13-mile Rock to Clear Creek on Crook Trail

On 08 February 2014, thirteen Skyliners hiked on General Crook Trail from 13-mile Rock to West Clear Creek at the junction of Forest Road 626 and Hwy 260. This was a second hike for several members of our group, as we had scouted the trail on 30 January.

We drove east through Camp Verde on Hwy 260 and turned left onto Forest Road 626 near MM 227, just before the highway crosses West Clear Creek. We drove about 0.8 miles on FR 626, passing the turn off for the Clear Creek Campground, and parked one vehicle at the day use area. A large parking area and a toilet are provided. We then returned to Hwy 260 in the other two vehicles and continued east for about seven miles, dropping some of our hikers off at the junction with FR 9243B (above), just past MM 234. At this point we were about 0.5 miles southwest of 13-mile Rock and this is where we started our 30 January scouting hike. However, for this hike, I wanted to drive another 0.6 miles along the highway to a point just past the rock and pick the trail up there. Several of the hikers went with me and we drove to just east of the rock, parked alongside the road, and hiked along the slope above Hwy 260 for about 0.7 miles to intersect with FR 9243B where the rest of the group were waiting.

As we followed along the original General Crook Trail (actually a wagon road), we were guided by chevrons (left), old rock cairns, an occasional post set in a supporting circle of rocks, a few places where trees had been trimmed to permit easier passage and the faint trace of the old wagon road itself. Some of the rock cairns had been knocked over by cows and were little more than piles of rock. A few were wire bound and still in pristine condition.

Looking back from the trail, we had a clear view of 13-mile Rock, looming in the near distance.

13-mile Rock seen from Crook Trail

For a good part of the way, we were able to follow along old dirt roads that ran parallel to the original Crook Trail and between it and Hwy 260. These roads, constructed later than Crook Trail and before Hwy 260 was completed appeared to be primarily sections of the road that was replaced by the present highway. I am not sure when this section of AZ 260 was built. However, we did note a highway survey marker dated 1971 located along the slope below 13-mile Rock.

In many places the dirt road was just yards away from the original trail and we followed it because it was much easier to hike on. The original Crook Trail was largely washed out, overgrown in places and often very rocky. The dirt roads were, on the other hand, mostly clear and free of rocks, In several places, we saw the remains of old corrugated iron culverts that had served to carry water under the dirt road. When no better route was available, we just followed the original trail as closely as possible. The following two pictures show sections of the old wagon track.

Section of the original Crook Trail running down the center between the trees

Note the large rock cairn, just above the black stump in the middle of the photograph above. The 

old wagon road ran just to the left of the cairn.

A little over four miles from the start of our hike someone noted that it was noon and we stopped at a nice overlook for lunch. I had a thermos of hot tea, but opted to forego the tea in favor of a quick nap. After lunch, we posed for a group photograph. West Clear Creek runs down the far canyon visible above the hikers in the below photograph.

Left to right: Gary Jacobson, Ruth Frazier, Daisy Williams, Frank Lombardo, Connie Woolard, the

 author (sitting), Terry Johnson, Lila Wright, Collene Maktenieks, Dave Beach, Beverly Sass and 

Jim Manning  – photograph by Name Withheld

We had been following closely along the Hwy 260 for most of the hike. However, about 5.5 miles from 13-mile Rock, we turned away from the highway and headed down the slope toward the West Clear Creek crossing, located about 1.3 miles upstream from where Hwy 260 crosses the creek. After turning away from the highway, we descended sharply toward the creek and found that the old road was very badly washed out in one place, leaving little but loose rocks for footing. Luckily, the really bad section was short and soon ended at a gate alongside the creek. The gate was wired securely shut and would have required pliers to unwire, so we descended the creek bank along the fence just to the left of it and and found a place to slip through.

Pedestrian gate at West Clear Creek

Beverly, Ruth, Jim and Gary are shown crossing the creek. I was on high alert with my camera 

to record any mishaps, but no one cooperated by falling.

After the crossing, it was only 0.7 miles downstream to the day use area where we had parked one vehicle. When we reached it, the three drivers left to retrieve the two vehicles parked at 13-mile Rock. The rest of us hiked another 0.8 miles to the Hwy 260 and waited for their return.

According to my GPS the one-way distance from 13-mile Rock to the West Clear Creek Crossing was about 6.0 miles and the distance from there to Hwy 260 at Clear Creek was 1.5 miles, so the total hike distance was 7.5 miles. Those hikers who were dropped off at FR 9243B, hiked about 6.9 miles. The highest elevation was 5069 feet and the elevation difference was 1869 feet. This hike was basically downhill all the way.

The included map (below) shows the entire trail from 13-mile Rock to the West Clear Creek crossing and then on to the junction of FR 626 with Hwy 260 at Clear Creek.