Rock Tank Trail–Vaquero Trail, 3 sights is an 8.4-mile out-and-back in McDowell Sonoran Preserve near Sincuidados, AZ. It climbs 523 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 52/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi2,310 – 2,812 ft9.0 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 33.74334, -111.88791
Nearest town Sincuidados, AZ
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Rock Tank Trail–Vaquero Trail, 3 sights
8.4 mi · ▲ 523 ft · 3 hr 4 min
Elevation 2,309–2,811 ft
Out & Back · McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Trailhead: 33.74334, -111.88791
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 98°F / low 76° · precip 2% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 6:51 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Latigo Trail, heading NE.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto Social Trail, heading N.
- 150 ftBear left onto Sidewinder, heading NE.
- 400 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 100 ftBear right onto Crested Saguaro, heading NE.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Social Trail, heading NE.
- 100 ftTurn left onto Rock Tank Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftBear right, heading NE.
- 100 ftTurn left onto Powerline Road #2, heading NE.
- 3.1 miContinue straight onto Vaquero Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Powerline Road #2, heading E.
- 250 ftTurn left onto Watershed, heading E.
- 0.2 miReach Rock Tank Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Powerline Road #2, heading N.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Vaquero Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Powerline Road #2, heading NW.
- 3.1 miTurn right onto Rock Tank Trail, heading SW.
- 100 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Social Trail, heading SW.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Crested Saguaro, heading SW.
- 50 ftBear left onto Sidewinder, heading SW.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Social Trail, heading SW.
- 100 ftTurn left onto Latigo Trail, heading SW.
- 0.6 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
82% dirt18% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 98°F76°
Feels like90°Precip2%Wind5 mphUV8Humidity32%
Rained 0.1″ yesterday (0.4″ over the last week)
Hourly temperature
100°75°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 6:51 PM
Sat
95°77°
Sun
97°79°
Mon
98°85°
Tue
100°85°
Wed
98°84°
20%
Thu
96°84°
27%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 6:31 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 6:51 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 7:16 PM.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Rock Tank Trail Loop via Powerline Road #2 1.9 mi · ▲ 139 ft
- Rock Tank–Latigo Trail, 5 sights 3.4 mi · ▲ 135 ft
- Sunset Vista & Rock Tank Trail via Powerline Road #2 6 mi · ▲ 464 ft
- Jane Rau Interpretive Viewpoint–Brown's Ranch Road, 4 sights 6.6 mi · ▲ 497 ft
- Brown's Ranch Interpretive Trail & Rock Tank Trail via Powerline Road #2 8 mi · ▲ 497 ft
- Brown's Summit Viewpoint–Bunny Rock, 10 sights 8.6 mi · ▲ 816 ft
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