4x4tographer 3,642 Posted May 24 (edited) Posting up some photos from our recent "Lake-to-Rim" overland round from a few weeks back. This was an exploratory trip on some trails none of us had been on before. It was a nice weekend on some easy-going trails (though bumpy in a few spots) on a sunny weekend! @theksmith @johnpa @Liz @Adventure F150 The trail begins at Lake Roosevelt and (in the routes we took) spans 163 miles, ultimately ending on top of the Mogollon Rim. The route quickly climbs from 2,100 ft to 5,000+ ft inside of a few hours. we topped out at almost 8,000 ft. The primary route is called "Rock House Road" and splits off from Cherry Creek Road about 17 miles into the route. From here you're winding your way through canyons and over mountains as you drive deeper into the Tonto NF. Much of the route skirts along the edge of the Ft Apache Reservation and is extremely scenic and remote. We only saw one other group of people, 2 adventure bike riders coming down the opposite direction. We didn't see another soul until we arrived in Rim Country. We met up at 2pm on a Friday and made quick work of the route, reaching our campsite by 5:30pm on Middleton Mesa - a wide open grassy mesa at about 5,600 ft. Some nice views of the surrounding mountains. On Day 2 we made quick work of the route, arriving at the Rim around 11am, and hitting camp around 4:00pm. We found a fantastic campsite, isolated, in some deep pines for plenty of shade. We ended our trip in Clint's Well - topping off our tanks with some sweet sweet dino juice at the local Sinclair fuel station. If you're interested in downloading this route and waypoints along the way - check it out here. Camp night 1 on Middleton Mesa Along the way we dipped through the mountain town of Young - a few people topped off their fuel - others grabbed bacon and ice cream at the local general store ;) On our way out of town we took the "Boulder Bypass", which is a narrow, windy trail that takes you past a pretty remarkable field of boulders that must have been deposited by a glacier a millennia ago. The rocks are like nothing else along the entire rim - most are the size of a house. There are a few shady campsites nearby. Later we popped by a few overlooks along the rim. Here's the 260 from the Military Viewpoint. Campsite night 2 My 4-wheeled sauna Here's a look at the 2024 Horton Fire burn scar. We popped over to check out some unique camping opportunities at Myrtle Point - 4x4 high clearance needed. There are 2-3 great site down this short trail right on the rim. We also stopped along a few other view points along the way to check out the sights. Edited May 24 by 4x4tographer 5 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 5,778 Posted May 25 (edited) great writeup and photos @4x4tographer - and thanks again for organizing/leading! i only have 3 photos to contribute... chillin' in one of the few shady spots anywhere near the meetup! looking upward while taking care of the 4am pee - you can just barely make out some of the Milky Way. @johnpa, professional tailgunner, resting for just a moment on the last day before starting his shift. Edited May 25 by theksmith 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4WLNRN 774 Posted May 25 (edited) Great photos!! Looks like it was an amazing trip. And of course, no-one could ask for a better tailgunner than @johnpa. He gets the job done and makes it sound easy and stylish at the same time. Edited May 25 by 4WLNRN 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shellback91 2,305 Posted July 7 Looks like a great trip, bummed I missed it. Especially with the best Tailgunner in the business attending. @4x4tographer How would you rate the trails over all? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4WLNRN 774 Posted July 9 On 7/7/2026 at 2:38 PM, shellback91 said: Looks like a great trip, bummed I missed it. Especially with the best Tailgunner in the business attending. @4x4tographer How would you rate the trails over all? Marty.... If you want to run this this fall, let me know. I missed the trip as well. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4x4tographer 3,642 Posted July 10 On 7/7/2026 at 2:38 PM, shellback91 said: Looks like a great trip, bummed I missed it. Especially with the best Tailgunner in the business attending. @4x4tographer How would you rate the trails over all? Great route for sure! I’d give it a 2/10. It’s pretty much a graded road. Gets bumpy for a few sections, and fast paced boogie in some other spots. Most of the first part of the trail is shelf roads and switchbacks. Extremely scenic, and a solid climb from ~2K feet to over ~5-6k feet in a few short miles. You might not see see another soul on the trail, it’s pretty remote. We only saw a pair of adventure bikers once until we got up to the rim. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
