Skull Mesa Ruins • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Skull Mesa - Cottonwood Creek Loop

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 09 2025
		DesertNymph • Triplogs 81

Hiking	14.96 Miles	3,143 AEG

Hiking	14.96 Miles	10 Hrs 15 Mns	1.76 mph
	3,143 ft AEG	1 Hour 45 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

Vashti

** Stats copied from my hiking partner and her routescout log...I suffered an unfortunate technology fail right at the end of the hike and lost all my data...I probably should have attempted to force a save and sync when I got the low battery warning...alas.

We had an early morning start accompanied by a brisk breeze which was very welcome as the hike was a steady and sometimes steep grind to the top of Skull Mesa. While the hike steadily gains elevation, the grade was managed through the worst of the elevation gain with judicious use of switchbacks, which I was very grateful for. The approach goes through some very beautiful stands of cholla and saguaro with plenty of other low desert vegetation sprinkled in. Unfortunately, I failed in spotting either crested saguaro in the area (I was aware of two).

After enjoying the views while climbing to the summit of the mesa, it was still very nice to have a break on top - was pleasantly surprised to spot Weavers needle far in the distance! After our rest, we set off across the grasslands, using what game trails we were able to follow to try to speed things along - footing was okay, though there were definitely some areas that might have made trouble if not careful (hidden holes and soft dirt amongst the grass and rocks) we eventually found our way to the far end of the mesa and began our traverse to the far point where the "fort" stands. For the most part, route finding was straightforward though there is one slightly harrowing section towards the end where the established path is narrow and eroding with plenty of exposure. We failed find the petroglyphs on the mesa, and we forewent the final climb up to see the fort proper, though we enjoyed walking amongst the stacked rock walls of the pueblo and marveled at the number of pottery shards scattered throughout.

After scrutinizing the several routes we had downloaded and staring at the terrain and pondering the exposure on the descent requiring routefinding, we scrapped our original plans of making a loop from the ruins to join up with the Cave Creek Trail for our return and opted instead to retrace our steps. With all the wading through the grasses, I was glad that it's too early for snakes to be out. Even while attempting to be watchful of my footing, I managed several altercations with desert plants on the top of the mesa. Points awarded to an agave and likely several prickly pear for tagging me. While the agave drew blood (I stumbled and impaled myself on the offender), the prickly pear left me with an embedded spine through the uppers of my shoes that I had to extract once home.

Wildlife: Heard several cactus wren, saw some raptors overhead and watched some Ravens playing around. Also spotted a couple small lizards, but they darted off before I was able to identify them. On our way to the trailhead, we saw a small pack of three coyotes - one of which decided to hop a block wall while another decided it was going to roll around and mark a particularly interesting spot on the road.

Other hikers: one heading up for a late summit of Skull Mesa, and once we were on the main wide road-like thoroughfare back towards the car, a group of three ladies were headed in along with a lone photographer who looked like they might have been planning on sunset and night shots.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Ocotillo

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
The ocotillo in the area are determined. Saw a number with flowers or buds on them.

Dry

_____________________

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

2 archives

Feb 09 2025

Vashti

Guides 17
Routes 297
Photos 1,808
Triplogs 276

female

Joined Mar 11 2002
Gilbert, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 09 2025
		Vashti • Triplogs 276

Hiking	14.96 Miles	3,143 AEG

Hiking	14.96 Miles	10 Hrs 15 Mns	1.76 mph
	3,143 ft AEG	1 Hour 45 Mns Break

Linked

Skull Mesa - Cottonwood Creek Loop

Partners

partners

DesertNymph

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

Headed out at 6a for a 7a start. It was nice and cool with a bit of wind. After paying our $3, we were off! We saw the Rangers just getting things set up.

We opted to take the shortcut to shave off a mile. Not sure if this area is closed? The posted sign seems to point to yes, but if you took the shortcut going towards the parking lot, you would never see the closed sign, only a cairn marking the start of the trail from Cottonwood trail 247. From the Spur Cross trail/road, you turn right following the signage for mariposa hill.

The shortcut follows the park boundary fence line for quite a while. There are good views of the mansion houses and their roads during the climb up the ridge. The trail is mainly well defined with only a few sections that are faint. After the shortcut lets out onto Cottonwood trail 247, it is not too far until the gate and junction with skull mesa 248. At the beginning, there seems to be multiple trails, but after a while they all merge, and up to the Mesa you steeply go. The trail is good, but I was definitely happy to be heading onto the flat ground of skull mesa. We had a quick snack break and headed off across the mesa through dry grass, rocks, and prickly pear. The game trails are much appreciated. I was thinking how fast and pleasant this trip would be on an actual trail, ha! Of course then there might be hordes of people. We made it across the Mesa without incident and started over to the ruins. Everything was relatively uneventful except for a 15 ft long section of exposure which I didn't love while passing the last mound on the left (southeast) side before the ruins. This appeared the best way to go, but 5-inch wide trails plus dropoffs are not my fave. After the sketchy section, we enjoyed the ruins.

