Solar Oasis–Elephant Mountain Trail, 4 sights is a 14.1-mile out-and-back in Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area near Cave Creek, AZ. The route reaches Solar Oasis. It climbs 2,195 ft, with sections as steep as 24% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 77/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi2,284 – 3,163 ft · steepest grade: 24%14.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Maricopa Trail 33.86822, -112.01309
Nearest town Cave Creek, AZ
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Solar Oasis–Elephant Mountain Trail, 4 sights
14.1 mi · ▲ 2,195 ft · 5 hr 48 min
Elevation 2,284–3,164 ft
Out & Back · Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area
Trailhead: Maricopa Trail · 33.86822, -112.01309
Weather Sep 4: Light drizzle, high 95°F / low 76° · precip 4% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 6:05 AM · sunset 6:51 PM
- Start on Maricopa Trail, heading N.
- 0.5 miBear left, heading E.
- 2.6 miContinue straight onto Elephant Mountain Trail, heading N.
- 1 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.9 miTurn left onto Tortuga Trail, heading SE.
- 0.7 miContinue straight onto Spur Cross Trail, heading SE.
- 0.3 miPass Solar Oasis.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Fairy Duster Trail, heading N.
- 0.6 miReach Solar Oasis, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.6 miBear left onto Spur Cross Trail, heading W.
- 0.7 miContinue straight onto Tortuga Trail, heading NW.
- 0.7 miTurn right onto Elephant Mountain Trail, heading W.
- 0.9 miTurn right, heading W.
- 1 miContinue straight onto Spur Cross Trail, heading S.
- 2.6 miBear left, heading W.
- 50 ftBear right onto Maricopa Trail, heading W.
- 0.5 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
83% dirt17% unspecified
Weather
Light drizzleTemperature 95°F76°
Feels like89°Precip4%Wind6 mphUV8Humidity26%
Rained 0.1″ 4 days ago
Hourly temperature
95°75°
Sunrise 6:05 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 6:51 PM
Sat
96°76°
Sun
97°79°
Mon
98°83°
Tue
99°84°
Wed
98°83°
23%
Thu
96°82°
28%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.6 mi in (~44 min). Leave by 5:47 PM for the 6:51 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:45 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp. Trailhead visible from the viewpoint
More from Maricopa Trail Trailhead
- Maricopa Trail 3.1 mi · ▲ 107 ft
- Spur Cross Trail 6.3 mi · ▲ 390 ft
- Maricopa Trail 7.3 mi · ▲ 418 ft
- Page Spring–Ringneck Spring, 4 sights 13.8 mi · ▲ 2,270 ft
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