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Lava Flow Trail, in the
34,400-acre Table Top Wilderness, offers a hiking
opportunity of light to moderate difficulty in a varied
and dramatic Sonoran Desert landscape. Three trailheads
are linked by a relatively level 7 1/4-mile trail. From
south to north, the trail meanders through dense forests
of saguaro, paloverde, ironwood, and cholla; skirts the
jumbled basaltic slopes of Black Mountain; traverses an
extensive creosote-bush flat; and crosses several large
washes. Lava Flow Trail provides sweeping views of Vekol
Valley and the Sand Tank Mountains to the west, while
flat-topped Table Top Mountain - highest point in the Table
Top Wilderness - looms to the east.
No facilities are provided
at the three Lava Flow Trail trailheads. Lava Flow
Trail receives very little use. Always tell a friend or
relative where you are going and when you plan to return.
Drinking water is not provided at Table Top Trail,
so bring plenty. Vekol Valley is prone to heavy
rains and flash floods. Do not attempt to cross flooded
washes. You may encounter rattlesnakes or other
poisonous creatures; watch for them and be careful where
you put your hands and feet. Do not harass reptiles - most
bites result from people playing with, collecting or
attempting to kill them. Fires are not allowed in
the Table Top Wilderness. Pets must be leashed.
Lava Flow Trail is depicted
on the USGS 7.5-minute topographic maps entitled
"Little Table Top, Ariz.," and "Antelope
Peak, Ariz." The remainder of the Table Top
Wilderness is depicted on USGS 7.5-minute topographic maps
"Indian Butte, Ariz." and "Vekol Mts., NE,
Ariz."
For more information, contact:
Bureau of Land Management, Phoenix Field Office, 2015 West
Deer Valley Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85027, (623) 580.5500.
Information courtesy BLM
Phoenix Field Office.
Click
here for BLM map of Sonoran Desert National Monument. |