I was hoping for us to do a loop with Cave Creek trail 4 after coming down from the ruins. Well. A lot of triplogs go up/down by the ruins. These people are part mountain goat and FAR more fearless than me. I was studying the way down based on the route I downloaded. And any way I looked at it, it looked frightening and steep! Apparently, I am not part mountain goat!

It just looked like a scary cliff to me. We decided to head back the way we came. I had really wanted to make that loop, but we just couldn't find a way down that we were comfortable traversing. I was looking forward to being on trail after the scary down, but instead it was back across skull mesa and down down down back to the car. We passed very few hikers all day. We saw no one during most of the day, only a few people within a quarter mile of the parking lot plus one solo hiker headed up to the top of skull mesa as we headed down.

I was mighty disappointed not to have seen a single Petroglyph on skull mesa. I kept looking to no avail!! I will have to research more for next time.

It was an adventure on a new trail! A beautiful day to be out exploring!

Dry

_____________________

3 archives

Dec 21 2023

overthehillsfarawa

Routes 7
Photos 240
Triplogs 19

male

Joined Nov 24 2023
Tempe, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 21 2023
		overthehillsfarawa • Triplogs 19

Hiking	18.70 Miles	4,252 AEG

Hiking	18.70 Miles	7 Hrs 30 Mns		2.49 mph
	4,252 ft AEG		20 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

In my nascent adventuring career I've been measuring hikes and trail runs as successful depending
on whether I bled or not. Making a small exception for this one, as I don't believe it's humanly possible
to traverse the mesa without a little DNA impeding your LNT.
Drove in an ordinary 10 year old sedan - only the final 1-2 miles are unpaved but quite good condition.
Arrived at 6am, Spur Cross has a $3 fee but nobody was there to take it. Step over a low passage through
the right side of the gate, leave your $3 in an envelope at the station, detach the tab and carry it
with you.
I followed the "standard" trail route up 48 and across 247, but there is clearly a shorter trail on the map that cuts directly NE mentioned on other triplogs that would reduce mileage.
Upon reaching the top, once you start your way north you will encounter another small rocky ridge. I scrambled up it on the way out, but on the return found an easy path back down marked with cairns. The path is nice if you can find it, but I wouldn't waste too much time if you can just find a decent scrambling spot.
Past this you are completely on your own bushwhacking, save for game trails that occasionally mat down the grass slightly. The mesa had far more and denser vegetation than I expected, 3-4 miles each way of knee to waist high snake habitat, and larger bushes and cacti impeding visibility. Hidden between the thick bush are countless cacti, traversing the mesa was a bit of a slog as you had to plan every step. Even in December, it was warm enough in the middle of the day that I was a bit nervous of snakes. I would not attempt this outside of the winter months for that reason. I did not encounter any snakes, but did run across 3 whitetail deer in the middle of the top of Skull Mesa as a treat.
The petroglyphs were much more difficult to find than I expected, I eventually cheated and looked up the GPS marker. Even then, I was only able to find 1 rock, though it was spectacular. In Ruins Seldom Seen, the author mentions the petroglyphs are spread over a wide area. I searched for about half an hour but unfortunately didn't find any of the others.
Upon reaching the northern ridgeline, the 3 peaks and 2 saddles will be clearly visible. The third/farthest peak is the ultimate target, though it still looks quite far away. The first peak is rocky/bouldery, but up and over is not difficult, on par with Camelback terrain. At first I attempted another up and over of the second peak, but the descent side looked too steep and sketchy. From the top, I spotted a much better path and scrambled down to connect with it - skip the ascent completely, instead head low and down to the right and you can traverse a flat path around this peak.
The lower ruins will now appear, beginning with the long wall on the right, but there are numerous other rooms scattered about, and you can also find a number of pottery sherds gathered together on a rock by someone previously. The final peak is steeper than the previous 2 but well worth it, as the ruins at the top are spectacular, and being on a mountain top, the backdrops are stunning.
I went in late December, starting in the cold dark at 6am. It still became quite warm in the mid day sun. I took roughly a gallon of water which was just about right for me, over 7.5 hours. I did 18.6 miles but you should be able to do it in 15 or so if you cut the most direct routes possible.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Trash Hauled Out

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Skull Mesa

Feb 19 2023

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

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 19 2023
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,600

Hiking	14.12 Miles	3,137 AEG

Hiking	14.12 Miles	8 Hrs 2 Mns	2.11 mph
	3,137 ft AEG	1 Hour 20 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

RedChrisB

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

I had met Chris at the summit of 5057 a few weeks ago, and we had coordinated a hike for today. Got started around 0700 and took the shortcut over to Cottonwood trail. Kind of humid on the ascent up to Skull Mesa. Fairly easy walking across the top, mostly just dodging prickly pear. Wandered around the ruins, then retraced our steps back down. Only saw two other hikers all day, until the final half-mile, then we saw about a dozen. Good day, although a littke warm, and good to hike with Chris.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Saguaro - Crested

