Off-road Mount Trumbull Scenic Loop Drive, Arizona

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Start this loop at the Mt Trumbull Schoolhouse at Mohave County Road 5 (CR5 - Southern Section). To get there from Interstate 15, take Exit 2 east onto the Southern Parkway (Hwy 7) toward the airport. Take Exit 3 (River Road) and turn south. Set your vehicle trip odometer to 0 where the pavement ends at the state line. BLM Road 1069: You have now crossed into Arizona and are on BLM Road 1069. The road is well maintained gravel. For the first 4 miles you will be on Arizona State Trust Land. At mile 4.4 you will pass the BLM Arizona Strip sign. You are now on BLM land. BLM1069 winds its way up to Quail Hill Pass. At mile 20.6 you will reach the BLM1004 junction in Wolf Hole Valley. Continue straight. The road is no longer BLM1069. It is now Mohave County Road 5. Mohave County Road 5 (CR5 - Western Section):Between Wolf Hole Valley and the Mt. Trumbull Schoolhouse the road is usually in very good condition when dry. The road varies from gravel to clay. The clay sections will be impassible for a few hours after mild rain in summer. After heavy rain or snow, the clay section near the schoolhouse can be impassible for days due to deep mud especially in winter. Contact us at the bottom of this page to get current road conditions. At mile 50.7 you will reach the replica Mt. Trumbull Schoolhouse. Take a few minutes to see the exhibits inside. Historic family photos of the first ranchers here and a raised relief map show historic homesteads. There is a vault toilet at the schoolhouse. There will not be another vault toilet on the loop until you reach the Mt. Trumbull trailhead, and then again at the old Tuweep Ranger Station (no longer staffed) near Toroweap if you take the spur to Toroweap. This dugway was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corp, one of many projects they undertook on the Arizona Strip during the Great Depression.The road shoulder on the downhill side is soft. The dropoff is very steep. Vehicles can not pass here. Vehicles traveling downhill on the dugway get the right of way. It is unsafe for vehicles to attempt to go into reverse and try to back up the steep dugway. The rear wheels will spin and hop on the loose gravel. This can bounce a vehicle off the road. It is much easier for uphill traveling vehicles to slowly back down to a wide spot.Once on top of the Hurricane Cliffs dugway, the clay roadbed through Potato Valley is dry and passable for high clearance vehicles most of the year. However, after heavy rain it can be deeply rutted and impassible for a few days. The elevation at Potato Valley is over 6,000 feet so it is usually impassible in winter because of snow and ice. Step inside the one room Mt Trumbull Schoolhouse to view exhibits and family photos of the people who once made this area home. Take a minute to browse the children's library books from the mid-20th century. Once outside, give the bell a ring! At the schoolhouse CR5 turns east. This section is hazardous after rain or snow. At any time of year the road is at least moderately rough. East of the schoolhouse the road ascends the Hurricane Cliffs including a half-mile long dugway only wide enough for one vehicle at a time. Stunning views into the Grand Canyon, raging volcanoes, Native American petroglyphs, cattle and cowboy line shacks, and an historic schoolhouse make the Mount Trumbull Scenic Drive from St. George, Utah to Pipe Spring National Monument one of the most popular drives in the region. This drive will introduce you to some of the incredible stories of the Arizona Strip.You will need a high clearance vehicle with a full tank of gas and rugged tires because this loop includes about 150 miles of unpaved roads. There will be not be another gas station until you reach Arizona Highway 389 at the Kaibab Reservation or in Colorado City, AZ.This guide starts in St. George. Mileages listed below are approximate. Be aware that some trucks and SUVs have minor differences in odometer readings if tire size differs from the factory setting. All turns are very well marked by road signage. Rangers recommend you bring the 2016 BLM Arizona Strip Visitor Map with you before starting out. There are over 6,000 miles of roads on the Arizona Strip.Vehicle Recommendations:• High Clearance Trucks or SUVs (passenger cars, crossovers, minivans, and RVs not advised)• Four Wheel Drive• All-Terrain Tires Nampaweap Petroglyph Site and the Southeast Lobe of the Little Springs Lava FlowOnce you return to CR5, reset your odometer to zero and turn right. Travel east over the Mt. Trumbull pass. After 3.3 miles look for the sign and right turn to Nampaweap on BLM1028. Turn right and travel 1.1 miles to a 4-way intersection and a sign for the Nampaweap parking area on the east side of the road. A vault toilet may be installed some time in 2021. A 2/3 mile trail down a gradually sloping old roadbed leads to a series of petroglyphs on ancient lava rock. Tuweep Valley/Toroweap Overlook in Grand Canyon National Park:Return to CR5 from Nampweap and descend from Mt. Trumbull into the Toroweap Valley. In 3.7 miles you will reach an intersection. If you want to visit Toroweap, turn right. You are now on CR115. The first 11 miles of the road is pressed gravel with some muddy areas after rain. There will be a vault toilet open 24 hours/day all year at the old Tuweep Ranger Station site once you enter Grand Canyon National Park. The final two miles of the road to the Toroweap Overlook require high clearance 4x4s as the road crosses extremely rough sandstone. Mohave County Road 5 (CR5 - Eastern Section): Whether you skip Toroweap or come back from Toroweap to the BLM115 and CR5 intersection, iIt is 6.4 miles north to the CR109 junction. This section is usually in good condition. Once you reach the CR109/CR5 Y intersection you can choose which route to take north. CR5 takes you to Colorado City through Clayhole Valley. If it has rained, take CR109 instead as it is more passable when lightly wet. CR109 takes you northeast to Hwy 389 about 6 miles east of the Kaibab Reservation gas station.CR5 to Colorado City: This route provides a great view of the western Vermillion Cliffs, especially as the sun gets low in the sky. The road at first winds through a scenic volcanic field and right up to a dramatic cinder cone and lava flow called Hat Knoll, which is about a half million years old. CAUTION: This route is dangerous and impassible when wet or icy. The roadbed is made only out of clay, making it totally impassible after rain, especially the Clay Hole Wash crossing. If you have mud-rated tires, they will not help you on this clay. It is like peanut butter and packs into the treads and won't come out until it dries. You will have no traction. If it has rained recently or a storm is threatening, take CR109 instead. Gas is available in Colorado City on Hwy 389.CR109 to the Kaibab Reservation: This is the preferred route to finish the Mt. Trumbull loop rather than the CR5/Clay Hole road any time rain or snow threatens. CR109 is usually in much better condition. However, it is still partially made of clay and can be impassible for at least a few hours after rain with some puddles remaining several days. Gas is available at the Kaibab Reservation on Hwy 389.

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