This particular destination provides plenty of solitude and scenic wonders; Cherry Creek drains the Pleasant Valley in the vicinity of Young, Arizona. One of the byproducts of the creek are the numerous canyons carved by its tributaries and (way back in some of these) members of the Solado built fortified graineries many centuries ago. These cliff dwellings are among the finest you'll ever see and well worth the effort. Pictured is Devil's Chasm the southernmost of the sites.
Doc Hilpert introduced me to this country some years back after we extended a most-memorable Mt. Pinal trip on a whim to see what could be seen. Together we hiked up Devil's Chasm Canyon to check out the ruins but what struck me most (after surviving the hike) was what great condition the building is in after 1,000 years. One could easily call this place a temporary home free from any sort of harassment due to the extreme defensiveness of the structure. I have wanted to go back ever since! My brother Chris agreed to come along and so we chose a date in February that would provide cool weather.
Since the route Bruce and I took came up from the south, Chris Lehan and I decided to attack from the north which enabled us to experience a much larger swath of countryside but which we later learned prevented us from getting close enough to see the ruins. That's okay - what we did see was great and left us wanting to explore even more. The countryside is wide open; from almost anywhere one can see dozens of miles over rolling hills up to the edges of the mountains overlooking the expansive valley.
Getting there in a bus: from the Valley allow yourself a day to travel leisurely and with the ability to obey the urge to pull over and admire the scenery. Since the southern approach via Cherry Creek Road is completely washed out (destroyed) the only access is from Young. One can get to this pleasant little town from Roosevelt Lake (Hwy 288 North) or from the Mogollon Rim (Hwy 288 South.) If you're coming up from the South plan on spending several hours on a well-maintained gravel road that goes from upper Sonoran desert to 7,000 ft elevation - hence its name "the desert to pines scenic highway." The northerly approach is only 25 miles from the Rim to Young with the majority paved.
There are no special requirements for this trip other than what one would ordinarily take on a back country camping trip. I did use my Harbor Freight Come Along twice but that was to rescue flatlanders in non-VWs. Sturdy tires, a Tonto National Forest map and CBs to stay in touch with your friends will help otherwise fill up your gas tank in Young and head out for adventure!
We spent most of our time on Forest Road 54 which exits Hwy 288 in the northern fringes of town - look for a sign on the East side of the road that says Cherry Creek Lodge just north of mile marker 308. This little dirt road meanders more or less South East out of town through rolling hills and minor ravines. Keep left at the junction with 54A or you'll wind up at the Lodge at which point you'll have to turn around and go back through those two deep ravines you were so happy to have put behind you. The lodge itself is spectacular and would make a wonderful if not romantic getaway during the heat of the summer. The lodge is shown below photobombed by the Iguana.
Anyway our friend FR54 winds up into some foothills providing a panoramic view of Young and the surrounding country. You'll pass by one fine-looking home and near enough to a couple ranches to see the buildings but other than that signs of civilization dwindle pleasantly to few and far between. This is cattle country, no explanation will be required once you visit...after 15 minutes the road takes a decidedly southern tack with the land rising to port and falling away to starboard. Here you will see numerous side roads with the ones on your left terminating along the ridge in Pinon pine. Campsites with amazing views of the valley and western skies yearning to show you an unforgettable sunset are everywhere. Perhaps 30 minutes since you left civilization you'll come to the fork where FR329 splits off - Take It! Now the road becomes narrower and interestinger with blind curves and large mud puddles to splash through. Caution should be exercised as guardrails are unknown but soon enough your bus trip comes to its terminus where 329 crosses Cherry Creek. Luckily this location offers a beautiful natural camping spot along the banks of the creek underneath enormous Arizona Sycamore trees.
Brave bus sorts like the Shastans will attempt to cross the creek here and may succeed but the road beyond consists of an ancient bed of grapefruit-sized boulders unkind to everything except the stoutest 4WDs. This area is rich in wildlife and history as evidenced by the mid-century automobiles abandoned here back when such hobbies were encouraged. One vehicle is a split window of some sort and another was a convertible coupe circa 1950 American Steel. Mines and caves dot the area as do mysterious old foundations and curious, rusted metal artifacts. During our stay a T38 training jet buzzed the valley breaking up the solitude and repeatedly providing free subsonic entertainment.
So setup camp and relax...listen to creek. Or explore the countryside on foot - if you really need something Young is less than 45 minutes away where one can procure all the necessities. Your evening campfire will be large and playful as firewood is abundant and rotund (hint: chainsaw!) Coyotes are thick in this country so expect to be serenaded every evening by their happy yips and yaps. Walk away from the fire every now and then and look up: watch for satellites playing tag with the Milky Way. Relax knowing you get to sleep in a bus tonight.
Part 2 of this blog details the land we discovered beyond the river crossing - it's beyond what most buses can do (we explored in a UTV) so hence the separate chapter.
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