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

Jan 30 2022

trekkin_gecko

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

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Skull Mesa from Cave Creek TH, AZ

Hiking		Jan 30 2022
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	20.04 Miles	4,132 AEG

Hiking	20.04 Miles	10 Hrs 42 Mns	2.04 mph
	4,132 ft AEG	53 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

Skunk Tank Trail #246

Quien Sabe Trail #250

Skull Mesa Highpoint

Partners

partners

LindaAnn

got an invite from linda to hike to skull mesa ruins
i was up on skull mesa in 2015 from spur cross so this route and destination would be new territory
we got started around 0700
a little cool for me, but no wind, a dry creek crossing and some elevation gain took care of that
revisited much of the route to quien sabe peak; i remember very little about that hike

past the turnoff to the peak, the rest of quien sabe trail was new to me, as was the skull mesa trail on the east side
we did actually find the trail for the switchbacks up to the mesa - followed it better on the way down
hit the high point once up top, then set out for the little peninsula to the northwest
there are traces of skull mesa trail, but we couldn't stay on it for long
a drop and a couple of hills to get to the peninsula
we explored some of the lower ruins and found plenty of pot sherds
made our way to the upper set of ruins
great views from up there
pretty amazing location
we had lunch and took photos then headed back
found a use trail that skipped the first hill
tried to stay on skull mesa trail again, but ended up going way north on our return
probably a half mile out of our way, but on such a nice day it didn't really matter
dropped off skull mesa, and got to regain the 700 feet up quien sabe trail

i may have mentioned to linda a few times that i needed the elevation gain for the month
the rest was mostly downhill on the old roadbeds
another successful creek crossing and we finished before sunset
thanks for including me in this one, linda
i loved the ruins, and that little point is a spectacular place
enjoyed the cave creek approach and seeing how the more obscure trails tie together
even got a high point
nice long day in perfect weather
all that and a bag of chips

_____________________

hazhole

Jan 30 2022

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

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Skull Mesa from Cave Creek TH, AZ

Hiking		Jan 30 2022
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,600

Hiking	20.04 Miles	4,132 AEG

Hiking	20.04 Miles	10 Hrs 42 Mns	2.04 mph
	4,132 ft AEG	53 Mns Break

Linked

Skunk Tank Trail #246

Quien Sabe Trail #250

Skull Mesa Highpoint

Partners

partners

trekkin_gecko

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

I’ve had this hike on my radar since December, but kept getting distracted from actually getting it done, so I invited Kelly along so I couldn’t back out of it on yet another weekend.

Got to the Cave Creek TH just after 0700 and got started. Some cloud cover to start, but unfortunately it didn’t last too long. Got to the creek pretty quickly, and the water was low enough to cross easily.

Once on the other side, we headed up to Skunk Tank trail and headed west. Generally easy walking on the old road, although it is rocky in places.

At the junction with Quien Sabe trail, we headed south on Quien Sabe, again on a good trail/old road. After a steady uphill, we started dropping down and the road turned to just an old trail and faded somewhat after a while. It got easy to spot again as we continued heading downhill, but was once again rocky. After crossing a dry wash, the trail immediately headed back uphill, still vague in places.

We reached the junction with Skull Mesa Trail and took the south, then west. Again, a vague trail, but we had an idea of where we wanted to be and headed that direction, eventually finding the trail again and it steeply climbed the east slope up to Skull Mesa. Having at least an old trail bed to follow was a big help. Once atop the mesa, we headed over to the highpoint, then meandered off in the direction of the ruins. We weren’t too concerned with finding a trail, avoiding prickly pear was the main objective and as long as we were heading in generally the right direction, we were good.

As we got onto the peninsula leading to the ruins, we followed the obvious track. One scramble through the rocks, and a steep climb over the last little hill before the ruins. Some catclaw, but most easily avoided. We looked around the lower ruins, then headed up to the ruins at the top, where we had lunch. There were three other hikers up top, the only people we saw all day.

After we looked around and took plenty of pics, we headed back the way we came. At the little steep hill, Kelly spotted a trail leading around the southwest side of the hill. It completely avoided the steep climb up and over, so that is my new favorite detour.

Again a meander across Skull Mesa as we headed back east. We tried to follow cairns at times, but it turned into more of a scenic walk, which was fun to look around as we made our way over to where we drop off the mesa. After that, we retraced our steps all the way back to the trailhead, finishing up around sunset.

