Sample Overland Route page
 AZ Traverse:5 | |
| Trail in Google Maps | |
|---|---|
| creator: | Jeremy Edgar (edgear) |
| Dates: | June 23-24, 2009 |
| Distance: | 53 miles |
| Trail time: | 12 hours |
| Difficulty (1-5): | 3.0 |
| Vehicle classes: | Narrow high-clearance 4WD Small/medium dualsport moto |
Photos (4-6)
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Location details
Southwestern United States, Arizona, Northern Arizona, Yavapai County, Wickenburg, Prescott, Bradshaw Mountains, Lake Pleasant
Summary
Old mining trails winding through the foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains south of Prescott, AZ heading up to the old mining town of Crown King.
Detailed description
This trail starts just north of Wickenburg, AZ (elev. 2,000 ft) on some very wide & graded dirt roads. The trail soon becomes much more narrow and difficult as it winds up into the foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains. There is a 3-mile section of deep sand through a wash bottom that can be very challenging on a motorcycle. Beyond that are several boulder/rock-crawling sections that require a good level of ground clearance, articulation, and driving skill. This trail passes several historic and abandoned mines; notably, Minnehaha and Copperopolis. It also takes you by the Isaac Bradshaw gravesite. The end point is the town of Crown King, AZ (elev. 5,700 ft) nestled high up in the pine trees. Gas, food & water are available here, either at the saloon or gas station/general store.
Terrain type / brush factor
Graded dirt road; not-maintained ranching/mining trails; sandy/boulder wash bottom; steep & loose climbs; 9+ feet wide trail
Medium brush factor
Permits? Fees? Seasonal closures?
Must have a street legal vehicle. If not street legal, the AZ OHV sticker is required for use on trail where permitted. No known fees at the current time for dispersed camping in established campgrounds. Much of the trail is not maintained, so based on snow/rain/flooding, trail conditions could change.
Attendees (vehicles/people)
Suzuki DR200 / Jeremy Edgar (tacozona)
Suzuki DR650 / Nathan Kroeker
KTM 950 Adventure / Scott Brady (expeditionswest)
History, geology, etc.
Crown King was an important hub for the mining industry in the area from the late 1800's to the mid 1900's. The town was named after the Crown King gold mine. The current saloon was, at one point in the past, a brothel. Some of the more notable mines that you will pas by on this trail are Orobelle mine, Minnehaha, and Copperopolis. Isaac Bradshaw was an important Arizona pioneer, and is buried alongside this trail. Wickenburg was named after an Austrian gold miner named Henry Wickenburg. The Wickenburg and Hassayampa River areas were unknown to non-native peoples until about 1860
General considerations
All services are available in Wickenburg. Nothing until Crown King, so be sure to fill up on fuel and have enough food & water for at least 3 days. Fuel is available in Crown King at about 50-100% more expensive than regular prices, but is not open 24 hours a day. There is a saloon/restaurant in town, and can get very crowded on the weekends. Also small convenience store at gas station.
Resources/links
GPS units/laptops used for tracking/navigation: Garmin eTrex Vista C; Garmin Vista; DeLorme PN-40; MacBook running WindowsXP
Navigation software used for planning/navigation: National Geographic TOPO!; Garmin MapSource Topo; Google Earth
Books/maps used for planning: Arizona Gazetteer
Crown King and Wickenburg histories
History of Isaac Bradshaw gravesite
Important waypoints as coordinates
Wickenburg trailhead: N33 58.314 W112 43.411
Important turns:
N34 02.543 W112 36.765
N34 05.059 W112 31.875
N34 05.608 W112 30.749
N34 05.349 W112 30.286
N34 01.540 W112 25.596
N34 05.478 W112 25.182
N34 08.875 W112 27.038
N34 09.834 W112 24.458
N34 10.356 W112 21.670
N34 11.885 W112 21.189
N34 12.321 W112 20.259
Crown King trailhead: N34 12.363 W112 20.378
