Black Mountain East

Trail Overview

This is a beautiful, easy trail on the east side of Black Mountain. Access off Highway 60 is through a wire gate. Livestock graze in the area, and there is signage to keep gates closed. Horses are among the livestock roaming the area. There is a gatekeeper to get up past the wire gate. After that, the trail is an easy, well-maintained dirt road. The trail runs up and down some hills, presenting beautiful views of the valley below. One hill has an adventurous flexi obstacle that can be taken up or down. The main trail bypasses around it. The area is dense with saguaro cacti and desert critters. Keep your eyes peeled for roadrunners, quail, coyotes, and hawks above. At the end of the trail is a large area for gathering cattle. It has a large corral, watering tanks, some fallen decrepit structures, and an old outhouse. This area could be used to dispersed camp; however, a lovely open, secluded, dispersed campsite is a little further down the trail around the curve. The trail ends at this campsite. Beyond, it turns into the wash and becomes the more challenging Black Mountain West trail. There is some cell service on the trail. There are 1-2 bars of intermittent AT&T cell service.

Photos of Black Mountain East

Want to see more?

Login

Difficulty

The entrance to the trail has a washout at the wire gate. The rest of the trail is a two-lane. It's an easy dirt trail that is well-maintained. Expect one or two small sand washes to cross and a few little washouts across the trail to navigate from water runoff. There's one downhill section with a fun bypass section that gets flexy, but the main trail goes around it. As long as you can get over the gatekeeper, the rest of the trail is doable.

History

This route is on Arizona State Trust Land. This land requires a yearly permit that can be purchased and printed online. The permits allow certain recreational activities, including camping, bicycling, bird watching, GPS-based recreational activities (geocaching), hiking, horseback riding, off-highway vehicle (OHV) usage, photography, picnicking, and sightseeing. There are a few permit options depending on your use type: An Individual Permit is $15 and grants a single person access to State Trust Land for the above-listed purposes. The permit is good for one year from the date of purchase. A Family Permit costs $20 and grants a family unit (two adults and their children under 18) access to State Trust Land for the above-listed activities. The permit is good for one year from the date of purchase. A Small-Group Permit costs $15 and grants up to 19 people access to State Trust Land locations for five consecutive days for certain types of non-commercial recreational activities, including the above-listed activities. The permit is good for one year from the date of purchase. A Large-group Permit is for a group larger than 20 people. You must apply for this size separately online and be approved for group activities of this size. Responsibilities: Permittee(s) shall respect the land and adhere to the terms and conditions of the permit at all times. Permittee(s) shall comply with all federal, state, county, and municipal laws and ordinances while on State Trust Land. The Permittee(s) shall have the permit with them at all times while recreating on State Trust Land and have it readily available if stopped by law enforcement or any State Land Department staff. The Permittee(s) shall not remove natural products from or visit archaeological sites on State Trust Land. The Permittee(s) shall not create or leave any trash on State Trust Land, except for geocaches placed according to ASLD. The Permittee(s) shall not discharge a firearm on State Trust Land except pursuant to lawful and licensed hunting. An ASLD Recreational Permit is not required for individuals with a valid hunting and fishing license who are actively pursuing game or fish. The Permittee(s) shall only participate in OHV usage on State Trust Land with an ASLD Recreational Permit and an OHV decal or license plate. The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) is the issuing agency for the OHV decal, certificates of title, registrations, and license plates.

Technical Rating