Great day, and a fun hike. While heading to the ruins from Spur Cross is certainly easier, this was a nice way to do something a little different. As always, good to hike with Kelly again.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ Rides

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

Dec 27 2021

John10s

Guides 25
Routes 376
Photos 5,897
Triplogs 346

40 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 27 2021
		John10s • Triplogs 346

Hiking	14.64 Miles	2,983 AEG

Hiking	14.64 Miles	10 Hrs 21 Mns	1.77 mph
	2,983 ft AEG	2 Hrs 5 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

linked

[ checklist ] Cave Creek Skull Mesa Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area Weavers Needle

Partners

partners

TboneKathy

We hiked to Skull Mesa earlier this month, and our goal today was to reach the ruins on the north end. We started at Spur Cross Ranch again, but this time took the 247A/247B shortcut (thank you to @LosDosSloFolks for the tip

), which takes a more direct approach to the south end of Skull Mesa and cuts ~1.5 miles off the route each way. We ignored the "Area Closed" sign this time, and the trail quickly leaves the county park and is easy to follow until it connects with Cottonwood Trail.

Up on top of the mesa, we took a slightly different route this time as we headed toward the north side, an we ended up coming across a small ruin with quite a few pot sherds, which was a nice surprise [ youtube video ] . We also passed a few random areas with pot sherds scattered around further north on the mesa. After getting within a mile of the main ruins site, I realized I no longer had the DSLR camera that I'd been carrying earlier...I'd stopped briefly somewhere along the mesa to put a sweatshirt on and must have forgotten to pick the camera up again.

As soon as I realized it was missing, I left all my stuff with @TBoneKathy and started running back to the south, retracing our route with the GPS. I ran back about a half mile and didn't find it, then gave up and turned around again, thinking we'd end up wasting the afternoon searching for it. Fortunately, I did end up finding it on my way back, though I ended up running around for an extra mile thanks to that mistake (not included in the mileage here). The GPS really saved us...without that, finding the camera would have been an impossible needle-in-a-haystack search with the lack of distinctive landmarks on the mesa.

That cost us some time, but we got moving again and made our way along the narrow ridge toward the main ruins site. Last time we were in the area, I hadn't noticed that there were also some low walls on the hill just south of saddle below the lookout ruin [ youtube video ] . We made our way around the left side of that hill and over to the main ruins complex. There was an impressive number of rooms along the edge and in the middle of that narrow section of the mesa [ youtube video ] , and a lot of pottery scattered around.

I made the short scramble up to the lookout and was pleasantly surprised by how much was up there--from below, we could only see one main wall, but there were quite a few rooms, and a large portion of the top of the ridge was enclosed by walls, similar to some of the other Hokokam sites in the area.

[ youtube video ]
[ youtube video ]

When I climbed back down to the saddle, we spent a little more time exploring the lower pueblos and found a lot of pottery, including some large, palm-sized pieces. In some areas there were so many pot sherds on the ground that it was almost impossible not to step on them...I hadn't seen concentrations of pottery like that outside of Agua Fria.

It was cool and windy as we returned across the mesa, and we came across a fairly fresh javelina carcass, with quite a bit of fur and most of the teeth still intact. We stopped for lunch at the small ruin we'd found on the way in and explored that site a little more, this time finding even more pottery than we'd first seen, including some larger pieces. I stopped at the overlook on the south end of the mesa before heading down the switchbacks [ youtube video ] , and the clouds really started to gather and get darker as we made our way down. A lot of the peaks off in the distance had been shrouded in low clouds all day, and eventually the clouds ended up enveloping Skull Mesa as well.

Over the last half mile, we had a spectacular show as the sun dropped below the clouds in the west, which not only made for a nice sunset but also lit up the base of Skull Mesa while the top was still in the clouds. It was a great way to finish off the hike, and with this being our final hike of 2021, also a fantastic finish to the year. The ruins exceeded expectations, we saw a few other interesting things we'd hadn't expected, and the clouds and sunset created a unique atmosphere...and finding the camera without wasting the whole afternoon was a nice bonus

.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Javelina

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sunset

2 archives

Nov 12 2020

LJW

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Quien Sabe Peak

Quien Sabe Peak

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 12 2020
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	21.18 Miles	3,920 AEG

Hiking	21.18 Miles	8 Hrs 44 Mns	2.57 mph
	3,920 ft AEG	30 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Quien Sabe Trail #250

Partners

none

no partners

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

Last year I did a loop with Skull Mesa and Quien Sabe from Spur Cross, and this year I tried to come up with a truer loop. Ended up with this route from Seven Springs to the Skull Mesa Ruins and Quien Sabe Peak that is shorter and has less elevation gain.

Started at sunrise, which was probably too early. Freezing cold and the sun wasn't high enough to light the yellow trees of Cave Creek or the canyon below Cramm Mountain. Water running the whole way down CC4. Too many cows have made waste of the middle stretch of the trail north of Skull Mesa.

Climbed up the side of the mesa to the higher ruins first then down to the lower. Mostly enjoy the ruins area for the views. Spent the next leg of the trip walking the entire length of the Mesa. Didn't bother to look for the trail. Tall cairns are around, but there's more or less no trail from the top of the Mesa to Quien Sabe Trail. There's a short switchback portion descending into the Matty's Fork drainage, but it's in rough shape and doesn't last long.

