Bartlett Lake Trail Cleanup with TRAL

1,400 pounds of trash, one weekend, 100+ volunteers

Last weekend, Apex Chassis partnered with @tral_az for a trail cleanup and trail run near Bartlett Lake in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest. More than 100 volunteers turned out, and together we hauled over 1,400 pounds of trash out of the desert.

We build extreme duty steering and suspension for people who push their rigs hard. That’s exactly why we care about the ground those rigs run on. Every trail we love stays open only as long as the people using it take care of it. This is what that looks like in practice, and why it matters for every off-roader in Arizona.

The route: FR 42 and the St. Clair OHV Zone at Bartlett Lake

Our run followed FR 42, the main 4x4 route above Bartlett Lake. It’s a mix of sandy washes, steep climbs and rocky ledges, with big views over the lake and the Verde River.

On Forest Service maps it’s signed as the Telegraph Line Trail, MT-42, inside the St. Clair OHV Permit Zone on the Cave Creek Ranger District of Tonto National Forest (USFS St. Clair guide). A few things every driver should know before running it:

• It’s one-way, east to west. You enter off North Lake Road, about 2 miles northeast of Bartlett Dam Road, and exit along Horseshoe Dam Road. The trail is too narrow for two-way traffic.
• There’s a “gate keeper” obstacle at the entrance. It shows you what the rest of the trail is like. If your rig struggles there, turn around.
• You need a Tonto National Forest OHV Permit. Permits run $10 for 3 days, $60 for 6 months or $80 for a year on Recreation.gov.
• Know the landmarks. Kentuck and Indian Spring staging areas, the Sunrise Ridge Trail (MT-1117), Devil’s Hole on the Verde River (day use only), and views of Bartlett and Horseshoe reservoirs and the Mazatzal Wilderness.

More Arizona trails worth protecting

The same rules apply across the state. Two of Arizona’s best-known runs show what’s at stake:

• Pyeatt Draw, about 20 miles outside Payson in Tonto National Forest, is a rocky creek-bottom crawl ending at the obstacle known as “The Filter.” BFGoodrich, Tread Lightly! and the United Four Wheel Drive Associations named it one of five Outstanding Trails in the country in 2006.
• Broken Arrow in Sedona’s Coconino National Forest is the state’s signature red-rock run, with slickrock climbs to Submarine Rock and Chicken Point. It’s also one of the busiest, which is exactly why driver behavior there matters so much.

Driver responsibility: what treading lightly looks like on the trail

Responsible off-roading isn’t about driving timid. It’s about knowing that every line you pick affects whether that trail is still open next season. The Tread Lightly! T.R.E.A.D. principles are the standard most clubs and land managers use:

1. Travel responsibly. Stay on designated routes. Go over obstacles, not around them, so the trail doesn’t widen.
2. Respect the rights of others. Yield to uphill traffic and share the trail with hikers, riders and campers.
3. Educate yourself. Get the map, the permit and the rules before you go. On Tonto National Forest, cross-country travel by any motor vehicle is prohibited.
4. Avoid sensitive areas. Stay out of riparian zones, lakeshores and fragile desert soil.
5. Do your part. Pack out your trash and anyone else’s you find. Leave it better than you found it.

A few Arizona-specific habits go a long way:

• Carry a trash bag on every run. Strap a bag to the spare and fill it as you go.
• Don’t build fire rings or burn pallets. Nails left behind wreck tires and wildlife alike.
• Respect fire restrictions. Check seasonal closures with the ranger district before you light anything.
• Leave the signs alone. Volunteers spend weekends replacing stolen and damaged route markers.
• Check your rig. A spark arrestor and a muffler under 96 dB are required in the St. Clair zone.

Ecological impacts: why the Sonoran Desert can’t bounce back fast

The desert around Bartlett Lake looks tough, but it heals slowly. Damage that takes seconds to cause can last a lifetime.

