This is a moderate to difficult two-day, one-night, out-and-back backpack trip up Rock Creek in the Mazatzal Wilderness, with an optional exploration of Deadman Falls. Each day will be about 6 miles, climbing 3500ft the first day and 1200ft the second, plus the optional exploration.
The Drive:
The trailhead is located off the AZ-87 just north of the AZ-87/AZ-188 junction. Take the exit west and then head north on FR-414. Stay right at the next junction (0.6 mi) to remain on FR-414 until you hit a left turn at the FR-442 junction (4.5 mi). You will take FR-442 all the way until the turnoff to the trailhead before the last river crossing (3.0 mi). Plenty of overflow parking can be found further down the road if needed.
FR-442 can be a bit rutted out and difficult to navigate when muddy, and also has at least two easy (short, shallow, solid) river crossings. The weather has been far too dry for months now, so the road should be in pretty good condition, but I still would highly recommend a high clearance vehicle.
If you coming from/through the Phoenix area and are interested in carpooling, meet me at the We-Ko-Pa Casino off of the AZ-87 by 6:30.
Rock Creek Trailhead: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/6949623325
The Hike:
We will depart the trailhead around 8:00. The first two miles of the hike are more of a workout than scenic as you make the approach to mountain through rolling hills of high desert brush. Like pretty much all of the Mazatzals, most of the large trees in this area are long gone from past fires. Entering the canyon the grade will increase, bring us past some steep switchbacks and then a waterfall. The trail continues up the mountain three more miles until it hits the Mazatzal Divide, where we will turn and head south for a mile until we hit our campsite at Horse Camp Seep. With less than six miles under our feet, we should have plenty of time to explore down Deadman Falls.
Rock Creek Trail: https://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=850
Deadman Falls: https://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=2018
Horse Camp Seep has historically been reliable water all year round. If we are unlucky, Hopi Spring on the saddle has also been running year round.
Horse Camp Seep: https://hikearizona.com/dexcoder.php?PID=592566
Hopi Spring: https://hikearizona.com/dexcoder.php?PID=592550
I have only done about half of this hike before, which was back in March 2023 when the mountain was covered in 2-3 ft of snow. Winter has only just begun and has been dry and warm so far; there should be little to no snow up on the mountain now. The section I have done was not very overgrown, but it has historically been so as you get closer to the saddle. A triplog from two months ago reports good trail maintenance progress and a fairly well cleared trail now. Since I am unfamiliar with the campground, I've limited the trip to eight people to prevent camp issues.
Disclaimer:
Backpacking and hiking have inherit risks, but most can be largely mitigated with good judgement and preparation. By joining this trip, you are expected to bring both. I am by no means a professional hiking guide; I will make a best effort to ensure the safety and enjoyment of the trip, but I assume no liability for participants nor any guarantees on events of the trip.