Quien Sabe Trail to east of Skunk Ridge. Up to Quien Sabe Peak where I saw the only people on the day. They had binoculars looking south, but we just exchanged waves, and I never got to ask what they were looking for. Descended south from Quien Sabe toward Skull Mesa Trail. Again didn't trouble with the trail that isn't there and climbed down to where it reappears on the ridge toward Cottonwood.

Took Cottonwood east from Skull Mesa. That half of the trail is much less scenic than the western half. Lots of cows. If I were to do this again I would skip this corner of Cottonwood and come down the ridge that leads away from Sabe to the northeast. Makes for an easier, shorter, more scenic hike.

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
Cave and Bronco Creeks within a mile of Seven Springs

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

5 archives

Feb 08 2020

Guides 99
Routes 1,484
Photos 16,072
Triplogs 1,374

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 08 2020
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374

Hiking	15.90 Miles	3,812 AEG

Hiking	15.90 Miles	7 Hrs 49 Mns	2.50 mph
	3,812 ft AEG	1 Hour 28 Mns Break

Linked

linked

[ checklist ] Geocache Hohokam Mano and Metate Hohokam Surface Structure Informational/Interpretive Sign

Partners

none

no partners

I decided to make my annual trek to the Skull Mesa Ruins today. We went up to the Mesa via the "conventional" route -- Spur Cross Trail to Cave Creek Trail #4 to Cottonwood Trail #247 to Skull Mesa Trail #248. Then we went off-trail across the mesa to the ruins. We returned the same way except this time we took Trail 247A (or is it 247B?) off of the Cottonwood Trail and connected to the Mariposa Hill Trail in the Spur Cross Park. This shortcut saved almost 1.5 miles on the way back.

This is a fun hike that is a good workout. Up on the mesa we found some petroglyphs that I have been trying to find for a couple of years -- some say that the glyphs are X-rated, but I am not so sure about that.

Walking up on the mesa did not seem as bad as it has in the past, maybe because I managed to avoid the prickly pear this time. Going down Trail #248 reminded me why it is one of my least favorite trails.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Black Mesa New River Mesa Skull Mesa The Flatiron Weavers Needle

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Inversion Layer

_____________________

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

1 archive

Dec 21 2019

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

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 21 2019
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,600

Hiking	14.21 Miles	3,022 AEG

Hiking	14.21 Miles	8 Hrs 21 Mns	1.87 mph
	3,022 ft AEG	44 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

Crzy4AZ

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

Met Laurie at Spur Cross at 0700, and we got started a few minutes later. At Mariposa Hill, we went past the Area Closed sign and took 247A up to Cottonwood, then east on Cottonwood. Saw one deer bounding north not far from the gate.

On the way up to Skull Mesa, I commented to Laurie that I always see campers up top, but that I couldn’t figure out how anyone could camp comfortably in all the rocks and cactus on the mesa. Sure enough, we topped out and saw two tents.

We headed north northwest across the mesa towards the ruins. After a short distance we ran across two guys who weren’t sure of the exact route to take to the ruins, so they ended up joining us on the hike across the mesa. Turns out, they were the campers whose tents we had seen. Lots of tall grass along the top, which obscured a lot of the prickly pear, so it was slow going in a few places.

Once at the ruins, we looked around and took a break, then headed back. Plenty of good conversation to fill the time during our tedious cactus avoidance endeavor. Saw another group of four hikers on our way back across the top. Once back across, we exchanged contact info with the guys before parting ways, then Laurie and I headed back downhill.

Saw group of five hikers on the way back down. Slow through the steep part, plus it was getting warm. Once back down, it was an easy hike retracing our steps back to the trailhead, finishing up a little before 1530. Nice to see Laurie again and good weather for this hike today. Definitely a cooler weather hike; the lack of shade and risk of snakes hidden in the grass up top makes this a hike I would never attempt in warmer weather.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Saguaro - Crested

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Skull Mesa

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

Dec 21 2019

Crzy4AZ

Guides 31
Routes 135
Photos 2,699
Triplogs 615

52 female

Joined Apr 02 2007
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 21 2019
		Crzy4AZ • Triplogs 615

Hiking	14.21 Miles	3,022 AEG

Hiking	14.21 Miles	8 Hrs 21 Mns	1.87 mph
	3,022 ft AEG	44 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

LindaAnn

My work and kid life schedule is always overbooked and rarely open - - but Linda is a planner - and we set this Saturday to hike somewhere together way back several months ago. I thought I needed to be back home by mid-afternoon to get ready for a holiday party - so we started early at 7 with good bit of wind and we both had ear coverage and light layers on. Linda is a curator of cool gear/outerwear, and I always leave a hike with a shopping list after a hike with her. Loving her wool (bien sur) arm sleeves that allowed her to wear short sleeve shirt and not have to shed a heavy layer couple hours later. Side note: I would make Linda "Wool-kopelli" if I was in charge of such things.

