Cave Buttes Recreation Area

East Happy Valley Road & North Cave Creek Dam Road

7.5 mi · ▲ 707 ft · 2 hr 51 min

East Happy Valley Road & North Cave Creek Dam Road is a 7.5-mile out-and-back in Cave Buttes Recreation Area near Wild Flower, AZ. It climbs 707 ft. It scores 43/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.

Elevation

0 mi1,572 – 1,923 ft7.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 33.72592, -112.07242
Nearest town Wild Flower, AZ

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

East Happy Valley Road & North Cave Creek Dam Road

7.5 mi · ▲ 707 ft · 2 hr 51 min

Elevation 1,573–1,922 ft

Out & Back · Cave Buttes Recreation Area

Trailhead: 33.72592, -112.07242

Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 99°F / low 81° · precip 2% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 6:05 AM · sunset 6:52 PM

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading N.
  2. 450 ftTurn right onto Great Horned Owl Trail, heading NE.
  3. 0.4 miBear right, heading NE.
  4. 0.6 miTurn right, heading NE.
  5. 0.6 miBear right, heading SE.
  6. 0.8 miTurn right onto North Cave Creek Dam Road, heading SE.
  7. 0.4 miTurn right onto East Happy Valley Road, heading S.
  8. 0.9 miReach East Happy Valley Road, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  9. 0.9 miTurn left onto North Cave Creek Dam Road, heading E.
  10. 0.4 miTurn left, heading NW.
  11. 0.8 miBear left, heading N.
  12. 0.6 miTurn left, heading W.
  13. 0.6 miContinue straight onto Great Horned Owl Trail, heading SW.
  14. 150 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  15. 0.4 miTurn left, heading SW.
  16. 350 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

24% paved22% dirt54% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 99°F81°
Feels like85°Precip2%Wind7 mphUV8Humidity34%
Rained 0.2″ 4 days ago
Hourly temperature
100°80°
Sunrise 6:05 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 6:52 PM
Sat 100°79°
Sun 103°79°
Mon 102°90°
Tue 103°92°
Wed 102°89° 20%
Thu 100°87° 21%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.1 mi in (~86 min). Leave by 5:05 PM for the 6:52 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:34 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

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