I ventured out to the Granite Reef Recreation Area on the Salt River on March 14, 2020. I also hiked some trails on the Sonoran Desert Trail System. The recreation area is closed due to the Corona Virus (along with all recreation areas in the Tonto National Forest), but I noticed there were still ebird.org reports from there. So I called the Cave Creek ranger station, and they said we could park in a pull-out area south of Granite Reef, and walk in from there. I got there at about 7:30 AM, and walked along the freeway to the recreation area. I realize now I could have accessed the area from the back by walking along the canal.
I didn’t run into any other people at the Granite Reef Recreation Area. I also didn’t see a lot of wildlife – not nearly as much as I’ve seen reported on ebird. But, I always enjoy hiking along the river.
When I was headed back to the car from the east side, I noticed a gate and some fencing on the other side of the freeway. I’m guessing these things were added to keep wild horses off the freeway (I’d read that they were putting in improvements related to wild horses). I decided to check out the trail, and wound up hiking about 2.8 miles! I saw two other hikers on the trail, and a few mountain bikers.
The trail is called the Granite Trail, and it’s part of the Sonoran Desert Trail System. Granite Trail goes for about 0.8 miles until it hits the Ridge Trail, with a modest ascent of 183 feet. It reaches a nice viewpoint area. Rather than retrace my steps, I decided to continue along the Ridge Trail, because it looked like it would take me back to where my car was parked. I hiked about 0.8 miles to the Hawes Pig Trail, and then about 1 mile to the freeway, and about 0.25 miles back to the car. If I knew the trails better I could have reduced the distance by about 0.5 miles. The fence along the freeway required hiking to the gate, rather than taking a shorter route directly to my car. It was a nice hike. If you’re interested, you can see more info on the trails here.
It was great to get out of the house during this Corona Virus madness, and I always enjoy going to the Salt River.
2 Comments
Beautiful photos, Joe. I was wondering if you were getting out. If you and Mary Anne plan a nearby outing let me know. Now that I have flexibility I can plan my school day and would love to meet you there.
Thanks! I was hobbled for a while because I pulled a hamstring when Mary Ann and I went on a walk/run during this ‘lock-down’. It’s better now. I gave it a good test yesterday. I don’t have another trip planned now, but if it works out, it would be fun to go out with you.