Wild Horse-Maricopa Trail Usery Mountains Segment
Wild
Horse-Maricopa Trail Usery Mountains Segment
The Salt River
Recreation Area north of Mesa is a well-known destination for kayaking, tubing,
fishing and picnicking. Although there are also some hiking trails near the
water, riverside commotion, noisy crowds, entry fees and mounds of trash
left behind by careless day trippers are buzz kills for trekkers in search of
beauty and solitude. However, a nearby system of trails that overlooks the area
offers peaceful wandering.
The Sonoran
Desert (Hawes) Trail System in Tonto National Forest has more than 20 miles of
interconnected paths located between Usery Pass Road and Bush Highway just
south of the popular recreation area. The northern-most route in the system is the
Wild Horse Trail which is also part of the Valley-circumnavigating Maricopa
Trail. As its name suggests, the trail passes through the domain
of wild horses.
The elegant and
sometimes controversial beasts can be spotted wading in the river, poking
around in the riparian corridors and grazing in the surrounding desert
foothills. Regardless of where you
might see them, it�s smart to keep your distance and enjoy the herds from afar. The Wild Horse/Maricopa Trail escapes the din of the crowds and is also high enough in the hills to afford
inspiring vistas of the Salt River Valley, Four Peaks, Red Mountain and the
Usery Mountains. Staring from the trailhead on Usery Pass Road, the trail heads
out through wide washes and scoured gullies. You�ll cross an old �NRA pit�
where rusting bullet casings, broken glass and other relics of target shooting
activities remain in the sandy, buffered depression.
Shooting is no
longer allowed there, but the sounds of gunfire can be heard from the Usery Mountain
Shooting Range to the south. Once
through the pit area, the pop-pop of rifles and revolvers is muffled by a
corrugated terrain of arroyos, ravines and gently rolling hills. Beyond the
half-mile point, the hike takes on a surprisingly remote feel. The green band
of the Salt River snakes through a chiseled landscape to the north, then arches
south where it wends around Red Mountain in the Granite Reed Dam area. The trail bears the hallmarks of its mountain
biker origins.
Hairpin turns, swooping
stretches and lots of swift-and-smooth roller coaster segments make for an
ever-changing hike with surprises around every bend. What little shade the trail has is provided by
pockets of ironwood and Palo Verde trees that thrive in water-whittled
ravines. Another noteworthy botanical
attraction here is a smattering of saguaro cacti skeletons in various stages of
decomposition.
Their woody cores with
sponge-like patterns and haunting postures lie bare the internal structure of
Arizona�s iconic plant. The Wild Horse
Trail ends at the 3.3-mile point but you can continue hiking on the Maricopa
Trail for another 4.2 miles to Bush Highway for watery views and the best
chance to see mustangs in the mist.
LENGTH: 3.3
miles one way for Wild Horse Trail or 7.5 miles one way for Maricopa Trail section to Bush Hwy.
RATING: easy
ELEVATION: 1320' - 1880'
GETTING THERE:
From US 60 in
Mesa, take the Ellsworth Road exit 192 and go 9 miles north (Ellsworth turns
into Usery Pass Road) to the Wild Horse trailhead on the left. The trailhead is
marked by a Maricopa Trail sign and a no-shooting post. There�s space for
about 6 vehicles in the dirt turnout parking area.
Maricopa Trail:
Maricopa Trail
& Park Foundation
Global Bikes
Sonoran Desert (Hawes) Trail System Maps
Horse-Maricopa Trail Usery Mountains Segment
 |
| Cholla cacti are abundant along the Wild Horse Trail |
The Salt River
Recreation Area north of Mesa is a well-known destination for kayaking, tubing,
fishing and picnicking. Although there are also some hiking trails near the
water, riverside commotion, noisy crowds, entry fees and mounds of trash
left behind by careless day trippers are buzz kills for trekkers in search of
beauty and solitude. However, a nearby system of trails that overlooks the area
offers peaceful wandering.
 |
| Four Peaks as seen from the trail. |
The Sonoran
Desert (Hawes) Trail System in Tonto National Forest has more than 20 miles of
interconnected paths located between Usery Pass Road and Bush Highway just
south of the popular recreation area. The northern-most route in the system is the
Wild Horse Trail which is also part of the Valley-circumnavigating Maricopa
Trail. As its name suggests, the trail passes through the domain
of wild horses.
 |
| Saguaro skeletons add interest to the hike |
The elegant and
sometimes controversial beasts can be spotted wading in the river, poking
around in the riparian corridors and grazing in the surrounding desert
foothills. Regardless of where you
might see them, it�s smart to keep your distance and enjoy the herds from afar. The Wild Horse/Maricopa Trail escapes the din of the crowds and is also high enough in the hills to afford
inspiring vistas of the Salt River Valley, Four Peaks, Red Mountain and the
Usery Mountains. Staring from the trailhead on Usery Pass Road, the trail heads
out through wide washes and scoured gullies. You�ll cross an old �NRA pit�
where rusting bullet casings, broken glass and other relics of target shooting
activities remain in the sandy, buffered depression.
 |
| Overlooking the Salt River Valley |
Shooting is no
longer allowed there, but the sounds of gunfire can be heard from the Usery Mountain
Shooting Range to the south. Once
through the pit area, the pop-pop of rifles and revolvers is muffled by a
corrugated terrain of arroyos, ravines and gently rolling hills. Beyond the
half-mile point, the hike takes on a surprisingly remote feel. The green band
of the Salt River snakes through a chiseled landscape to the north, then arches
south where it wends around Red Mountain in the Granite Reed Dam area. The trail bears the hallmarks of its mountain
biker origins.
 |
| View of the Salt River near Bush Highway |
Hairpin turns, swooping
stretches and lots of swift-and-smooth roller coaster segments make for an
ever-changing hike with surprises around every bend. What little shade the trail has is provided by
pockets of ironwood and Palo Verde trees that thrive in water-whittled
ravines. Another noteworthy botanical
attraction here is a smattering of saguaro cacti skeletons in various stages of
decomposition.
 |
| A brief section with shade |
Their woody cores with
sponge-like patterns and haunting postures lie bare the internal structure of
Arizona�s iconic plant. The Wild Horse
Trail ends at the 3.3-mile point but you can continue hiking on the Maricopa
Trail for another 4.2 miles to Bush Highway for watery views and the best
chance to see mustangs in the mist.
 |
| Maricopa Trail and Wild Horse Trail follow the same route |
LENGTH: 3.3
miles one way for Wild Horse Trail or 7.5 miles one way for Maricopa Trail section to Bush Hwy.
RATING: easy
ELEVATION: 1320' - 1880'
GETTING THERE:
From US 60 in
Mesa, take the Ellsworth Road exit 192 and go 9 miles north (Ellsworth turns
into Usery Pass Road) to the Wild Horse trailhead on the left. The trailhead is
marked by a Maricopa Trail sign and a no-shooting post. There�s space for
about 6 vehicles in the dirt turnout parking area.
 |
| Red Mountain |
Maricopa Trail:
Maricopa Trail
& Park Foundation
Global Bikes
Sonoran Desert (Hawes) Trail System Maps
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