Length: 18 miles roundtrip

Difficulty: Easy

Wilderness Area: North Maricopa Wilderness

Journal: "A Valentine's Day Adventure" and "The Butterfield Stage Route"

**Kid Friendly Hike**

Directions to West Trailhead: From Phoenix, drive west on I-10 to SR 85 (exit 112). Drive south on SR 85 for 20.6 miles to a dirt road. This turn off is difficult to spot at highway speeds and this probably contributes to the lack of people who go to this trail. The turn off is on the east side of SR 85, about 100 yards north of a burned out building that is on the west side of SR 85. There is a large pull out on the east side of the highway. The dirt road is at the south end of this large pull out.

Immediately on the dirt road, you will encounter a gate. Be sure to close the gate after you pass through. Follow this dirt road for 3.8 ,miles to the signed turn off for Margie's Cove. Turn right at the turn off and go 1.2 miles to the parking area. A high clearance vehicle is recommended.

Directions to East Trailhead: From Phoenix, take I-10 south to Maricopa Road (SR 347, exit 164). At Maricopa, turn right onto SR 238. Take SR 238 west for 30+ miles. About 10 miles past the Mobile Elementary School, there is a dirt road with a BLM sign indicating the Sonoran Desert National Monument - this will be on the right-hand side of the road. Take this road several miles to the trailhead. A 4WD vehicle is recommended. Along the way, you will cross over the Butterfield Overland Stage Route - the trailhead is located about 2 miles past this junction.

Trail Description:

The trail follows and old road south for 1/2 mile to the wilderness boundary. Once in the wilderness, the road turns east and continues along, crossing several washes. The going is real easy. After about 1 hour of hiking, the trail leaves the road and enters a wash. The route is marked with large cairns.

The sandy wash makes for difficult walking, but not too bad. After 5.5 miles form the you will reach the junction with the Brittlebrush Trail. We stopped at this point.

The Margie's Cove trail continues to the Margie's Cove East trailhead (3.5 miles after the junction.)

The Brittlebrush Trail heads south 6 miles to another trailhead. Hopefully we will get there someday.

UPDATE: We mistakenly ended up at the Margie's Cove East Trailhead, while trying to get to the Brittlebrush Trailhead in November 2001.

From the east trailhead, the trail takes you along an old jeep road for the first 1/2 mile or so. At 1/4 mile, there is a trail registry. Another 1/4 mile after that, you will come to a fenced area maintained by the Game & Fish Department, to provide water for the wildlife in the area.

The trail soon enters the wash, but only for a quarter of a mile. It then leaves the wash temporarily to pass over some small hills. Here, the trail is very faint - watch for the cairns to guide you.

At mile 2, the trail enters the wash again. Although sandy, the creek bottom is not difficult to walk in. At mile 3, you will reach the junction with the Brittlebrush Trail.

Return the way you came, or continue on towards the Margie's Cove West Trailhead (9 miles one way).