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Venture back through the wilderness and into the Old West: Hike Poland Creek, Crown King, Arizona

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 know is that here in Arizona, even in the summer, there are still many beautiful and interesting places to go if you want to get outside and cool off during the day. So if you’re ready for a new hiking adventure with a chance of getting wet, then check out Poland Creek, in Castle Creek Wilderness, Crown King, Arizona, and journey back through the beauty of the wilderness and into the true old west.

I’ve always been interested in taking a trip to Crown King, which is located south of Prescott and in the Bradshaw Mountains, bordering the Castle Creek Wilderness. If you have a truck or 4×4 then you should be fine because Crown King is only accessible by a 27 mile dirt road. But recently I joined a great local hiking group called 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 enthusiastically signed up.

So bright and early on a Saturday morning, I met up with the TLC hiking group in Anthem, just north of Phoenix, around 6:15 a.m. Those of us with passenger vehicles, joined other members who had trucks, jeeps and 4wds. We were also advised to try carpooling together due to 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 exited the freeway and turned 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 sweeping views as you slowly climb in elevation and head deeper into the rugged Bradshaw Mountains and Castle Creek Wilderness. Overall I thought the trail 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 highway, but at mile marker 25, note the small parking and pull-out area on the left. After a couple of group photos, we started our hike at 7:45am. To get to Poland Creek, you must first follow the Algonquin Trail. The views of Horse Thief Canyon from the Algonquin Trail are stunning and the descent, while totaling about 1000 feet, is fairly gradual. After coming down, we turned left and headed down the canyon and onto 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 distance past several small swimming holes until we reach the area of ​​the falls, which is called the “Big Dipper”. Unfortunately, however, the water level at the moment 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 sunning itself on a rock.

After an hour or so, and with temperatures starting to heat up quickly, we decided to head back. The ride back over the rocks and boulders on Poland Creek, then up 1000 feet up the Algonquin Trail felt more difficult at this point. However, the panoramic views of the surrounding area were again absolutely stunning as I stopped here and there to catch my breath and take some photos. Most of us had made it back to the top of the hill where our cars were parked around 11am for a total round trip hiking 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 rebuilt former Gladiator Mill built in 1893, and it was said to have the best food in town, and it did! The food was excellent and the service across the board very friendly staff 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 also mine their own gold. It’s definitely a very quaint town that hasn’t lost its history or “rustic” old west charm. Nestled in the pines near 6000 feet, temperatures on this August day were warm, but mild, in the low 80s and also with a light cool breeze. Perfect! After visiting the Old Town Saloon, Prospector Mall, and General Store and Post Office, we got back in our cars and left Crown King around 2:45pm

The road down in elevation on FR 259 was single lane with many changes of direction and sharp S-curves. It also seemed a bit creepier with a host of oncoming trucks and construction vehicles, all of which seemed to be driving at high speed. We almost collided with 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 ride and headed back to Anthem where our cars were parked at 4:00pm

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’re up for an adventure and scenic day trip walking back to the old west, I’d definitely recommend visiting Poland Creek in the Castle Creek Wilderness, in Crown King, Arizona.

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