Black Canyon OHV Trail

A three-way intersection marks the southern trailhead. Black Canyon OHV route is BLM road 9958, which heads north past the corral. To the west, BLM 9959 leads to the extreme trails Predator and Annihilator and the private Tip-Top mine. From the south is BLM 9999, which crosses through the Table Mesa Recreation Area.

Cross over Cottonwood Gulch and pass a livestock corral to the west and the exit for Upper Terminator to the east. This is a wide area with a lot of parking if you are halfway through your day and want to stop for lunch.

At a y-intersection, remain on the eastern road to continue on Black Canyon OHV Route. The western road leads to a large, dispersed camping area good for groups. The area is relatively flat with hardpack sand and dirt.

Come to a y-intersection and remain on the eastern road. The trail to the northwest dead-ends after a short bit with nothing significant along the drive.

The trail narrows to a single vehicle wide from this point northward, making passing and turning around considerably more difficult. The density of cacti also increases, making driving on the side of the trail much more dangerous to your tires.

Cross a deep wash and pass a few towering Seguro. After the wash, the trail becomes significantly rockier to the north and you will climb several short, but somewhat steep hills.

This hill provides a nice scenic view of the southern portions of the trail.

The trail continues to be rough and rocky as you climb up several long, steep hills with limited passing opportunities and blind curves.

The trail starts becoming more technical at a tight, rutty switchback turn that will slowly cycle your suspension. As you continue north from this switchback, the terrain gradually gets rockier and the rocks slowly grow in size. If this hill gives your vehicle problems, you should consider turning around as the trail only gets harder.

Cross a short wash with a steep entry and exit point. Exposed rock on both sides can easily drag along truck beds and vehicles with low departure anglers.

Cross Slate Creek which feeds down from near the Tip Top Mine area. The trail climbs uphill from the creek, traversing basketball and beachball-sized boulders along the way.

Travel through a rock garden filled with beachball-sized boulders. This rock garden is the most difficult section of the trail and has no bypass. The large, diff-catching rocks in the center of the trail can be tricky to navigate through and can easily hang up lone vehicles. There are no winch points, so choose your line carefully.

Come across a deep washout with a 15-degree pitch and a 7-degree roll. IFS vehicles should use caution at this washout as it can cause the rear end to get extremely light to one side. Solid axle vehicles will get a great "flex" opportunity here.

Follow the trail downhill as you pass a small campsite. This site is only large enough for 1 or 2 vehicles and is relatively level.

Pass through a flat, wide-open area, great for a large group to camp at. This area is great for any type of camp setup and has plenty of space to spread out. This area is often used as a parking area for hikers using the Black Canyon Trail.

Pass by a spur trail heading uphill and remain on the lower road. The uphill road heading northwest dead ends in a few hundred yards at another wide, flat area with an old concrete foundation. This dead-end is often used for camping and day parking.

Follow the road east at a t-intersection to continue into Black Canyon City. The road heading west leads to private property.

The northern trailhead intersects with the paved Lisa Drive. Head south on Lisa Drive to reach Interstate 17.