Passage #20 - Four Peaks

Location:  Roosevelt Lake to Lone Pine Saddle

Length:  19.5 miles

Southern Trailhead:  Vineyard Trailhead - Hwy 88
- GPS Coordinates:  33.67650° N, 111.16104° W

Northern Trailhead:  Pigeon Spring/Lone Pine Saddle Trailhead - FR 648
- GPS Coordinates:  33.71095° N, 111.33618° W

Trail Route Description:  This passage begins on the north side of the Roosevelt Lake Bridge at the Vineyard Trailhead on Highway 188. The trail climbs immediately along Inspiration Point, passes the radio towers and then passes north of Vineyard Mountain. It climbs up to the Mills Ridge Trailhead and from here a trail (#130) continues up and reaches the Four Peaks Wilderness boundary. The trail drops into Buckhorn Creek and then goes up again, passing Hackberry Creek and finally reaching Granite Spring. From here a new section of #130 heads north and then west, skirting around Buckhorn Peak. Heading north again the trail intersects with the Alder Creek Trail (#82) and then the Oak Flat Trail (#123) where it turns left and soon reaches Shake Spring. From here the trail works its way north and west to Pigeon Spring, climbs southwest on an old roadbed, and finally comes to the Pigeon Spring Trailhead on FR 648.

Difficulty:  Difficult

Season(s):  All year. Snow can be present at higher elevations after winter storms and lower elevations can be quite warm in summer (current weather forecast)

Water:  Water can be found at Roosevelt Lake and sometimes at Shake Spring and Pigeon Spring.

Notes/Warnings:

• All water along this passage should be purified prior to use.
• Mountain bikes are prohibited in the Four Peaks Wilderness.

Resources:

• Passage 20 Blog
• USGS Topographic Maps: Theodore Roosevelt Dam and Four Peaks
• Tonto National Forest map.
• Four Peaks Wilderness map.
• BLM Information Center maps.

For more information, contact:

• The Passage Steward
• Tonto National Forest, Tonto Basin Ranger District, Hwy 88, HC02 Box 4800, Roosevelt, AZ 85545   (928) 467-3200.
• BLM Information Center  (602) 417-9300.

Current Trail Information:
12/2011 - The passage corridor has been completely cleared and is passable along the entire length of the trail with a few overgrown sections near Bear Saddle and between Granite Springs and Mills Ridge. Poor tread conditions exist throughout; water conditions vary throughout the year. It is recommended to have adequate navigation aids and skills before hiking this passage, including a GPS receiver loaded with current track data, along with map and compass.