Lower Red Rock Loop to Gooseneck Bend

This 23 January 2016 hike was based on the report of a 2001 hike posted by Joe Bartels on HikeArizona.com. The reported 2001 hike started at Lower Red Rock Loop Road, followed three horse trails which were reported at that time to be labeled S, R and A and ended at a gooseneck-shaped bend in Oak Creek. The author of the report called it the SRA-Gooseneck Hike.

The trails appear to have once been maintained by a riding stable located in nearby Elmerville. The stable has since closed and most trail signage has disappeared. S, R and A trails are still extant and are shown on the National Geographic Sycamore Canyon/Verde Valley Trails Illustrated topographic map¹ as non-motorized trails 115S, 155R and 115A. However, neither the National Geographic map nor a digital map (Arizona Topo Map), available as shareware from GPSFileDepot², show the trails located as described in the 2001 report posted on HikeArizona.com. The National Geographic map shows Trail R (115R) starting at the junction of present-day Forest road 9845 with Lower Red Rock Loop Road and running all the way to the Gooseneck. The Arizona Topo Map, on the other hand, shows Trail R in two unconnected parts, designated as Elmerville Spur R and Elmerville Spur R 001. It also shows Elmerville Spur S running east-west and crossing the north-south trending Elmerville Spur R. Elmerville Spur S now ends at a junction with the Lime Kiln Trail #82.

Garmin's Topo U.S. 24K Southwest map does not show these trails at all. The entire system of horse trails in this area is a protean mishmash. I think this is likely because these trails are not official National Forest Trails but were unofficially signed and maintained by the riding stable to suit their needs. As noted the stable is no longer in operation and it appears that no recent trail maintenance has been performed. A few signs still exist along the section of trail that is contiguous with FR 9845 and there were signs of recent trail riders.

These trail details are illustrated in the below map showing current trail configuration in the area.

Upper mishmash of trails and roads: the blue track shows FR 9845 and 115R, the black track shows a section of 115S trail connection between FR 9845/Trail 115R to Lime Kiln Trail; Lime Kiln Trail is shown in yellow (two sections); The cyan track is a short section of 115R connecting FR 9845 and Lime Kiln Trail; finally, the short section of red track at the bottom is Trail 115R as it continues on its way to the Gooseneck.

For an 11 January 2016 scouting hike we started where Lime Kiln Trail (Trail 82) crosses Lower Red Rock Loop Road, followed Trail 82 for 0.3 miles and then turned left onto Trail 115R for the remainder of the trip to the Gooseneck. For this 23 January 2016 Skyliner's hike, we chose to start at the Junction of FR 9845 with Lower Red Rock Loop Road and follow Trail 115R (as shown on the aforementioned National Geographic Sycamore Canyon/Verde Valley Trails Illustrated topographic map.

Having gathered at the Cottonwood Safeway parking lot, we left at about 0800, drove north on Hwy 89A for 13.7 miles and turned right onto Lower Red Rock Loop Road. We continued for another 4.5 miles, passing Elmerville Road turnoff on the way, before turning right and parking in a spacious area provided for horse trailers at the junction of Forest Road 9845 and Lower Red Rock Loop Road. From my review of the maps discussed above, I had determined that the first 0.6 miles of the forest road was also a part of Trail R (115R).

Additionally, we noted a Trail S (115S) sign posted along the way and another sign, posted just 0.4 miles from Lower Red Rock Loop Road, showing where Trail S leads off to the left (east) to intersect Lime Kiln Trail. All of the maps I have seen, that show this trail at all, have it skirting south of the community of Elmerville, crossing FR 9845 at this point and continuing on east to connect with Lower Red Rock Loop Road about 100 yards south of the Lime Kiln Crossing. It has since been modified on the east end to terminate at Lime Kiln Trail. I think the west end of the trail has also been modified to follow FR 9845 back to the horse trailer parking lot at Lower Red Rock Loop Road. This would make sense because the riding stable at Elmerville has closed and equestrian traffic is now centered on the parking lot. The end result is that the first 0.4 miles of FR 9845 now serves as both Trail S and Trail R.

