Log Corral Trail

Great little day trail with a diverse range of landscapes. From high desert to lush deciduous forest to high-speed sandy washes to the shores of Lake Bartlett - Log Corral offers it all. By and large, this is a very high-speed trail with only a very small technical section of about 200 yards at waypoint 4. The waterfall obstacle is optional, but there is a mandatory boulder crawl section that can trip up some longer-wheelbase vehicles (see my uploaded photo of the WJ). Recommend something with good articulation. A stock Wrangler Rubicon would be fine on this trail. Once you get past the small rock garden, it's easy cruising with a few sections where you can show off your flex - but by and large, we were pushing 30mph for the majority of the length of the trail.

Fun trail

Came through Log Corral via Back way to Bartlett. Trail was awesome and there was not anyone on the trail. Great scenery and a great time.

River crossing, forest to desert. Recommended to definitely go with someone not alone. But overall. This trail is killer. Love it. It is still open. Even after heavy rain. Rivers wasn’t too high but there are some spots that do require attentions.

Arizona National Forests and State Lands are back open for travel. There are still some very important fire restrictions in place. These restrictions can often change by specific areas.

Tonto National Forest officials will close the state’s largest national forest due to ongoing extreme fire danger beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 25. The forest is implementing this forest closure as a precaution to protect the health and safety of the public, employees and firefighters by reducing the risk of human-caused fires. No one is allowed in the closure area, including Forest Service personnel, unless they are responding to a wildfire or other emergency or patrolling to ensure enforcement of the closure. The order shall remain in effect until July 31, 2021 or until rescinded, whichever occurs first. Residents or businesses using roads in the restricted area to the extent necessary to access their private property are exempt.

This trail is more challenging than I initially thought it would be. The entrance to the rock garden section was the most challenging part of the trail. The rock garden is no joke either but good spotters can get you through it fairly easily. I will say expect some kind of damage or hard contact on the body/underside. The trail is also pretty tight and overgrown in some spots. Obviously my opinion is based on my truck and the fact that it's my daily but this is a rewarding trail if you complete it and I will be back again. Just giving some caution to the readers, who are capable of most trails before they head out. I have a sequoia with 35s and a 3" lift and a rear locker for reference

It's being reported by another member of East Valley Rockers that the gate to this trail is currently closed and locked as of 12/24/2020. Reported as open 2/15/2021

This is a great trail with many challenging spots. We take this trail about once every year. Note that the increased water levels have caused this trail to increase in difficulty with more flowing water, slippery rocks, washouts and large ruts. The lake is the highest we've ever seen it which is awesome; however, it does mean the space at the end of the trail is much tighter than in the past. In the past we've connected to the power line trail crossing the lake below the dam to continue out toward Pincacle Peak. However, due to the high water levels this isn't possible. The trail is fairly heavily used. On the weekends you can see several different groups... might be quieter on the weekdays if you're looking for some quiet time.

Log Corral is a fun, technical trail. Our time with 2 mildly modified jeeps was around 5 hours, including lunch at the lake, and some messing about on the powerline trail, that intersects it. There is a great air down spot, and the drive in, across Sycamore Creek is fun and enjoyable. Things progress nicely as the trail tightens up into an overgrown shallow creek bed with some nice rock formations to play on. You will rip a running board off here, and sliders are recommended. The creek often has at least a trickle of water, so make sure to check out weather conditions before heading in. There is no turn arounds, and you are committed to the creek bed once inside. Once out of the creek bed, you'll climb to the Log Coral summit. Great place for pictures, and see what kind of Arizona Pinstripping was added to your rig in the creek bed. The road is rather smooth, but undulates back and forth across some worn out sections. During the spring, wild flowers paint a beautiful picture of Bartlett lake below. After the crest, there is a super fast downhill and sand highway. Be very careful in this section, as I saw more than a few high speed buggies and utvs running full out through here. This will take you down to the lake side.

After running this trail it has instantly become one of my favorites. It has everything. Rock crawling, ruts and sandy washes, not to mention you are rewarded at the end with your own beach front property. When I did the trail the first 2.5 miles were the toughest. It was wet, and this caused some of the rocks and obstacles to become more difficult. The rock garden (Mile 1.53) is an awesome obstacle, and may require some good spotting and high clearance. The rock garden has become rutted with lose boulders and is pretty tough when wet, if you can clear the rock garden you should be able to complete the rest of the trail. Not long after the rock garden, you come to the waterfall obstacle with an optional bypass. In my opinion the waterfall was easier than the rock garden- even tho it was running water. The rest of the trail is gorgeous. I cannot do it justice with words. Once past the waterfall you work toward the log corral- which offers an incredible oversight of the valley. At this point some people will turn around but I highly recommend running this trail all the way through. Once at the log corral (half-way) you head down the hill and get to enjoy the beautiful Arizona desert as you fly through the sandy washes. Take your time and take in the natural relatively untouched scenery. Before long you will see the lake and your final destination. I like to provide my vehicle specs as I believe it helps others compare and prepare for a possible trip. 15 Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4in lift with 35in tires Rock sliders- these are extremely necessary (I landed hard on mine twice) Open differentials D30 front and D44 rear (Jeep JK stock axles) If you are ever interested in running a trail in Arizona- Please reach out! Insta @zonajeepin

Like everyone else that has run this trail, it really is beautiful and has a mix of everything. We had two vehicles both JK Unlimited Rubicons with 35s and neither had an issue at any spot. There are some tight areas that get interesting but it's a great trail. We turned around at the Log Corral due to time constraints, but I will return and make it to the lake! I do wish there were a few more obstacles along the trail but it's still worth doing.

I took my 1st gen xterra (3"lift 31" tires,and open diff) through there. Like they say not recommended but i made it with little body damage. Nice trail. Will do again after a few upgrades.

1st time running this trail. No major problem with any of the obstacles. 3 of the Jeeps in our group had 35" tires & the other 40". Some minor rubbing going over a few of the boulders etc.

Trail was clear and dry. No issues from the 87 all the way to the lake.

We lead two different groups over two days from Sunflower, AZ to Bartlett Lake and out through Log Corral. It was a beginner type run to help the newcomer gain experience from professional trail guides. The participants were shown different techniques and tips for traversing a wide range of terrain. Day one we got a KIA through, day two was a Isuzu Amigo and a Jeep Liberty. All successfully completed the route without issue. To join us at future events like this, check us out at https://www.meetup.com/trailsoffroad-com-Crew-and-Fan-Meetup-Arizona/ The day one video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az-6NYL-MkI

An adventurous group of 5 braved the summer heat to tackle Log Corral this morning. This is one of my favorite local trails which gives you a bit of everything; rock crawling, sandy wash, running water under the cool shade of some very old trees, and a spectacular view of Lake Pleasant at the end. A word of caution however, many people have had experiences with bees on the trail. There are 2 hives along the trail that I know of. The first being immediately after the first rock garden after waypoint 3 and the other inside an old downed tree near waypoint 4. Today however, there were very view bees and all of us escaped without incident. The last time I was on the trail was in 2015 and the biggest change to the trail since then was the fallen boulder in the middle of the trail at waypoint 3. I included a photo from 2015 to show the comparison of the trail from today. With the introduction of that boulder, the waterfall obstacle to the left is more or less for short wheeled based vehicles. Long wheel based vehicles will have a difficult time. Our group did not continue on past waypoint 5 to the lake but we still had a blast.