Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned) • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Feb 08 2023

AZLOT69

Guides 177
Routes 249
Photos 10,213
Triplogs 2,215

74 male

Joined Feb 12 2002
Gold Canyon, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Feb 08 2023
		AZLOT69 • Triplogs 2,215

Hiking	6.50 Miles	1,000 AEG

Hiking	6.50 Miles
	1,000 ft AEG

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Cool start, perfect afternoon, no one else around.

_____________________

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

Nov 25 2018

chumley

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

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Pinto Wander, AZ

Hiking		Nov 25 2018
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	4.22 Miles	882 AEG

Hiking	4.22 Miles	2 Hrs 41 Mns	2.11 mph
	882 ft AEG	41 Mns Break

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Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

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After driving by yesterday and seeing the colors below, I decided that a quick trip into Eric and Pam land would be perfect for a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon.

I opted to skip the long approach from the west and start east of the current bridge. Except for getting up to the old highway, this turned out to be a good plan.

Along the way I noticed that not only is the old US 70 still there, but an even older cut -- presumably a mining road or wagon trail -- exists lower down. When exploring the creek, I found the crossing for that old road, plus a mine, some old mining equipment, and a bunch of automobile wreckage. While badly overgrown, the original pre-highway 70 roadbed was still intact, showing that it was originally constructed quite well.

On the way out, I climbed up to what must have been the road that was cut when they built the current bridge. It was evident and easy to follow, but was badly eroded and didn't have any of the more permanent marks of construction associated with the two previous iterations of roadway through this canyon (no culverts or retaining walls) making me presume that this was built only to access the bottom of the bridge during construciton and not meant to last a long time.

After my hike I decided to drive FR320 not fully realizing that it was open to driving, as the HAZ hike description doesn't really mention that. Despite some bad erosion, large rockfalls, and a lot of missing pavement, I was able to make it all the way to the east side where it dead ends at a drop off to the current highway.

While making a simple 3-point turn to return to Top of the World, I drove into a culvert that I hadn't seen.

Luckily, I was able to self-rescue with some help from my jack and taking advantage of my rear locker.

Had a RS glitch where I lost about 45 minutes, so there's some points in the track added manually when I got home.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Automobile Remains/Wreckage Dam - Rock Miscellaneous Survey Marker Old Rusty Stuff

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sunset

_____________________

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

1 archive

Aug 27 2016

SpiderLegs

Guides 2
Routes 10
Photos 42
Triplogs 893

58 male

Joined Jul 12 2012
Oro Valley, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Aug 27 2016
		SpiderLegs • Triplogs 893

Hiking	7.00 Miles	1,000 AEG

Hiking	7.00 Miles	3 Hrs 15 Mns	2.15 mph
	1,000 ft AEG

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Was poking around yesterday looking for a hike that was close to town, a little bit cooler and could be used to stretch our legs without taxing them. Both Olivia and I have been cross training this week and had some sore legs. Stumbled across this hike and checked the weather forecast, with a good chance of cloud cover it would be in the 70's & 80's the whole time. Plus bonus points for not having to leave the house at 5 AM.

Nice drive out from Phoenix, only took an hour and fifteen minutes to get to the trailhead from our place downtown. Did a leisurely pace most of the way and simply enjoyed the hike. Didn't see any bears like Pam did last year, but there was ample evidence of them being around. Saw some large bear scat on the trail in a few places. Went to the end of the trail, turned around and then poked around the bridge for a bit. Went down into the canyon and walked through the cement culvert.

Best part of all was having the place all to ourselves. Needed some peace and quiet and didn't see another person the whole time we were out there.

_____________________

See my pics on Instagram @tucsonexplorer

Jul 09 2016

SkyIslander18

Guides 4
Photos 4,732
Triplogs 2,607

55 male

Joined Sep 29 2004
Small Town USA

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Jul 09 2016
		SkyIslander18 • Triplogs 2,607

Hiking	6.50 Miles	1,000 AEG

Hiking	6.50 Miles
	1,000 ft AEG

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AddSanz

Early am drive from Safford to Apache Junction for an appointment.
Needed to pass a couple of hours before hand and this one was along the way convenient.
Started at 7am and finished up at 9am before the heat set in.
Very enjoyable walk & talk along this old historic highway.
Golden-flower Century plants everywhere.
Lizards ruffling underbrush everywhere.
Screeching hawks in the canyons & a white-tail doe stare down at the end.
2 hours well spent at "Top-Of-The-World".

_____________________

https://www.instagram.com/skyislander22/

Jul 17 2015

big_load

Routes 26
Photos 1,288
Triplogs 124

66 male

Joined Oct 28 2003
Andover, NJ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Jul 17 2015
		big_load • Triplogs 124

Hiking	7.23 Miles	1,130 AEG

Hiking	7.23 Miles	4 Hrs 29 Mns	2.22 mph
	1,130 ft AEG	1 Hour 14 Mns Break

no photosets

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outdoor_lover

Pam suggested this without knowing the full extent of my interest in all the abandoned infrastructure. We got an early start, expecting either brutal heat or torrential rain, neither of which developed.

