Crackerjack Mine ATV Ride

Crackerjack Mine Quad Ride

(Arizona)

Ever since Robert bought me an Arctic Cat 400 ATV for a Mother?s Day gift, it seems like all we do on the weekends is take quad rides. It?s awesome! (He bought me red because I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached). We even take our friends with us now who have bought their own quads. I have lived in Arizona for most of my life and I have never seen so much country!

Now, if I could get Robert to buy his own quad, I would have it made! (I use the term quad but most people refer to them as ATVs. It?s just a habit).

This is the first of my ATV ride photo essays. I would like to write these so that others who live in Arizona or are coming to visit can see the places that we?ve seen. Or, more importantly, others can share their destinations with us so we can see new places.

One of our first rides with our quad was on the Crackerjack Road (FS 209). You can get to the turnoff for this road by following Highway 87 (Beeline Highway) north out of Payson. From the roundabout in front of Home Depot it is a 1.6 mile drive. The turn is on the left and is a dangerous turn (blind corner) so be careful.

This road will take you behind the Verde Estates residential area. After this, the road takes you through some beautiful country with steep, rock cliffs and follows Ash Creek. We've seen several hawks up there but, of course, they are too quick to get a picture of. The East Verde River is at the bottom of this canyon. There is a beautiful pond area where we like to stop and rest or take a lunch.

If you cross the East Verde River and continue on up the road you will see more breathtaking views of the river as it winds through the canyons. At some point you can take your quads down into this area and try your hand at fishing for bluegill. There may be some trout also but we?ve never seen any.

This is as far as we went on our first trip (our second trip we did see the mine) out with our new quad?um?.ATV but you can also continue to FS 209A and make a big loop past the Doll Baby Ranch and back into Payson on the back side by the golf course. Before you get to the point where the 209 and the 290A meet you will be near the Crackerjack Mine. The only part of the mine that we knew of has actually been filled in for safety and it is very hard to find. We did find a small abandoned home though and that was pretty cool. And, of course, the ride was awesome and the views breathtaking.

(I apologize for not having better mileage guesses in this essay but if we go back I will make it a point to update this essay and get mileage for you).

If you have any questions please email me and I will try to answer them. I hope that someone out there enjoyed this first ATV photo essay and can someday use the information and enjoy the places that we have enjoyed. Arizona has some awesome country!!!