Note that, because of the various designations shown of the different maps used for this hike, an individual route may be referred to as a trail or a spur . Additionally, it may be referred to as a trail with the numeral 115 preceding the alphabetical designation. Thus Spur R, Trail R and Trail 115R all refer to the route we hiked today. The common factor among these variations being, of course, the upper case letter.

We bushwhacked our way for a short distance on the way in, taking a cross-country route from from FR 9845 to the saddle where Trail R splits from Lime Kiln Trail to head for the Gooseneck. The gap is shown by the intersection of green, yellow and red tracks on the above map. For the return trip, we held strictly to the present track of Trail R (115R or Spur R) and that is the track recorded for this report.

Continuing along Trail R from the gap we found ourselves, for about the first 0.5 miles, following an old wagon road sloping downward along the side of a small peak. The trail then veered off the old road and climbed upward along the south slope of another small peak. We came out high above what must once have been a ranch headquarters located just across Oak Creek from the mouth of Turkey Creek.

Looking down on an old ranch headquarters from Trail R

Lila told us that she once knew a couple who served as caretakers for the ranch. At that time the descendants of the original owners were reportedly holding onto the property with plans to eventually build individual dwellings on it. It has since been developed and now contains several very expensive homes. According to a web search one home, located at 330 Eagle Mountain Ranch Road (34.805988, -111.852859), built in 2006, was sold for $3,799,000 last June. Another, at 350 Eagle Mountain Ranch Road, built in 2003, is listed for sale for $3,850,000. The road that runs to these properties was apparently once called South River Cliff Road. I suppose the developer thought Eagle Mountain Ranch Road was more marketable. Or perhaps the old site was once called Eagle Ranch.

Continuing down the rocky slope of a ridge running parallel to Oak Creek we got our first view of the Gooseneck Bend.

The Gooseneck – Oak Creek flows down one side of the ridge and then reverses

In the above photograph, the photographer is standing atop a steep cliff overlooking Gooseneck Bend. As illustrated by the below map, the gooseneck ends at a horseshoe-shaped bend rather than a goose head, a somewhat disappointing occurrence.

Gooseneck – ending with a horseshoe bend instead of a goose head

The red track on the above map shows Trail R to the crossing at Oak Creek, the yellow track shows Trail A as it runs up the gooseneck and crosses Oak Creek on the way back to Elmerville. The green track is a hand-drawn line showing the approximate path of Trail R as it crosses Oak Creek and ends at Trail A.

Although it was quite early for lunch when we arrived at Oak Creek, we stopped anyway. It was after all an ideal spot, exposed to the warm winter sun shining through the bare branches of the surrounding sycamore trees, with sun-warmed rocks to recline on and the pleasant sound of running water for background music.

We had no inclination to wade the creek, so after lunch we gathered by the river for a group photograph and then headed back the way we had come.

Left to right: Jim Manning, David Beach, Connie Woolard, Gary Jacobson, Karl Sink, Daisy Williams (front), Anita Jackson, Joanne Hennings and Lila Wright

Below are shown two photographs of the trail taken on the way back.

As the above photographs imply, the hike was only moderately difficult overall because the few steep, rocky climbs were offset by relatively level stretches of easy hiking.

Back at the viewpoint overlooking the Gooseneck, I took a few photographs to stitch into panoramic views.

 Oak Creek at lower left, Mingus Mountain at top left, Dave Beach at lower right

Continuing the panorama – note Dave Beach, now at lower left

As already noted, we followed Trail R all the way back to where we were parked, finding the trip back to be slightly shorter than the hike in had been.

Trail R measured just 2.6 miles one way but because we wandered around a bit on the first half of the hike we actually hiked a total of 5.5 miles rather than 5.2. The maximum elevation was 4096 feet and the total ascent (on the return trip) was 609 feet.

As already indicated this hike was originally planned, based on an old hike report, to include horse trails S, R and A to reach Gooseneck Bend. As it turned out Trail R, shown by the red track on the below map, now covers the entire distance to the Gooseneck.

1Available at: http://www.natgeomaps.com/sycamore-canyon-verde-valley-coconino-kaibab-and-prescott-national-forests

2Available at: http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/1/