4X4 Off-Road Trails in Western Arizona
Four-Wheel Jeep Trails in Arizona
The Best ATV Trails in Arizona
Jodi "Jato" Thornton, Leaf Group Updated February 28, 2018
Explore Arizona's rugged country on the best ATV trails. (Photo: Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images )
Sightseeing in Arizona Along Highway 40
Off Road 4x4 4-Wheeling Jeep Trails in Tucson, Arizona
With more than half of the state's land managed for public enjoyment, ATV riding opportunities are practically unlimited in Arizona. Trails wind through towering forests, red rock canyons and rolling desert, allowing you to choose your favorite terrain and riding conditions based on the time of year. While ATV trails in the state won't leave you disappointed, you won't want to miss a few that stand out.
Tales of Lonely Trails - The Best Long Trail
The Great Western Trail runs 800 miles through Arizona from the Mexico border north to Utah. The trail is a series of existing back roads that run more than 3,000 miles from the Mexican border to the Canadian Border. Enjoy riding rugged forest roads in Kaibab, Coconino, Tonto and Coronado National Forests. Shared by ATV and other off-road vehicles as well as mountain bikers and horseback riders, the trail winds through Tucson and Phoenix before ascending into the Verde Valley and up to the pine forests near Flagstaff. It exits the state through the Kaibab National Forest north of the Grand Canyon.
The Lawless West - Best Old West History
Known as the "town too tough to die," Tombstone is a convenient start to an ATV journey into the Dragoon Mountains along the Ghost Town Trail. The rutted, uneven dirt road was once a stagecoach trail connecting Tombstone with the formerly prosperous mining towns of Gleeson, Courtland and Pearce. Camp at the Cochise Stronghold Campground near Pearce and then wind your way back along more rugged ATV trails to Council Rock – where Cochise signed a treaty ending a war between the Apaches and settlers – before heading back to Tombstone. The route covers more than 100 miles of the still-wild West.
Canyon Walls - The Best Scenery
Considered one of the most scenic trails in the state, Broken Arrow Trail winds over slick sandstone beneath the red monoliths in Sedona. The start of the track provided much of the scenery for the 1950 James Stewart movie by the same name. The challenging trail loops 4.1 miles and heavy use inspired its use as a one-way loop. You'll need expert skills to navigate step sandstone obstacles such as the Steps, a long downhill of rock ledges that look like a staircase.
Under the Tonto Rim - Best Novice Riding
The Mescal Mountains OHV area near Kearny has everything a novice rider could want. Staging areas, restrooms, water, picnic areas and a campground make it easy to spend the day or a couple of weeks exploring the rocky trails. Twisting between the blue mountains and green saguaros of the Sonoran Desert, the wide trails are littered with loose rock and punctuated by steep inclines and sandy washes. Enjoy 60 degree days during most of the winter, but bring plenty of water in summer when temperatures soar well above 100 degrees. The Gila River is less than 5 miles from the campground should you care to take a dip.
Great Western Trail: Arizona Section
Legends of America: The Ghost Town Trail - Gleeson, Courtland, Pearce
Coronado National Forest: Cochise Stronghold Campground
Indulging her passion for vacation vagary through the written word on a full-time basis since 2010, travel funster Jodi Thornton-O'Connell guides readers to the unexpected, quirky, and awe-inspiring.
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