Buckeye Copper Mine Loop
This moderate loop ride departs Agua Caliente Road and heads south to the remains of the Buckeye Copper Mine. Past the mine, the trail climbs to an overlook of Woosley Peak, before descending past Buckeye Copper Mine Well and returning to Agua Caliente Rd.
Where to go:
The trail begins on Agua Caliente Road southwest of Phoenix. From the I-10 & AZ-85 interchange in Buckeye, head south on 85 for 5 miles. Turn right off the highway and head west on Hazen Road. Continue left on the paved road onto Wilson Ave. Head south for half a mile. Turn right onto Old Highway 80 to head west. Follow this for 12 miles as it passes through Palo Verde & Arlington. Just before the old dairy, stay right onto Agua Caliente Road off the highway. Stay right shortly after as Agua Caliente Road turns to dirt. Follow west for just under a mile to a dune area where the trail begins. There are numerous places to stage along the road before this point.
Trail Description:
From Agua Caliente Road at a small dune area ( 33.261573° -112.824421°), head southwest off the main road onto a lesser road. Continue following the easy trail towards the power lines. Cross over a natural gas pipeline after three-quarters of a mile and cross under power lines at 1.3 miles. Continue to the west as the trail heads towards a small set of hills. The trail turns due south and reaches a split at 3.8 miles. Stay to the left to get to Buckeye Copper Mine. The trail gets slightly rougher as it crosses a few washes and climbs briefly. At the 4.1 mile mark, the trail crests and small hill and descends towards the ruins. A house foundation can be found a few hundred feet east of the trail at this point. Continue downhill and to the right to the main ruins, marked by numerous cement foundations and a gated off adit at the 4.5 mile mark.
Consider walking around this area to explore the ruins. The Buckeye Copper Mine was a small operation, worked by the Lemons Brothers beginning in 1961. Copper and decorative rock was pulled out of the mine before it closed down in 1972. A more detailed history can be found here. When you’re done at the mine, continue south along the trail. The road remains mostly easy as it passes a few more more ruins before looping around the hill. At 4.9 miles, the trail reaches another junction. The main trail continues south (to the left) at this point, but to the right are some more tailings and will take you back to the north end of the mine. Refer to the Google Earth tracks to find this ruin. Continue south on the main trail. Things quickly get rougher as the trail climbs through a scenic, rugged area. Stay on the main trail as lesser trails branch off. At 6.1 miles, stay right to head uphill. The trail reaches a high-point at 6.3 miles, which offers a great view of Woosley Peak directly south.
From this high point, the trail drops down towards Woosley Peak. This section remains moderately rough. After a decent washout, the trail crosses a wash at 7.4 miles and reaches another junction. Just south of here is an old windmill called Buckeye Copper Mine Well. Continue to the left to head east. The trail parallels a wash and the northern boundary of the Woosley Peak Wilderness Area. Continue east as the trail skirts around the mountains. Stay straight at 8.5 miles where a trail branches off to the south. The trail eventually swings north before getting progressively easier and continuing to drop in elevation. Stay straight just before 11.0 miles where another well sits off to the right. The trail passes back underneath power lines and continues straight over the gas pipeline. At 12.9 miles, the road enters a large flat area and heads north where it meets back up with Agua Caliente Road at 13.0 miles. Stay left to get back to the start of the trail (or your parking area) or stay right to get back to Old Highway 80. Numerous additional trails can be found to the west along Agua Caliente Road.
Notes & Trail Ratings:
A lot of this trail follows easy and fast moving desert trails. The section between Buckeye Copper Mine and Buckeye Copper Mine Well are rougher and lesser traveled. There are some washouts and narrower sections that require more careful tire placement and caution. For that reason, if you want to do the full loop, a high-clearance 4-wheel drive vehicle is recommended. We’ve rated the trail a ‘5’ out of ‘10’. Allow for about 2-4 hours to complete this full loop. You can easily extend your trip by combining this loop with other trails along Agua Caliente Road. View our ‘SW Phoenix/Gila Bend Trails’ for more ideas.