The time-saver route (barely breaking any rules to go 200 ft past sign into Tonto Forest) avoided some AEG - which was fine by me especially on the way back when my toes and knees were ready to be done. We had cloud cover for first hours - then beautiful blue sky. Temperature mid-day was lovely - although I don't have pants that serve as catclaw/cactus protectors AND are lightweight. Drank more water than I expected from being over-layered and used some of Linda's extra stash in the last mile.

Was quite the surprise to pick up the two stray hikers who did not find the ruins. Of course I have sympathy for the disappointment they were feeling before we invited them to follow us. I tried to find the ruins 11 years ago

triplog. I see why people would camp and then spend a separate day at the ruins - so much to pour over up there - although camping on the edge of Skull Mesa seems like a windy rough spot.

I saw way more petroglyphs in 2008 than I did yesterday (can I add pics to a photoset from 2008?

) but that's probably b/c I was so focused on my own feet and not twisting something or making toes hurt worse. WTH with my toes hurting? Same boots - good socks - same body weight - as usual hiking. Maybe just so much twisty/torque of scrambling or downhill for so long? I wanted a toe-transplant by the last mile. No blisters - and this morning they are fine. Maybe I'm just old and the toes are the canary in the coal mine.

It was a great day outside - super fun as always with Linda - 11 yr closure on ruin finding - and then I ended the day in my jetted tub with AZW beer I picked up (3 yr anniversary cans). Merry Christmas to all! (I swear there was a Christmas tree emjoi smile we used to be able to add???? Reindeer one - what happened to it?)

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Intrepid Back Shot

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cave Creek - SPRCA Skull Mesa

_____________________

Dec 21 2019

Yoder

Guides 8
Routes 70
Photos 3,208
Triplogs 273

59 male

Joined Oct 07 2017
Chandler, AZ

Spur Cross Cottonwood Loop, AZ

Hiking		Dec 21 2019
		Yoder • Triplogs 273

Hiking	0.10 Miles	1 AEG

Hiking	0.10 Miles	4 Hrs 9 Mns		0.03 mph
	1 ft AEG	30 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

no routes

no photosets

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

We decided to link sections of the Spur Cross, Skull Mesa and Cottonwood trails to make a 8.3 mile loop. This gave us a chance to check out the beginning of Skull Mesa Ruins hike for possibly checking this out later, it's a long one, but looks like it has great views.

Didn't realize it at the time, but crossed paths with Crzy4AZ going on the Skull Mesa Ruins hike the same morning. Bummed out I didn't say hello to them that morning, but generally we avoid other folks... we tend not to be very sociable.... need to work on that more.

Anyhow, the part of the ruin hike we did was very reasonable. The trail actually is easier to walk on than most of the trails in the Conservation area. Most of there trails has alot of the fist size rocks in the trail that ware on the feet after a while.

All-in-all a pretty pleasant hike.

_____________________

J. Yoder

3 archives

Jan 12 2019

Guides 99
Routes 1,484
Photos 16,072
Triplogs 1,374

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Skull Mesa and Chalk Canyon, AZ

Hiking		Jan 12 2019
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374

Hiking	15.10 Miles	3,075 AEG

Hiking	15.10 Miles	8 Hrs 40 Mns	2.56 mph
	3,075 ft AEG	2 Hrs 46 Mns Break

Linked

8 linked trail guides

Cave Creek Indian Ruins at Chalk Canyon

Metate Trail - Spur Cross

Partners

none

no partners

I took a few people on this hike that I had done a few weeks ago.

We made a loop out of the hike, starting and ending at the Spur Cross TH. We started out on the Spur Cross Trail, and about the time we got to the Tonto National Forest we made a short off-trail jaunt to hit Trail 247A, and then made our way up to Skull Mesa. After traversing the mesa to get to the fort ruins on the NW side of the mesa, we descended from the ruins down the east side of the mesa, and angled our way north and then west until we got to Cave Creek Trail #4. On the way back we stopped off at the Rim of Chalk Canyon to see some pueblo ruins, and then dropped down into the Canyon to check out some petroglyphs and metates.

Compared to the "standard" out-and-back route to the ruins, I'd estimate that this route was 2.5 miles shorter and had 800'-900' less elevation gain.

I found 3 geocache containers on the mesa.

_____________________

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

Dec 05 2018

Guides 99
Routes 1,484
Photos 16,072
Triplogs 1,374

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Skull Mesa and Chalk Canyon, AZ

Hiking		Dec 05 2018
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374

Hiking	18.10 Miles	3,500 AEG

Hiking	18.10 Miles	10 Hrs 15 Mns	2.41 mph
	3,500 ft AEG	2 Hrs 44 Mns Break

Linked

8 linked trail guides

Cave Creek Indian Ruins at Chalk Canyon

Metate Trail - Spur Cross

Partners

none

no partners

I had been to Skull Mesa and Chalk Canyon 3 times each but I had never done both on the same hike. So I talked Tracie into going on this hike with me in order to rectify that situation.

