SHEEP CREEK POINT
SHEEP CREEK
POINT
It has been
argued that hiking isn�t always about the destination�it�s the journey that
matters most. Still, objective-oriented hikes like those that culminate on mountain
summits or in secluded, special places have their merits.
But, their wham-pow payoffs
can eclipse what�s stuffed between the trailhead and the goalpost. Depending on
your point-of-view, the stuffing can be viewed as either a means-to-an-end or the
savory sweet filling between cookie wafers.
When compared to interest-packed nearby Mogollon Rim trails, the �stuffing� on Merzville Road that
runs between State Route 260 and Sheep Creek Point near Forest Lakes smacks of mediocrity.
Its narrow, nondescript course is a mix of graded dirt and rutted, rocky
passages. As a hiking route, the road has some obvious gigs. First, it�s open
to motorized use and is used frequently by ATV and dirt bike riders. Second,
with no spectacular natural features like those peppered throughout traditional
hiking trails, everything great about this journey happens where it dead-ends
at Sheep Creek Point.
It�s not as if the
road hike is terrible. There are oak-shaded wet meadows teeming with wild
turkeys and a beautiful section where mature Ponderosa pines and a fringe of
saplings create a sort of �green tunnel� that smells of butterscotch and fresh sap.
Ravens roost and crackle in the gnarly snags. Under the coniferous canopy,
wildflowers and mushrooms color the forest floor. The only obstacles along the
road that makes a straight shot south through patchy woodlands are occasional mud
puddles and uneven footing. Depending on where you parked along the road, the
hike to Sheep Creek Point is about 2 miles one-way. You�ll know you�re close
when canyon winds pick up and a broad mesa appears directly ahead.
A few more
minutes of walking brings you to a precipice at the border of the Apache-Sitgreaves
and Tonto National Forests. The exposed
nose of the point hovers above Valentine Canyon with views of historical OW
Ranch and the Canyon Creek Hatchery situated along green creek corridors 900
feet below. Across the chasm, the ragged, vertical cliffs of Mule Creek Point
to the east and OW Point to the west appear as flat-topped jetties with sporadic
stands of pines that survived the 2002 Rodeo-Chedeski Fire.
A stroll along the point�s margins reveals intriguing
glimpses of the hatchery complex. Managed
by the U.S. Forest Service (Tonto National Forest), the site�s water �raceways� produce an average of
80,000 pounds of trout annually that are used to stock Arizona�s lakes and
streams. Most of the trout
that end up in White Mountains waterways and 20% of the statewide supply begin their
journey here. This wind-in-your-face edge is the turnaround point
of a modest trek with a pretty sweet special place in the middle.
LENGTH: Depends
on where you park, but it�s 2.7 miles one way from SR 260 to the point.
RATING: easy
ELEVATION: 7530 � 7400 feet
GETTING THERE:
From the State
Route 260/87 junction in Payson, go 35.5 miles east on SR 260 to the community
of Forest Lakes. Just before milepost 289, turn right (south) on Merzville Road
(Forest Road 260B) and park in one of the many dirt turnouts within the first
half-mile. The road is open to motorized
use and turns into a very rough 4x4 track after about a mile.
POINT
 |
| View from Sheep Creek Point. |
It has been
argued that hiking isn�t always about the destination�it�s the journey that
matters most. Still, objective-oriented hikes like those that culminate on mountain
summits or in secluded, special places have their merits.
 |
| A marsh along Merzville Road |
But, their wham-pow payoffs
can eclipse what�s stuffed between the trailhead and the goalpost. Depending on
your point-of-view, the stuffing can be viewed as either a means-to-an-end or the
savory sweet filling between cookie wafers.
 |
| Western dayflowers bloom through September. |
When compared to interest-packed nearby Mogollon Rim trails, the �stuffing� on Merzville Road that
runs between State Route 260 and Sheep Creek Point near Forest Lakes smacks of mediocrity.
Its narrow, nondescript course is a mix of graded dirt and rutted, rocky
passages. As a hiking route, the road has some obvious gigs. First, it�s open
to motorized use and is used frequently by ATV and dirt bike riders. Second,
with no spectacular natural features like those peppered throughout traditional
hiking trails, everything great about this journey happens where it dead-ends
at Sheep Creek Point.
 |
| Canyon Creek Hatchery 900 feet below the point. |
 |
| Historical OW Ranch (mid-center) seen from the point. |
 |
| Ponderosa pines dominate the forests that flank the road. |
It�s not as if the
road hike is terrible. There are oak-shaded wet meadows teeming with wild
turkeys and a beautiful section where mature Ponderosa pines and a fringe of
saplings create a sort of �green tunnel� that smells of butterscotch and fresh sap.
Ravens roost and crackle in the gnarly snags. Under the coniferous canopy,
wildflowers and mushrooms color the forest floor. The only obstacles along the
road that makes a straight shot south through patchy woodlands are occasional mud
puddles and uneven footing. Depending on where you parked along the road, the
hike to Sheep Creek Point is about 2 miles one-way. You�ll know you�re close
when canyon winds pick up and a broad mesa appears directly ahead.
 |
| Canyon Creek Hatchery supplies 20% of AZ's game trout. |
A few more
minutes of walking brings you to a precipice at the border of the Apache-Sitgreaves
and Tonto National Forests. The exposed
nose of the point hovers above Valentine Canyon with views of historical OW
Ranch and the Canyon Creek Hatchery situated along green creek corridors 900
feet below. Across the chasm, the ragged, vertical cliffs of Mule Creek Point
to the east and OW Point to the west appear as flat-topped jetties with sporadic
stands of pines that survived the 2002 Rodeo-Chedeski Fire.
 |
| The fragrant "green tunnel". |
 |
| Aspen fleabane bloom through October. |
A stroll along the point�s margins reveals intriguing
glimpses of the hatchery complex. Managed
by the U.S. Forest Service (Tonto National Forest), the site�s water �raceways� produce an average of
80,000 pounds of trout annually that are used to stock Arizona�s lakes and
streams. Most of the trout
that end up in White Mountains waterways and 20% of the statewide supply begin their
journey here. This wind-in-your-face edge is the turnaround point
of a modest trek with a pretty sweet special place in the middle.
 |
| Shared-use Merzville Rd is a popular ATV route. |
 |
| Puddles and uneven footing are the hike's only obstacles. |
LENGTH: Depends
on where you park, but it�s 2.7 miles one way from SR 260 to the point.
RATING: easy
ELEVATION: 7530 � 7400 feet
 |
| Sheep Creek Point overlooks Canyon and Sheep Creeks. |
GETTING THERE:
From the State
Route 260/87 junction in Payson, go 35.5 miles east on SR 260 to the community
of Forest Lakes. Just before milepost 289, turn right (south) on Merzville Road
(Forest Road 260B) and park in one of the many dirt turnouts within the first
half-mile. The road is open to motorized
use and turns into a very rough 4x4 track after about a mile.
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