft AEG      21 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Gillespie Dam and Bridge
Partners none no partners
There are petroglyphs near Gillespie Bridge/Dam but I'd never stopped to see them figuring the area was probably overused and a bit trashed. But looking for a non-muddy daytrip I decided combining some glyph seeing with an easy desert walk fit the bill.

It was foggy when I started and the first edge I looked at was disappointing - overgrown at the bottom, smelling of decay, and I wasn't seeing any glyphs or even good rock for writing. Cut that short and headed further along and hit a nice section with a lot of interesting petroglyphs.

From there I headed west toward a high point I've looked at from various angles the last couple years. This is one of the sources for the black rocks along the Gila River. It's a shield volcano, about 3M years old, and is called Gillespie Volcano on some maps. Not much to see along the way but a little exercise and a nice view from the top.
_____________________
 
Jan 24 2021
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 Guides 94
 Routes 840
 Photos 22,055
 Triplogs 1,993

52 male
 Joined Sep 18 2002
 Tempe, AZ
Signal MountainSouthwest, AZ
Signal Mountain
Southwest, AZ
Hiking avatar Jan 24 2021
chumley • Triplogs 1,993
Hiking6.68 Miles 2,098 AEG
Hiking6.68 Miles   3 Hrs   51 Mns   1.95 mph
2,098 ft AEG      25 Mns Break
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Gillespie Dam and Bridge
Partners partners
patrickakabird
With rain continuing to soak the hills north and east of town, but not enough to make any fun surface flow, it seemed to be a good day to head west. Winter is a great time to visit the obscure desert peaks and this one turned out to be a real gem. When I first spotted it from Woolsey, this dynamic looking peak begged to be summited, and I'm glad to have had such an ideal day to do it. Lots of sign of sheep, but no sightings. Climbed up the chute to the summit. The protection there was preferred to our descent route which stayed on the south side before traversing back to the saddle. The mileage isn't much, but the terrain makes it more than worthwhile for the drive. Made a post-hike pitstop at the Gila for some petros and got to tow (yota) two trucks out of the mud. :y:
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Five Points of Contact
_____________________
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
  1 archive
Mar 05 2020
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 Guides 177
 Routes 249
 Photos 10,213
 Triplogs 2,215

74 male
 Joined Feb 12 2002
 Gold Canyon, AZ
Gillespie Dam and BridgeSouthwest, AZ
Gillespie Dam and Bridge
Southwest, AZ
Walk / Tour avatar Mar 05 2020
AZLOT69 • Triplogs 2,215
Walk / Tour5.00 Miles 220 AEG
Walk / Tour5.00 Miles
220 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Interesting location. Had a great time exploring. Great amount of ruins and rock art in the area. Be prepared to rock scramble if thats your goal.
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Bridge
_____________________
It's best for a man to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open his mouth and remove all doubt.
--Mark Twain
 
Dec 25 2019
avatar

 Guides 2
 Routes 25
 Photos 1,890
 Triplogs 604

41 male
 Joined Sep 13 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Gillespie Dam and BridgeSouthwest, AZ
Gillespie Dam and Bridge
Southwest, AZ
Walk / Tour avatar Dec 25 2019
jochal • Triplogs 604
Walk / Tour0.50 Miles 20 AEG
Walk / Tour0.50 Miles
20 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Stopped on the way South to Ajo and Organ Pipe. Quite a few people also taking a look. We intended to walk the dam and bridge, but there was too much water flowing to cross. Instead, watched the dozens and dozens of pelicans fly around before continuing.
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May 08 2016
avatar

