Campaign Creek
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| | Difficulty:3B I (v2a2 I) Raps:1, max ↨15ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:4WD - High Clearance | |||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 26 Dec 2024
"We did a bottom up walk through of the canyon, the canyon has a light flow of water with no pools, was able to avoid all water. The down climbs were e |
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33.5483, -111.0773
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WaterflowIntroduction[edit]
Though very short and barely technical (one 15 foot hand line), Campaign Creek is a fun, easy, beautifully sculpted pink granite gorge with narrows not unlike those found in Solome Creek.
From Phoenix, drive east on US60 through Superior and Miami to turn left (north) onto SR188. After 21.2 miles turn left onto J Bar Road which is well graded dirt (the green highway sign says "J-B Road") and drive south west for two miles until you reach the split with the Tule Trailhead road; turn left here following the sign pointing the way for Campaign Trailhead. After the road curves left and passes an active ranch and through a gate (a homemade sign reads "4x4 only please") the road becomes quite sandy in spots as it travels up the lower reaches of Campaign Creek. Stay on the main road as it travels in and out of the sandy wash and park at a pullout/corral on the right just before the road goes steeply uphill at a crossing of Campaign Creek (hopefully flowing across the road at this point) after a total of 4.9 miles.
Approach[edit]
Hike on the road continuing south for a little over one mile until the road crosses the creek again in a prominent bend and after coming down a hill - turn right and enter the canyon here.
Descent[edit]
The canyon quickly opens into a scenic granite waterway with several small waterfalls. Easy downclimbs will get you past the first several short, vertical obstacles. Eventually you will reach one slightly more vertical section than the others. Some may wish to use a rope around a tree in the watercourse LDC to assist with a short hand line to safely get down through the falls, others will opt to downclimb through the watercourse or via a 20’ crack RDC.
The original write-up described a few deep swimmer pools, but it appears that sand has been relocated and now fills these areas and the canyon now contains only very shallow pools.
After opening up for a short stretch, one more very short section of deeper though less scenic narrows will be encountered just before the canyon meets back up with the road.
Exit[edit]
The parking area is immediately to the left of where the creek meets the road.
