Arizona's White Mountains
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Elevation: 7,900' to 8,300'
Length: 2.5 mile or
8 mile loop |
Season: May through October |
Rating: Easy to Moderate
Use: Moderate |
Attractions:
You can
ride your mountain bike right out of your campsite at Luna Lake Campground to
take advantage of this convenient ride. A moderate length and easy rating make
it a popular diversion for campers at the Alpine District's largest campground.
If the fish aren't biting at Luna Lake or if you need to get away from the
campground society for a while, the Luna Lake Loop will take you for an
easy-going tour of forest backroads, open grasslands and suburban ranches in
the vicinity of the lake and village of Alpine. If you're having so much fun
that the combined 10.5 miles aren't enough, you can expand this ride by
including all or part of Georges Lake Loop. That 4.5 miles loop is accessible
via a short jaunt down FR 275 to its intersection with FR 275F and the Georges
Lake Loop.
Access:
Drive 5 miles
east from Alpine on US 180 and turn north (left) on the Luna Lake Entrance Road
just east of the Lake. This graveled all-weather road leads 1 mile to the bike
trailhead marked by an international bike symbol near the campground
entrance.
Ride Log:
Lower Loop -
2.5 miles.
From the trailhead follow the blue diamond north through the
gate to a junction where a sign that reads "easiest" marks the right fork.
Follow this fork 1 mile to a second signed junction. At this junction, the
Lower Loop (the right fork) will return you to the Luna Lake Road 100 yards
south of the trailhead.
Upper Loop - 8 Miles.
Follow the same route as above to the
first signed junction. Take the left hand fork, marked more difficult, and
continue 1 mile through the gate (watch those diamonds), across Little Creek, a
cattle guard, and down the main road about ¼ mile to a signed road and
gate on the right. Go through this gate and enjoy relatively flat going for 2.5
miles. After this the going gets a little rougher over a series of short climbs
and drops which leads back to a signed junction. The right fork marked
"easiest" will take you back to the trail system while the left fork will bring
you back to the Luna Lake in a quick half mile.
Notes:
All road
junctions are marked with blue diamond markers
The only water along this
route is at the campground
Please contact the Alpine Ranger District for current information
of trail conditions: P.O. Box 469, Alpine, AZ 85920, (928) 339-4384
For more information, please feel free to contact
the USDA Forest Service, Alpine Ranger District at 928.339.4384 or you may
write us at P.O. Box 469 Alpine, Arizona 85920
White Mountains Online wishes to express our
appreciation to the USDA Forest Service, Alpine District for providing this
information! Page Design & Graphics by White Mountains Online. Copyright
© 1999. All rights reserved.
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