There were a smattering of birds and flowers along the way, and even a few lumps of copper ore. The highlight for Pam was a bear, which I didn't see, except for a dozen of piles of recently-processed manzanita berries.

We took a side trip up Pinto Creek, which showed some fascinating geology. The boundary between the igneous intrusion and the much older metamorphic rock is right here, which I guess is why there's copper.

Edit: there are some great views of the current Pinto Creek Bridge.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

_____________________

1 archive

Jul 17 2015

outdoor_lover

Guides 7
Routes 72
Photos 14,456
Triplogs 627

62 female

Joined Aug 19 2011
Scottsdale, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Jul 17 2015
		outdoor_lover • Triplogs 627

Hiking	7.23 Miles	1,130 AEG

Hiking	7.23 Miles	4 Hrs 29 Mns	2.22 mph
	1,130 ft AEG	1 Hour 14 Mns Break

no routes

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big_load

Wanted to get a Hike of some kind in with Alex while he was in Town...We arrived at a Day and Date, but I knew my Time on that Day would be a little limited, so I looked for shorter type Hikes and even some closer to Town...I also knew how much Alex liked History so when some Abandoned Bridge Hikes popped up, I thought they might be possible, even though they would be lower in Elevation and probably pretty Hot this Time of Year...

We planned for the Heat, met up fairly early and hit the Road...The TH was where I had suspected and I knew we were on the Right Track...I fired up HAZ Tracks for the first Time on this Hike too, but my Battery gave up the Ghost before we finished Exploring at the Bridge itself, so no Return Route, except for a Straight Line back to where I stopped it in Chandler... :sweat:

But it worked on my Tablet, so I'm pretty ecstatic about that. Will have to see if I can actually Download a Route and follow it next Time.... :y:

The Weather was Merciful...The Leading Edge of Clouds from Hurricane Dolores started coming in and we never actually saw the Sun all Day...It stayed Overcast and although it was a little Tropical, the Temp stayed pretty nice... :DANCE:

The Road Walking was pretty easy and apparently the Road is still Driveable, as we saw several large Campsites on the way in...If it wasn't for a couple of Dicey Spots the first 1/4 Mile, my Vehicle could have done it too...

Just before the big Bridge, we stopped at a smaller Bridge over a Culvert and admired a few things up the Drainage...I continued ahead of Alex onto the large Bridge and caught something Black moving in the Creek Bed below...When I first caught it out of the corner of my Eye, I was thinking Cow, but when I got the Full Look, I realized it was a very nice sized Black Bear about 30 Yards away...I turned and signaled to Alex who was walking up about 20 feet behind me...By the Time I turned back around, it had turned the Corner of the Creek and was no longer in Sight...I tried to find a vantage Point to look down into the Creek, but it wasn't to be, so we hustled up the Road a ways to see if we could get ahead of it and spot it again...I probably made too much Noise after Spotting him and he must have taken off pretty fast, because we never Spotted him again.... :cry:

I never even got a chance to bring the Camera up for a Photo, but I'll take the Memory...My First Wild Black Bear in Arizona.... :y:

After we got back down to the Bridge again and did some Exploring, we realized that he was using the Creek as a Main Thoroughfare...We knew his Diet and among the Line of Scat, Alex found some still practically Steaming.... :sweat:

We explored around the Bridge some, went up and down the Creek some and then headed back up the Road...Did some Debating on some other Routes and another Road found and did some Speculating on what might have been going on, way back when...The Overcast Skies continued to darken, but we only got Spit on a couple of Times on the way out...Made it back to the Vehicle in really good Time for being mostly Uphill, and headed for the next Bridge....

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Manzanita Sotol

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

	Mead Canyon	Dry	Dry
	At Pinto Creek Intersection

_____________________

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"

Oct 31 2014

AZLOT69

Guides 177
Routes 249
Photos 10,213
Triplogs 2,215

74 male

Joined Feb 12 2002
Gold Canyon, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Oct 31 2014
		AZLOT69 • Triplogs 2,215

Hiking	6.50 Miles	1,000 AEG

Hiking	6.50 Miles
	1,000 ft AEG

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Comfortable day of exploring. Only saw two hunters hunting wabbits.

_____________________

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

Mar 01 2013

lmistrot

Triplogs 3

75 female

Joined Nov 07 2003
Gold Canyon, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Mar 01 2013
		lmistrot • Triplogs 3

Hiking	6.50 Miles	1,000 AEG

Hiking	6.50 Miles	4 Hrs	1.63 mph
	1,000 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

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I was looking for something easy, not too far from the east Valley and this is it. It is definitely a tennis shoe hike as you follow an old, disintegrating roadway. Just after you go through the Top of the World and pass a sign saying Entering Gila County, Hwy 60 bends left but you go straight into a pull off big enough for several cars. Park, walk over the cattle guard and you are on your way. The road is fairly level for a while then you walk down for a mile or so - which means you have to come back up. You get great views of the Pinto Creek Bridge and can wonder at the construction of the old dirt dam (about 3 miles in.) We saw a family of deer with two little ones and some different foliage than in the Valley. It is amazing to think about driving this old road 100 years ago. I just wonder how scary it would have been in the snow or ice, since we still had bits snow up there today. It would not have been an easy drive. Only saw 1 other person so it was a nice quiet walk through the high desert. No challenge though if that is what you are looking for.

