Home / Adventures / Sand Tank Mountains, Vekol Valley Arizona

Sand Tank Mountains 2003
Date 12/20/2003
Trail Time 6-8 Hours
Location Interstate 8 and Freeman Road Interchange, Vekol Valley Arizona
Mapping / GPS / Waypoint File .gif Map Image Note: Due to the remote location and difficult route finding, I only included a Map for reference. Please contact me if you need more information or a complete track. Requires permits to enter the range.

Trail Rating: 3.5+

Note: This area is extremely remote and unpredictable. I encountered several areas that required at least one traction device. Brush is tight and will damage paint. Not for the faint of heart. This area is used frequently by illegal's attempting to cross the desert to Phoenix.
Major Obstacle Remote location
This area is part of the Sonoran Desert National Monument with several major scenic features. The area is bordered to the east by Table Top Mountain (4,374 ft) and the Sand Tank Mountains to the Southwest. The Vekol Wash runs through the center of the valley, and is unique in that is flows from south to north. Our trip started from exit 140, Freeman Road and went south into the monument. No trails are numbered or marked, and many trails exist other than those shown on Topo maps. We used Garmin Topo and Topo Seamless USGS maps for route finding.
The trail starts in the open desert, but quickly climbs into the foothills of the Sand Tank Mountains
Johnson Well (N32 42 45.0 W112 21 24.1)
The trail travels through the White Hills and Javelina Mountains
We stopped for lunch in the shade of a remote canyon.
This side trail traveled south of Squaw Tit (4,021 ft) and was the most difficult portion of the trail. I engaged my rear locking differential due to the large rocks, and loose terrain. Low tire pressure and good tires would make this portion easier.
We hiked up to a large cave used by animals and were welcomed with a beautiful view!
The sun setting to the east
A view to the east and the Vekol Valley
View entire album Main , 35mm Scans