Exploring the Thrilling Terrain of Bulldog Canyon Off Road Trail

Bulldog Canyon

Bulldog Canyon is our favorite go to spot for a quick and beautiful ride. Most of our half-day renters choose this location due to its close proximity to our facility. 

Located just North-East of Mesa AZ, about one hour from Phoenix, Bulldog Canyon offers approximately 20 miles of open routes for OHV riders. Bulldog Canyon routes are all full size vehicle width and provide access to the beautiful Sonoran desert and Goldfield Mountains. Depending on your starting point, any of the six access points allow full access to the area. (Blue Point, Usery, Wolverine, Hackamore, Dutchman and Willow). Tonto National Forest does currently require a Tonto National Forest Off-Highway Vehicle Permit for this area. The permits are available to purchase at Recreation.gov.

The primary trail runs north and south between two of the smallest peaks of the Goldfield Mountains Right from any gate, there are multiple fingers off the main trail that allow you to explore the washes coming off the mountains and enjoy the beauty that the Goldfield Mountains have to offer. 

The Northernmost gate to the Bulldog Canyon area is the Blue Point Gate. This gate is situated directly off Bush Hwy. The southernmost gate is positioned just north of the city of Apache Junction AZ. This is the primary access point we recommend for our renters and their guests, as it is the closest to our facility. These

gates are what I would call the primary gates for the canyon area as they are both situated directly on the main trail. 

As you continue along the main trail, there are multiple points of interest worth mentioning. We have listed a few of our favorites below. 

Top of Bulldog Canyon Tower

Positioned just after the start of the trail is the first point of interest. Up on the side of the western mountain is an old cell phone tower. A portion of the trail leads all the way up to the tower. Once you make it to the tower, you can park your off-road vehicle and take a small walk to the lookout point. This lookout point has amazing views of the entire valley. On a clear day, you can even see the city of Phoenix glistening in the distance. 

The next point of interest is going to be back on the main trail. As you leave the cell phone tower and hit the main trail, you will continue north for not much more than a mile. As you come down one of the hills, there is a water collection facility in the distance off to the left. You are welcome to take your ride all the way up to the gate positioned around the facility. This is a cool place to stop and see just how hard our Forest Rangers are working to preserve the wildlife in the area. This facility was built to collect water through rainy seasons and provide it, through a watering hole, to the local wildlife. 

The last thing we want to point out is the immense amount of wildlife that you can see in the Bulldog Canyon area. From time to time you might encounter animals such as Desert Mule Deer, Coyotes, Desert Cottontails, Greater Roadrunners, Bobcats, Gila Monsters, Bighorn Sheep and even the herd of Salt River Wild Horses.

Please remember to stay on the routes. Driving off-road is prohibited on the Tonto National Forest. Permits are not available at the District Office.