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Nov 08 2010

Charger55

Guides 4
Photos 542
Triplogs 573

46 male

Joined Oct 19 2010
Mesa, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Nov 08 2010
		Charger55 • Triplogs 573

Hiking	6.50 Miles	1,000 AEG

Hiking	6.50 Miles	3 Hrs	2.17 mph
	1,000 ft AEG

no routes

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My father expressed an interest in joining me on a hike. Seeing as he's no spring chicken and a novice to the joys of hiking I went searching for something not too far from home and not too strenuous. Pinto Creek Bridge turned out to be a pretty good choice.

There's abundant parking at the trailhead which is off US 60 just east of the Pinal/Gila County line. From there you head downhill on the old roadway. There's lots of beer bottles and shotgun shells at first but it will clear up within the first .75 miles. No route finding involved as you just stay on the semi-paved roadway.

The views are nice as you can see one of the open pit mines outside Miami. Not sure if it's the Blue Bird or the Pinto Valley. I don't know my mines that well. The view of the current Pinto Creek Bridge is spectacular. I never appreciated it as much driving over it as I did from this vantage point.

Pinto Creek was dry, as I expected, but there was a touch of fall foliage in the area which was nice. The return trip uphill was in no way difficult. Not much in the way of wildlife other than a small tarantula crossing the roadway. But it was a pleasant day all around topped off by a stop at Los Hermanos in Superior for some albondigas soup. If that's not enough to convince my dad to hike more I'm not sure what is!

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Tarantula

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated

_____________________

"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"

Apr 23 2010

ssk44

Guides 20
Routes 12
Photos 2,343
Triplogs 298

51 male

Joined Mar 31 2008
Gilbert, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Apr 23 2010
		ssk44 • Triplogs 298

Hiking	6.50 Miles	1,000 AEG

Hiking	6.50 Miles
	1,000 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

none

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Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Emory Oak

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bridge

Wildflowers Observation Light

_____________________

MATTHEW 11:28-30 / PSALM 84:1-2

3 archives

Feb 28 2009

ssk44

Guides 20
Routes 12
Photos 2,343
Triplogs 298

51 male

Joined Mar 31 2008
Gilbert, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Pinto Creek Bridge (Abandoned)

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Feb 28 2009
		ssk44 • Triplogs 298

Hiking	6.50 Miles	1,000 AEG

Hiking	6.50 Miles	2 Hrs	3.25 mph
	1,000 ft AEG

no routes

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Historic US Highway 70 @ Pinto Creek (02/28/2009)

The original Arizona Highway 70 between Superior and Globe was in service from approximately 1900-1949 and latter rerouted to what we now know to be US Highway 60. Between Superior and Globe are three abandoned original highway segments that can be explored. The first segment is just above Superior, following Queen Creek Canyon over the original concrete Queen Creek Bridge and beyond that to the abandoned Claypool Tunnel. The second segment is a shorter stretch beyond Oak Flat Campground, following Devils Canyon over the original concrete Devils Canyon Bridge. The third segment, and also the longest, starts out just beyond Top Of The World, heading down towards Pinto Creek, and from there crosses the canyon heading back up into the hills to later rejoin US Highway 60.

The original crossing at Pinto Creek is not a traditional bridge. It appears that due to the large span across Pinto Creek Canyon, A hand built concrete culvert with a length of approximately forty yards and a height of approximately ten feet was constructed over the creek itself. Large amounts of earthen material from the area was brought in to fill around the culvert up to the main road bed which is about eighty to ninety feet above the canyon bottom. The length across the canyon looked to be around seventy-five yards. One hundred years later, this man made mountain does not even resemble a bridge due to natural vegetation growing along the sides.

This particular highway segment near Pinto Creek is about four miles in length and located south of the current US Highway 60. The original US Highway 70 is only shown on topo maps. The east end of this segment has a wire fence crossing the road to keep people from driving on the closed route. The west end, near Top Of The World is closed off with a barricade, however some individuals go around it. Most people access this location by hiking or with mountain bikes. Due to very limited people visiting the area, everything is pleasantly well preserved with zero graffiti.

I really enjoy exploring these historic highway segments. Hiking this route is like going through a time warp. You can't help but imagine what it was like to actually drive along this narrow twisting highway in the early 1900's. Driving from Mesa to Globe was likely an all day adventure. Driving the current US Highway 60 that parallels this route is nothing in comparison with current highway design and modern vehicles. While exploring Pinto Creek below the bridge, you can almost see and hear the families that would pull off the road to do the exact same thing that I was doing. It's pretty amazing to ponder those things.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Dam - Power Plant Historical Photograph

_____________________

MATTHEW 11:28-30 / PSALM 84:1-2

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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