 Guides 94
 Routes 840
 Photos 22,055
 Triplogs 1,993

52 male
 Joined Sep 18 2002
 Tempe, AZ
Gillespie Dam and BridgeSouthwest, AZ
Gillespie Dam and Bridge
Southwest, AZ
Walk / Tour avatar May 08 2016
chumley • Triplogs 1,993
Walk / Tour2.17 Miles 41 AEG
Walk / Tour2.17 Miles   1 Hour   28 Mns   1.76 mph
41 ft AEG      14 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners partners
johnlp
trekkin_gecko
Just a little history exploration after an earlier hike. I'd seen photos of this before, but never been. It's nice that it's largely open to the public to explore. Cool old truss bridge now approaching 100 years old. The dam is almost more interesting because it breached in 1993, though I would have liked to see it intact too. Same flood that knocked out the new Mill Ave bridge while it was being built. (The original/old Mill Ave bridge was built 10 years after Gillespie!). Nice history out here.

Good to see a healthy running river too. Amazing how fertile a farming valley it is along the Gila floodplain. Recommended day trip for those who don't live and die by AEG and mileage statistics. ;)
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Snowy Egret
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Miscellaneous Survey Marker  Stream Gauging Station
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Gillespie Dam  Gillespie DamBridge
_____________________
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
  1 archive
May 08 2016
avatar

 Guides 1
 Routes 14
 Photos 7,202
 Triplogs 5,208

68 male
 Joined Mar 16 2008
 chandler,az
Gillespie Dam and BridgeSouthwest, AZ
Gillespie Dam and Bridge
Southwest, AZ
Walk / Tour avatar May 08 2016
johnlp • Triplogs 5,208
Walk / Tour2.17 Miles 41 AEG
Walk / Tour2.17 Miles
41 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners partners
chumley
trekkin_gecko
Interesting walk around some Arizona history. Nice choice chumley. :)
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Spiny Softshell
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
_____________________
“Good people drink good beer.” Hunter S Thompson
 
May 08 2016
avatar

 Guides 10
 Routes 673
 Photos 7,281
 Triplogs 4,660

67 female
 Joined Nov 17 2008
 phoenix, az
Gillespie Dam and BridgeSouthwest, AZ
Gillespie Dam and Bridge
Southwest, AZ
Walk / Tour avatar May 08 2016
trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660
Walk / Tour2.17 Miles 41 AEG
Walk / Tour2.17 Miles
41 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners partners
chumley
johnlp
chums knew this was nearby so we checked in out while in the area
interesting bit of arizona history
i liked that nothing was off limits to exploration
see chumley's [ description ] and [ gps route ] for possibilities
fun stop that i would never have known about
_____________________
hazhole
  1 archive
Nov 27 2015
avatar

 Guides 2
 Routes 24
 Photos 3,436
 Triplogs 230

47 male
 Joined Dec 22 2007
 Mesa, AZ
Gillespie Dam and BridgeSouthwest, AZ
Gillespie Dam and Bridge
Southwest, AZ
Walk / Tour avatar Nov 27 2015
skatchkins • Triplogs 230
Walk / Tour2.17 Miles 41 AEG
Walk / Tour2.17 Miles
41 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
I visited Chumley's primitive water dam. I was not impressed.
_____________________
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
Armchair Crisis Design
 
Dec 18 2012
avatar

 Guides 4
 Photos 542
 Triplogs 573

46 male
 Joined Oct 19 2010
 Mesa, AZ
Gillespie Dam and BridgeSouthwest, AZ
Gillespie Dam and Bridge
Southwest, AZ
Walk / Tour avatar Dec 18 2012
Charger55 • Triplogs 573
Walk / Tour2.00 Miles
Walk / Tour2.00 Miles   2 Hrs      1.00 mph
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
User aladdinsane recently posted a photo of Gillespie Bridge that piqued my interest so I went "the back way" to Gila Bend to check it out. There's ample parking and an interprestive area on the east side of the bridge. You can see the parking area on Google Earth but when you go to street view it isn't there. As it turns out, the interpretive area is brand new so street view just hasn't been updated in a while.

I went under the bridge first to do some birdwatching along the water. Sightings on this trip included a Green Heron, several egrets, a roadrunner, Great Blue Herons and a colony of American White Pelicans. There were also plenty of fish splashing around in the water and a couple of fisherman braving the morning cold on the lake.

