Rock Creek to the Park
27.7 mi5,668 ft
7,044 ft
3,711 ft
Extension of the class Deadman Falls loop with a side trek to The Park, a pleasant stand of pines nestled in the otherwise rugged, exposed ridgeline.
Photos
A dark, predawn view to the north
A well-defined trail to follow
Low, scary clouds over the northern Mazatzals
Clouds slowly giving way to the day break
Shaded section of trail along a wash
Desert scrub and low rises ahead
Dark storms turning into white fluffy clouds
Bands of sunlight on the mountains
Mixture of dark clouds and breaking dawn
A field of catclaw ahead
Pleasant clearing along Rock Creek
Along the ridge, almost to the end
Missing sign at the trailhead
A pleasant, shaded section of trail
A long climb over rising hills
Looking up, trying to find out where the trail goes
A green view southwards
Approaching the first set of cliffs
On the rocky cliffs
Rugged cliffs on the far side of Rock Creek
Next set of cliffs to climb
Long view down towards the trailhead
Sturdy trail along the cliffs
Rock pools along the trail
Even more climbing to do beyond the cliffs
Ascending right into pines and grass
Last look down over the climbing trail
Loose rock trail through manzanitas
Finally, the last saddle comes in view
Lovely pine forest across the creek
A grassy, rocky trail up to the saddle
Long view west down North Deadman
The tricky descent down to Hopi Springs
Bone-dry Hopi Spring
Looking back up towards the saddle
Loose rocks along Mazatzal Divide Trail
Hot trail along the Deadman Creek crossing
Overgrown climb through sporadic trees
Bare rock on the high ridge
A huge view to the northern Mazatzals
Looking back towards Mazatzal Peak
A bright agave along the descending trail
Burst of fall along the trail
Cluster of pines marking The Park
Stagnant pool of water along Wet Bottom drainage
Small grassy clearing
Gnarly collection of trees
Protective shelter setup for wind protection
Afternoon sun on the rocky ridge
Sunset lighting up the ridge
Dim morning light from the park
Sunshine on the ponderosas
Aiming for the first dark saddle
Down at the approaching line of sunlight
Thick growth along the trail
Looking down towards Midnight Mesa
Great rest stop on the ridge
A distant destination - Mazatzal Peak
A hot view across Deadman Creek
Bare rock around Horse Camp Seep
A fantastic campsite at Horse Camp Seep
Eyeing up the route to Sandy Saddle
An incredible section of trail
Closing in on Chilson Camp
Brody Trail fork to Chilson Camp
Metal covering on Chilson Spring
Some water hiding in the tank cracks
Green view down Barnhardt Canyon
A nice field of flowers along the way
Hot view up towards the saddle
Nasty overgrown section of trail
A few pools at the otherwise-dry waterfall
Those quartz zags
Sign for the wilderness boundary
Along the way
Spring 3
- Chilson
- Chilson Tanks
- Hopi
Creek 5
- Barnhardt Tributary 2
- Barnhardt Tributary 3
- North Deadman
- Rock Creek
- Wet Bottom Creek
Camping 2
- Horse Camp Seep
- The Park
Trailhead 1
- Barnhardt Trailhead
Junction 5
- North Peak / Mazatzal Divide Trail Junction
- Barnhardt / Mazatzal Divide Trail Junction
- Y Bar / Barnhardt Trail Junction
- Barnhardt / Sandy Saddle Trail Junction
- Half Moon / Rock Creek Trail Junction