The Reavis Canyon Trail is a historic trail outside the Superstition Wilderness that follows the route that Elisha Reavis used to haul produce from Reavis Ranch down to Florence and Phoenix. The route is most often traveled because it's part of the Arizona Trail. Otherwise it not really worth the effort since it climbs 2500 feet in six miles with 2000 of that in the last 3 miles. The long distance views from the top at Montana Mountain are great but you can also drive FR650 to the top. (This is also listed as trail #590 and often called the Reavis Trail Canyon.)
The round trip is 11 miles but you may want to add another half mile to visit an overlook to the south of Montana Mountain. Allow five to seven hours for the round trip.
The drive to the trailhead is at a minimum high-clearance and 4WD may be required. Part of the road is in and out of a creekbed and 4WD may be required after a rain. Partly because the route is more difficult when water is flowing and partly because rain washes out the dirt ramps between the creekbed and the ramps.
The roads to the trailhead are poorly marked. Leave US-60 0.9 mile east of 0.9 the Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Superior, Arizona at Hewitt Station road. Drive through a large parking area where quads are loaded/unloaded from trailers. FR-8 starts with an immediate hard right from the northwest corner of the parking area while the main dirt road--Hewitt Station Road heads west roughly parallel to the railroad tracks.
Details of the route to the Reavis Canyon Trail #580 trailhead:
- Turn north off US-60 onto Hewitt Station Road, 0.9 mile past Boyce Thompson Arboretum.
- Make an immediate right (200') onto FR-8.
- Take FR-8 for 1.8 miles and then bear left at a "Y" onto FR-650.
- The trailhead is 2.8 miles north of this junction.
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