After scaring off all the birds (my birdwatching skills are lacking) I crossed the bridge and climbed the hill on the west side. I was hoping to snatch a picture similar to the one aladdinsane took. What I was surprised to find up there were petroglyphs! Nothing outstanding, but a pleasant surprise as parts of the hill have been worked over by modern construction. I sat for a while taking in the scenery before I crossed back over to the other side.

Should you get a chance to come this way Gillespie Bridge is a great forgotten piece of Arizona history. Also along Old Rte 80 is the tiny farming town of Arlington with its cute little post office, the "what were they thinking?" real estate venture known as Spring Mountain Ski Resort and a desert shrimp farm just north of Gila Bend. Plus, lots of farmland, great views of the Gila Bend Mountains and solitude you won't find on AZ85.
_____________________
"I've driven across deserts, driven by the irony, that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
- Frank Turner "The Road"
 
May 01 2012
avatar

 Guides 1
 Routes 136
 Photos 22,415
 Triplogs 1,041

77 male
 Joined Feb 28 2003
 Tucson, AZ
Gillespie Dam & Bridge, AZ 
Gillespie Dam & Bridge, AZ
 
Scenic Drive avatar May 01 2012
rwstorm • Triplogs 1,041
Scenic Drive
Scenic Drive
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Gillespie Dam and Bridge
Partners none no partners
On my way to California I decided to take old US Highway 80 from Gila Bend to I-10. I had only been on this road once before, sometime in the mid 1970s. I remembered an old bridge across the Gila River there by Gillespie Dam. It was worth it. Very scenic drive the entire way. Once I got to Hassayampa, rather than backtrack to SR85, I headed west on the Buckeye-Salome Road, finally connecting with I-10 at Tonopah (though I could have gone further on it). That also was interesting and a nice alternative to the freeway.
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Gillespie Dam
_____________________
 
Mar 03 2012
avatar

 Guides 2
 Routes 24
 Photos 3,436
 Triplogs 230

47 male
 Joined Dec 22 2007
 Mesa, AZ
Hwy 80 to 85 Loop, AZ 
Hwy 80 to 85 Loop, AZ
 
Scenic Drive avatar Mar 03 2012
skatchkins • Triplogs 230
Scenic Drive
Scenic Drive
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Gillespie Dam and Bridge
Partners none no partners
Felt like spending gas while I could.

I took the Old Hwy 80 down from Buckeye driving through farm land and almost empty roads that reminded me of Louisiana. I pulled off the road and drove up the hill that overlooks Gillespie Dam and Bridge to get a better vantage point to decide what to do next. I ended up hiking around and down the hill to the dam to poke around for a bit. Then I walked out on it to the break.

Once back in the vehicle I continued on down the road seeing the sights. Stopped at the Spring Mountain Ski Ranch which looked doomed to fail from the start. Hit up Dairy Queen in Gila Bend and then took 85 towards home.

Closer to town I realized I had no where to be and the sun was not yet down so I eyed dirt roads until I ended up taking the one that skirted the Robbins Butte Wildlife area. Those 15mph signs are so hard to see when your tires are in the air most of the time.

Racing the sun, I ended up at what I now know is Robbins Butte and decided that was far enough. I looked at the rocky hill and thought I might just make it to the top in time. The rocks of course look bigger once you're halfway up. The side I was on, you pretty much had to use them as stairs though because everything else was too loose. I figured if I ran it my mind wouldn't have too much time to complain while trying not to fall.

Anyway I made it to the top and as soon as I sat down I realized I couldn't breathe much that way and then when I stood up again I realized I was pretty much surrounded by petroglyphs (and big honking mosquitoes). I shot a few pics up there as the sun went down and then hiked down with my headlamp.
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Gillespie Dam
_____________________
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
Armchair Crisis Design
 
average hiking speed 1.55 mph

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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