Off road wheelin' in AZ

One of the first questions we had about beginning to off road was "How do you find trails?"

Chad was pointed to the the app TrailsOffroad. It is similar to the All Trails app that we have used to find hiking trails, but is geared to finding where we can drive. The app not only lets you search by difficulty, it also acts as a GPS that you can reference on your adventure with "markers" explaining each section of the trail. This was a vast improvement to our first outing in Joshua Tree, where we were simply relying on the physical stakes marked as "Authorized Trail" to stay on track!

We found a good easy/moderate trail in mid-January which was with our stock Jeep. Last weekend we revisited the same trail near Florence, AZ after the modifications were done to compare the experience and see how our new parts performed.

Airing down the tires to 25psi for a smoother ride and better traction.

Descriptions from the TrailsOffroad app:

Price Cutoff

Considered the early cutoff along Price Road, this crossover trail connects to the popular Cottonwood Canyon Road. The views and desert vegetation create a scenic leisurely cruise through the desert. Price Cutoff has deep washouts, rocky ledges up to 10 inches, and mud during winter months. Most of the route can be completed in 2WD, but there are sporadic rough spots. The trail is ideal for vehicles with 4x4 high clearance and durable off-road tires. There are no significant height or width restrictions for larger overland vehicles, but the off-camber washouts may be an issue.

Camping is more than abundant. You can stay close to the crowds or drive deeper to find a quiet primitive campsite.

Artillery Range

Traveling along the border of the Arizona National Guard artillery range, this moderate 4x4 trail crosses the desert flats before dropping into a twisting rocky wash. The trail is ideal for stock, high clearance 4x4s, and beginner off-road users. You'll drive along the artillery range fence line, where numerous signs mark the boundary. The entire region was once used for large artillery testing. Recently, the range has been limited to small arms testing and training within this boundary. Camping is abundant in the northern section of the route. There are numerous wide-open flat spaces for large groups or a solo tent under the stars.

And...we inadvertently went mudding, too. It had rained recently and we just went for it.

Our assessment of the second visit...we both agreed that the modifications definitely were an improvement. The ride was smoother on the washboard gravel sections, we felt no concern about clearing obstacles, the traction on the rocky sections was great, and the overall experience was just better.

The only downside of the day was the struggle to find a self-service car wash to clean our ride! They are not easy to find. I think we spent $17 just to get the chunks off, once we finally were able to find one. I guess that's the price of a little fun in the desert. I still recommend it!