• Living soil. Much of the bare-looking ground is covered in biological soil crust, a thin layer of cyanobacteria, lichens and mosses. It holds soil in place, feeds nitrogen to plants and is easily crushed by tires. Recovery is generally measured in decades or centuries.
• Erosion and washes. Once crust and plants are gone, monsoon runoff cuts new channels. A single off-route track can turn into a gully that widens every storm.
• Saguaros and native plants. Saguaros, palo verde and other Sonoran plants grow slowly. A rig that leaves the route can undo decades of growth.
• Wildlife. Trash kills. Animals eat it, get tangled in it or are drawn to campsites where they shouldn’t be. Pulling 1,400 lbs of it out is a direct win for the wildlife that lives here.
• Wildfire. Fire is the biggest threat to trail access in this exact area. The human-caused Horse Fire burned 525 acres near Horseshoe Dam Road in May 2024, and every motorized trail in the St. Clair zone was closed while crews fought it.

Keeping these trails open for years to come

Trails don’t stay open by default. The St. Clair area around Bartlett Lake is proof.

After the 2005 Bart Fire, the Forest Service closed St. Clair to protect the land. More wildfires followed, and the trails kept degrading. Reopening took a partnership between the Tonto Recreation Alliance, the Cave Creek Ranger District and thousands of volunteers.

Between 2022 and 2024, those volunteers and Forest Service staff:

• Restored more than 45 miles of trail
• Hardened routes with over 700 tons of rock
• Installed 9 information kiosks and built 3 new staging areas
• Logged more than 6,000 volunteer hours

That’s years of closure undone by people who showed up. It can just as easily go the other way. Off-route driving, trash, illegal fires and torn-down signs are exactly what land managers point to when they restrict access.

Here’s how you can help keep FR 42, Pyeatt Draw, Broken Arrow and every other Arizona trail open:

• Buy your permit. Every motorized vehicle in a Tonto OHV permit zone needs at least one permit holder aboard.
• Check closures before you go. Fire and flood closures change fast; check Tonto National Forest alerts.
• Join a club or a cleanup. Groups like @tral_az, the Tonto Recreation Alliance and Rim Country 4 Wheelers are always looking for hands.
• Take the Tread Lightly! training. Then share what you learn with your crew.

Built to push limits, committed to protecting the trail

Huge thanks to @tral_az and every volunteer who came out to Bartlett Lake. You proved what the off-road community can do when it shows up.

We’ll be back for the next one, and we want you there. Follow @apexchassis for upcoming cleanups and trail runs, and tag us when you pack out more than you packed in.

FAQ: Off-roading at Bartlett Lake

Do I need a permit to drive FR 42 at Bartlett Lake?
Yes. FR 42 (Telegraph Line Trail, MT-42) is in the St. Clair OHV Permit Zone, which requires a Tonto National Forest OHV Permit from Recreation.gov. Options are $10 for 3 days, $60 for 6 months or $80 for a year.

Which direction do you drive the Telegraph Line Trail?
East to west only. Enter off North Lake Road and exit on Horseshoe Dam Road.

How hard is FR 42?
It’s mostly intermediate, with sandy washes, steep hills and rocky sections. High clearance and 4WD are recommended.

Is Pyeatt Draw near Bartlett Lake?
No. Pyeatt Draw is about 20 miles outside Payson on the Payson Ranger District of Tonto National Forest. It’s a much harder rock-crawling trail.

Can I drive off the trail in Tonto National Forest?
No. Motorized cross-country travel is prohibited. Stay on routes marked with brown fiberglass markers.

When is the best time to off-road near Bartlett Lake?
Fall through spring. Summer highs regularly top 100°F and there’s no shade, so carry plenty of water year-round.

Sources

• USFS St. Clair OHV Permit Zone rules and guide
• USFS Camp Creek Wash OHV access and permit fees
• RiderPlanet: St. Clair OHV Trails / FR 42
• Tread Lightly! T.R.E.A.D. principles
• Belnap: Desert biological soil crusts
• InciWeb: Horse Fire update, May 8, 2024
• Expedition Portal: Pyeatt Draw
• FunTreks: Pyeatt Draw
• Trails Offroad: Broken Arrow