We started at the Spur Cross TH, and took the Spur Cross Trail into the Tonto National Forest. Once there, we went off trail for a bit to get on a use trail that connects with Cottonwood Trail #247 about a mile west from where the Cottonwood Trail meets Skull Mesa Trail #248. I had noticed that lindaagm came back this way from Skull Mesa, and I used her route to get over to this trail. I like this way much better than continuing on the Spur Cross Trail until it hits Cave Creek Trail #4, and from there taking the Cottonwood Trail all the way over to Skull Mesa Trail #248. The use trail was easy to follow, and I thought that it was a better trail than Cave Creek Trail #4, which I took on the way back.

Once we got to Skull Mesa Tail #248 we took it up to the mesa. It was a bit steep, but there are lots of switchbacks on the steeper sections, so the ascent wasn't bad at all. Once we got to the overlook, I looked to the east and could see some places that were obviously at a higher elevation than where we were at the overlook on the SW side of the mesa. My GPS measured the overlook at 4,260'. So we went about 1.25 miles to what I think is the high point of the mesa on the SE side of the mesa. My GPS measured 4,570', whereas the high point is supposed to be 4,595'. The altimeter in my GPS isn't 100% precise, and since I did not see any other points higher than where we were, I am going to declare victory on being at the high point of Skull Mesa.

We then went from the SE part of the mesa over to the NW corner of the mesa to the Indian Ruins. The traverse wasn't bad, although I did manage to get some prickly pear spines in the side of my shoes a couple of times. Along the way we came across some metates on the mesa (N33.93712° W111.92183°).

The fort ruins are impressive imho and are well worth the trip to see them.

On the way back, rather than going all the way back across the mesa, we dropped down to the east of the fort ruins. The slope there looked forgiving, and it turned out do be decent descent. We angled down first to the north and then to the west -- we hit Cave Creek Trail #4 in about 0.6 miles. The only problem is that after angling down the hill, my left leg is now shorter than my right one!

We took Cave Creek Trail #4 until we turned off to go the rim of Chalk Canyon and check out the petroglyphs and pueblo ruins there. Then we descended down into Chalk Canyon and saw a few more petroglyphs and metates. Then we continued south on the trail that took us to the Skull Mesa TH, and then went back to the Spur Cross TH. Once we got back into the Spur Cross Preserve, we took the Metate Trail back to the TH -- I much prefer the Metate Trail to the Spur Cross Trail.

Wildflowers Observation Light
There were a few wildflowers blooming: brittle bush; turpentine bush; and globemallow, among others

_____________________

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

Mar 17 2018

emilystardust

Routes 386
Photos 49
Triplogs 792

43 female

Joined Jun 23 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 17 2018
		emilystardust • Triplogs 792

Hiking	20.00 Miles	1,970 AEG

Hiking	20.00 Miles
	1,970 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

I've only been out to Spur Cross once, so the trails and boundaries were a little confusing but not too bad. I think everyone got stuck with cactus spines multiple times each on this hike

So needless to say, lots of cactus very close to the trail and of course, throughout the off-trail slog over to the ruins. The ruins were pretty incredible, though not everyone wanted to go to the top of the hill to see the wall at that point. We took a little detour/wrong turn on the way back, so it ended up being a few more miles than we anticipated. Just a silly mistake that easily could have been avoided after we turned back on to Spur Cross Trail.

_____________________

Mar 17 2018

Nightstalker

Routes 189
Photos 7,236
Triplogs 1,740

57 male

Joined Apr 25 2011
Goodyear, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 17 2018
		Nightstalker • Triplogs 1,740

Hiking	18.10 Miles	4,088 AEG

Hiking	18.10 Miles	11 Hrs 21 Mns		2.04 mph
	4,088 ft AEG	2 Hrs 29 Mns Break	17 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

Skull Mesa - Cottonwood Creek Loop

Cottonwood Spring Loop - Cave Creek

Partners

none

no partners

Prepping for a Grand Canyon hike at the end of the month, I finally crossed this one off my list. I was joined today by harem regulars Carey and Pammy. We followed the Cottonwood Spring Loop counter-clockwise out to Skull Mesa. We encountered some campers near the Skull Mesa / Cottonwood intersection who were also destined for the ruins at the far end of the mesa. Once we got to the top of Skull Mesa, we mistakenly continued to follow trail #248 east until we realized we were going in the wrong direction. No big deal, we worked our way back to our desired route. Not much of any trail to follow across the top of Skull Mesa to get out to the ruins. We had a great time exploring the ruins and enjoying the views before making our way back to Cottonwood Trail. We followed Cottonwood Trail all the way back to Spur Cross and then returned to much desired parking lot. This was my longest duration, longest distance, and greatest AEG hike! Can't wait to beat it.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Balloon

