East Fork Trail #95

Area Status: Open

The trail immediately crosses the West Fork of the Little Colorado River, so roll up your pants and prepare to get your feet wet because there is no bridge here. Click here for printable information and map.

At a Glance

Current Conditions:	Open, with advisory TRAIL NOT CLEARED OF HAZARDS, USE AT YOUR OWN RISK
Usage:	Light
Best Season:	May through October, depending upon the weather
Restrictions:	This trail is open to hiking, horseback riding and mountain bicycling. It is closed to motorized vehicles. Mountain bikes are not allowed past the wilderness boundary.
Water:	Carry your own drinking water or purifying equipment as none of the water sources in the area are tr
Restroom:	No
Operated By:	Forest Service
Information Center:	Springerville Ranger District (928) 333-6200 TTY: (928) 333-5397

General Information

Directions: From the Eagar stoplight, travel west on AZ Highway 260 for 9.6 miles to AZ Highway 373. Turn Left (south) on AZ Highway 373 for 5.5 miles. The trailhead is on the left.
General Notes:

Be considerate of other trail users.

Parking:

Limited (5 cars)

Recreation Map

Map showing recreational areas. Map Information

Activities

Day Hiking

The trail immediately crosses the West Fork of the Little Colorado River, so roll up your pants and prepare to get your feet wet because there is no bridge here. Once across, the trail goes almost straight up toward Amberon Point, rising nearly 600 feet in elevation in just under an eighth of a mile. Engelmann spruce and Douglas fir trees are thick on either side of the trail here. The chattering of squirrels should inspire you through the climb. Once at Amberon Point, catch your breath and consider that the most difficult part of the trail is behind you. The trial continues on a more reasonable grade toward Marble Spring, offering a glimpse of the Greer Basin. Near Marble Spring, the trail skirts and actually passes through an area that was logged in 1988

The trail soon leaves the forested area and cuts across wide meadows, detouring around cienegas, or marshy areas. Waterfowl can be found in these wet spots through the summer and early fall. Frogs sing away the summer as garter snakes hunt in the tall grass. Elk are a common sights, cooling themselves in the cienegas in the warm summer afternoons.

The trail continues through open country, bordered by tall trees, and eventually follows an old railroad grade near Colter Reservoir. These railroad beds are common throughout the Springerville and Alpine Ranger Districts. They are what is left of the Maverick line of the Apache Railway system which hauled lumber to the mill in McNary after World War II . Posts set in the ground with a hiker symbol help delineate the trail's course through the meadows. Notes: This trail is open to hiking, horseback riding and mountain bicycling. It is closed to motorized vehicles. The trail continues past Gabaldon Campground and into the Mt. Baldy Wilderness.

USGS Maps: 258SW, Greer, AZ; 280NW, Big Lake, AZ