Summers in Arizona are hot! But that’s just the central and southern portions of the state called the Sonoran Desert Region. What many people don’t realize is that here in Arizona, even in the summer, there are still many beautiful and interesting places to go if you want to get outdoors and cool off during the day. So if you’re ready for a new hiking adventure with the possibility of getting wet, then check out Poland Creek, in the Castle Creek Wilderness, Crown King, Arizona, and journey back through the wild, wild beauty and true old west.
I have always been interested in taking a trip to Crown King, which is south of Prescott and in the Bradshaw Mountains, bordering the Castle Creek Wilderness. If you have a truck or 4×4 then you should do just fine because Crown King is only accessible by a 27 mile dirt road. But I recently joined a great local hiking group called the TLC Hiking Group, and when they said they were headed to Crown King to hike to a place called Poland Creek to a 30 foot waterfall with a great swimming hole called “Big Dipper,” I thought wow, that sounds pretty interesting, and I eagerly signed up.
So bright and early one Saturday morning, I met up with the TLC hiking group in Anthem, just north of Phoenix, around 6:15 am. Those of us with passenger vehicles, joined up with other members who had trucks, jeeps, and 4wds. We were also advised to try carpooling together due to the limited parking available at the trailhead. At 6:45 am we were on our way to Crown King heading north on I-17 until we reached the Bumble Bee exit just past Black Canyon City. We exit the freeway and turn left onto FR 259. Most of FR 259 in the early 20th century used to be an old railroad called the Bradshaw Mountain Rail Road and its one-lane bridges are still in use today. First we passed through the small town of Bumble Bee, then through an even smaller and much older and more rustic town called Cleator. The ride on FR 259 is absolutely beautiful with panoramic views as it slowly climbs in elevation and further into the rugged Bradshaw Mountains and Castle Creek Wilderness. Overall I thought the road was in pretty good condition and in dry conditions it would be very passable for regular vehicles if you took it slow enough.
We reached the top, at an elevation of 5500 feet, called Poland Vista Point, and our trailhead at 7:30am. Not an easily recognizable trailhead from the road, but at mile marker 25, note the small park-and-ride area on the left. After a couple of group photos, we start our hike at 7:45 am. To get to Poland Creek, you must first follow the Algonquin Trail. The views of Horse Thief Canyon from the Algonquin Trail are impressive and the descent, though a total of about 1000 feet, is fairly gradual. After going down, we turned left and headed into the canyon and towards Poland Creek. This is where the hike gets a bit more strenuous as you start jumping over huge rocks and boulders in the creek bed. We continue for a short way past several small swimming holes until we reach the area of the falls, what is called the “Big Dipper”. However, unfortunately, the water level at this time was too low, and no waterfall was running. A small group ventured out looking for another possible swimming hole while the rest of us stayed behind and rested. When they returned, they reported seeing an adult Black Diamondback rattlesnake basking on a rock.
After about an hour, and with the temperatures starting to warm up quickly, we decided to head back. The ride back over the rocks and boulders at Poland Creek, then up to 1000ft on the Algonquin Trail felt more difficult at this point. However, the surrounding panoramic views were again absolutely stunning as I stopped here and there to catch my breath and take a few photos. Most of us had made it back to the top of the hill where our cars were parked by around 11am for a total round trip walking distance of about 3 miles.
After gathering our group at the trailhead, we got back in our cars and headed two miles down the road to the old western town of Crown King. They had a lot of construction going on, but after only a couple of minutes of waiting, we were allowed into town and immediately greeted and welcomed personally. We were also treated to lunch at “The Mill Restaurant” up the hill, a reconstructed former Gladiator Mill built in 1893, and was said to have the best food in town, and it did! The food was excellent and the service across the board, very friendly, personal with everything done with a home made touch. Really great! After lunch, we decided to visit the rest of the city of Crown King. The town originated in 1875 after a prospector struck gold and then grew for about 45 years as a gold mining town with the Bradshaw Mountain Rail Road to support the mining economy. However, the mines were not productive, they say, and the railway closed in the early 20th century. Today, they still have some gold mines in operation and they also mine their own gold. It is definitely a very quaint town that has not lost its history or “rustic” Old West charm. Nestled in the pines at an elevation near 6000 feet, the temperatures on this August day were warm, but mild, in the low 80s with a slight cool breeze as well. Perfect! After visiting the old town saloon, Prospector Mall, and General Store and Post Office, we returned to our cars and left Crown King around 2:45 p.m.
The road down in elevation on FR 259 was single lane with many direction changes and sharp S-curves. It also looked a bit spookier with a large number of oncoming trucks and construction vehicles, all of which seemed to be driving at high speeds. We almost ran into a dump truck! But luckily my good friend Dan was a great driver with a lot of experience behind him, so we were in good hands. We thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the beautiful trip and returned to Anthem where our cars were parked at 4:00 p.m.
Overall it was a great day of fun, amazing mountain scenery, a great “moderate level” hike with some really wonderful people, and a very enjoyable visit to the old west town of Crown King. So if you are up for an adventure and scenic day trip walking back to the old west, I would definitely recommend visiting Poland Creek in the Castle Creek Wilderness, in Crown King, Arizona.