	Cottonwood Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Water present

	Dirt Trough Creek	Light flow	Light flow
	Slight running water and small pools

_____________________

Mar 04 2018

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

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 04 2018
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,600

Hiking	14.63 Miles	3,578 AEG

Hiking	14.63 Miles	7 Hrs 44 Mns	2.04 mph
	3,578 ft AEG	34 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

Perfect day for this one--cool, cloudy, and breezy. Started around 8:00am, and made my way over to Skull Mesa. Once past the trailhead, I only saw two people a few miles in. Had a quick snack at the top, then headed over to the ruins. It was cool enough for a mile or so to need to wear a light jacket. Had lunch at the ruins, then headed back. Saw a couple of mule deer running across the mesa, but not much else. The clouds had mostly disappeared on my way down, and it warmed up a little, but still very nice. After Cottonwood Spring, I headed west on 247A. It gets vague in a couple of spots, but mostly easy to follow. Scared up another deer on that trail too. Finished up around 3:45. Nice to get this one done before it gets too warm. I'd hate to be walking through that tall grass on the mesa in warmer temps while having to worry about hidden rattlers.

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

Nov 24 2017

Guides 99
Routes 1,484
Photos 16,072
Triplogs 1,374

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 24 2017
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374

Hiking	17.50 Miles	4,000 AEG

Hiking	17.50 Miles	9 Hrs 2 Mns	2.56 mph
	4,000 ft AEG	2 Hrs 12 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Six intrepid hikers decided to #OptOutside on Black Friday and hike up to the Skull Mesa ruins. The first 2 miles were very easy, and the next 3 miles were fairly "normal" for an Arizona hike on a trail in a national forest. The next 1.2 miles up to the top of Skull Mesa were a bit more strenuous, but not too bad. The hike from the top of the mesa to the ruins was totally off-trail through knee high grass with lots of prickly pear cactus along the way. Thankfully the gps track that I downloaded from HAZ took us right to the ruins. The fort ruins were very interesting and are worth going to imho. I did not see the pueblo ruins, although I did not really know what to look for. I also did not see any of the petroglyphs that are supposed to be there. There were some pottery shards scattered around though.

I made one deviation from the gps track: as we neared the ruins, rather than going up and over the second peak that you come to, I went around it on the west side. There was a faintly marked trail to follow, and it was much easier than going up and over this peak.

On a future hike, on the way back from the ruins I am going to explore the feasibility of going from the ruins over to Cave Creek Trail #4. There will be a descent involved, but it should shorten the route back by over 2 miles.

I have done this hike twice over the past month and saw wildlife both times: the first time I came across a half dozen or so javelina; the second time I saw a tarantula on Trail #247, and I came across a deer leg on top of the Mesa.

We made good time on this hike, with a moving avg. of 2.6 mph. We spent about 2 hours of 'downtime", mostly on top of the initial summit to Skull Mesa, and at the fort ruins.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Barrel Cactus

_____________________

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

4 archives

Feb 11 2017

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

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 11 2017
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,600

Hiking	15.09 Miles	3,496 AEG

Hiking	15.09 Miles	8 Hrs 10 Mns	1.98 mph
	3,496 ft AEG	33 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

danielac

Daniela finally had a free weekend, and she wanted to do a longer hike. I didn't want to drive too far, and have spent plenty of time in the Superstitions lately, so Skull Mesa fit the bill. We were treated to a nice sunrise on the drive in, and pleasantly cool temps at the start of the hike. We turned off at Mariposa Hill, and followed the trail northeast to Cottonwood--saves some distance and time.

Took a quick break at the junction with Skull Mesa trail, then headed up. I still don't think the hike up is very difficult, but the random guy who was about ten minutes behind us would beg to differ. At the top, we took a snack break, then headed over toward the ruins. At times, there was a distinct path to follow, at other times there was nothing, but common sense (with the aid of a gps track) tells you which way to generally go.

Once at the ruins, Daniela and I looked around and took pics. I wanted to go to the hilltop to look at the ruins up there, but Daniela decided it was too steep for her (I did point out that it wasn't any steeper than anything I'd already made her do today, but she laughed at me), so I headed up by myself. I spent a few minutes up there, then headed back down and we made our way back across the mesa.

The walk back seemed to go a little faster, and the hike back down off the mesa was uneventful. We continued along Cottonwood trail to the spring, then headed west from there, connecting back to our original trail. The last few miles were a little warm as the cloud cover had somewhat dissipated.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cheatgrass

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

Apr 15 2016

JasonCleghorn

Routes 173
Photos 1,613
Triplogs 285

50 male

Joined Nov 11 2014
Manchester, NH

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Apr 15 2016
		JasonCleghorn • Triplogs 285

Hiking	12.19 Miles	2,859 AEG

Hiking	12.19 Miles	5 Hrs 14 Mns	2.48 mph
	2,859 ft AEG	19 Mns Break

Linked

linked