Woodchute Mtn trail

[Curly 1,317]

I came across this video and thought I would share it.  Woodchute mtn trail is between Jerome  and Prescott, it starts and ends along 89a.  I think the last time I did the trail was in 2016 with ORP.  I think the YouTubers did a good job on the video.   I don't recall any steep off camber stuff, I do remember it was very overgrown and scratchy.

@gearhead @theksmith @Number7

 

 

[4x4tographer 3,642]

Thanks for sharing Tim! Last time I ran it was in 2021 with ORP as well. I certainly don't remember it being as "shelf-y" as that video portrays. Don't recall anything technical on it, just super brushy like you mentioned. 

 

The top of the mountain was pretty amazing. I really liked seeing all of the random sea shells and fossilized coral up there. Mind blowing. 

 

 

 

Edited August 9, 2025 by 4x4tographer

[Bradywgn71 1,008]

Tiny bit of shelf road at the end where it rejoins the pavement. Ran this about two years ago and just brushy. There is a spur trial that connects to Woodchute from Perkensville road that I would NOT recommend for anything but an ATV. That one is badly washed out and right switchbacks climbing the side of the mountain.

[azmojave 64]

Woodchute is 503A. If you take 500E there’s a cool lookout but I don’t recommend going any further. It’s washed out and really sketchy here

34.76267, -112.14907

I made it but it wasn’t fun. I won’t do it again. 

[azmojave 64]

Lookout

34.75955, -112.14874

[gearhead 693]

I remember that trail @Curly.....it's been a minute, lol.  🙂

[SonoranWanderer 715]

I ran 500E from where it branches off Woodchute (south) to Perkinsville Rd (north) today and can confirm the road at about the coordinates @azmojave mentioned are (still) in bad shape. It’s a double wash out. Really it’s one big one but there was a nice well anchored rock in the middle that allowed me to reposition my rear (downhill) wheel and re-angle the nose to cross the remaining washout.

 

I’ll add some photos later, but my JLUR was up to 25 degrees off camber with the outer/lower road surface actively giving out. My rear end was constantly sinking and sliding downhill and at the very edge of holding me stable.

 

What makes it super sketchy is that you have to turn into the downhill slide to follow the road and are bound in by the upside wall.

 

The maintenance that needs to be done is to dig out the up hill side of the road from under all the riprap and dirt and then build up your low side a little. A true permanent fix would include a low side retaining wall and possibly drainage.

 

Footnote: a lightweight side by side should have no issue, especially if you can balance the payload to the high side.

Edited September 14, 2025 by SonoranWanderer
Added Google Maps link to location under discussion

[SonoranWanderer 715]

Here is the super sketchy part. Note the water channel before and after the rock in the dead center of the photo. My rear passenger wheel was in the first washout trying to slide off the road. This picture is not a bad representation of the road grade (side incline). By the time I realized how bad it was, backing out wasn't a good option.

 

My path through the road was basically nose up and left, as high as I could get it and maintain the right turn and control camber (higher up drove up the camber angle). once I got my rear tire up inside the middle rock, I switched on both lockers in case I had to gun it to save myself from a rear right slide through the second washout. I moved forward a bit at a time, getting out to self spot and check tire positioning. (I did not have to gun it.)

 

A note on turning into off camber, turning into the off camber side often increases the the amount of off-camber-ness if and as you pull the low side front wheel further down the incline and sometimes push the upper side wheel further up the incline. I know from past experience that my Jeep is reasonably stable to close to 35 degrees, but much above 25, on a ledge, and increasing and sliding, makes even me queasy.

 

 

 

You can see where my rear wheel slid down to. The rock is on the left center.

 

 

 

Reverse phot of the sketchy area:

 

 

 

It turns out I did not take a photo of the Jeep in the worst position(s). Often when I'm deep in problem solving I get super focused and forget things like photos.

 

But I got a few Jeep shots of the mildly sketchy part before the super sketchy part.

 

 

 

Edited September 14, 2025 by SonoranWanderer

[SonoranWanderer 715]

Apropos of nothing:

 

Quote

On the Colorado Plateau, gray rock is caused by iron-poor sediments or iron-bearing minerals that formed in an oxygen-deficient environment, such as ancient deep seas, lakes, or swamps. It is often softer because many gray formations consist of easily erodible sedimentary rocks like shale and mudstone, rather than the more resistant sandstone or limestone. 

 

[LaZorraRoja 205]

Think that's why it's so unstable up there?