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A new and lightly used trail that is gently undulating and overall downhill. A great warm-up!


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Map Key

1.6

Miles

2.6

KM

Point to Point

2,025' 617 m

High

1,852' 564 m

Low

0' 0 m

Up

173' 53 m

Down

2%

Avg Grade (1°)

3%

Max Grade (2°)

Dogs Leashed

Need to Know

As of 2018, the park entry fee is $7. It is possible to access this trail without going through the main gate, but you really should pay at the visitor center, which is just to the east of the trailhead. There are restrooms and water fountains at the visitor center.

Description

This trail was recently added to the official roster at the park (mid-2018), although, from the looks of the ground, it has been in use for quite some time. I found it from the new sign off the Moon Rock Trail, which is where Lost Sheep Trail joins up with the rest of the park's trail system. You can park in the visitors center parking lot, but you should definitely pay your park entry fee at the center before heading out. (This parking area is accessible without going through the main gate, but there is a paper sign to remind you that you still need to pay. Do us all a favor and please support the park!)

Despite being a newly-opened/approved trail, this one is very well defined and easy to follow. It is a mostly singletrack trail, and even wider than that in many areas. It seems to be most popular with mountain bikers at the moment, but it makes for a good hike, especially since it is mostly downhill as it heads away from the visitor center and towards the rest of the trail system. This is my new go-to trail when I hike to the park so that I don't need to spend time dodging traffic on the narrow park roads. While the trail runs parallel to the main road for about half of the time, you really do not get a lot of road noise, nor can you see the traffic unless you really look for it.

There are no branches off this trail, so I think it would be difficult to get lost. You can make an easy 5K hike by heading south on this trail and turning around when you hit the end (the sign where it joins Moon Rock Trail).

Flora & Fauna

General Sonoran desert flora and fauna. You can stop by the visitor center and say hello to "Al", the park's little desert tortoise in his outdoor area if he's not hibernating.

Contacts

Land Manager: Maricopa County Parks

Shared By:

Doug Baer

Trail Ratings

  4.0 from 2 votes

#13363

Overall
  4.0 from 2 votes
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Trail Rankings

#446

in Arizona

#13,363

Overall
6 Views Last Month
515 Since Sep 23, 2018
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Photos

Beautiful views...and another marker
Jun 9, 2019 near Apache…, AZ
Chainfruit blossoms. When everything else is shriveling up, they come out with the Saguaro blooms.
Jun 9, 2019 near Apache…, AZ
Remember to pay the parking fee if you start within the park. Example of the Maricopa Trail badge and arrow that you should follow.
Jun 9, 2019 near Apache…, AZ

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