Length: 13 miles roundtrip

Difficulty: Moderate

Managing Agency: Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest

Journal: "Los Burros"

From Show Low go east on SR 260 through Pinetop-Lakeside to Mc Nary. Turn north in Mc Nary on the road to Vernon. This road becomes FR 224. From McNary take FR 224 north for 7.2 miles to the Los Burros Campground. The trailhead is at the far end.

Trail Description:

This trail starts very disappointingly but improves as you go.

First of all, the trailhead is in the worst redneck campground I've seen. Lots of loud people, swillin' beer and there is a myriad of rug rats running around. Enough to make you want to go postal. From this "white-trash paradise" the trail goes 0.2 miles to a gate.

After the gate, the noise of the screaming campground dies and you are on a power line maintenance road. Turn left here to do this loop in a clockwise manner. The road is very ugly and the power lines destroy what little beauty this area has. The power line road climbs a steep hill and then levels out. After .4 miles of walking this road, the trail leaves the road and becomes single track. From here on the trail is quite pretty. Lots of stands of aspens tower in small groves.

The trail is mainly a combination of single track and jeep trails. As you walk north the trail climbs up and around Wishbone Mountain. The elevation gain is only about 500 feet according to a map that is available at the trailhead.

After rounding Wishbone Mountain, the trail passes between Wishbone Mountain and Pierce Mountain. It was in this area that we saw evidence of bears. The trail then descends toward the boundary with the White Mountain Indian Reservation. Turning west, the trail follows along the boundary fence for several miles before you reach Reservation Flat. This large meadow is quite stunning.

2 miles further and the trail turns back to the north and the loop ends on the power line road at the gate.