Dead Man Canyon to Gravel Canyon O&B - 5/4/26

Approaching Gravel Canyon

Mouth of Gravel Canyon

Hidden Forest Cabin photos from 2014

(So, who is that standing next to the corral 12 years ago?)

Approach to Dead Man Canyon & Hidden Forest

Lady Hikers on an Adventure

Looking for different places to hike with not a lot of elevation gain due to an injury, the Lady Hikers went on an adventure into the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR). Susan drives a Subaru and we piled in for a very long drive out Alamo Road. Alamo Road begins at the DNWR Visitor Center on Corn Creek Road turning to the left. We drove 15 miles on Alamo Road and another 4 miles on Hidden Forest Road at an average of 12mph. (Yep.) Well, none of us wanted to get a flat tire since we are all just "pampered" senior ladies with fantastic husbands who do all of that stuff. However, the road conditions were excellent! We rarely needed high clearance ... only when the middle of the dirt road was piled with a few inches of rocks.

Entering Dead Man Canyon

Starting up Hidden Forest Trail

Susan at the perspective Point

Heading into taller Walls

We had stopped at the visitor center and signed in as a safety precaution. There haven't been a lot of visitors going into the back country lately. (Or, at least, ones that have signed in.) Driving out to the trailhead, an SUV came flying by us. We saw the SUV later at the trailhead and passed him and his dog on the trail. He said he takes Rosie out for hiking in the DNWR quite often. Nice guy. He had hiked out to around the 4 mile mark that morning. The trail is covered with gravel for the first 2.5 miles or so. There was a lot of crunching going on. The path is very clear. For this hike, we went up 2 miles until the trail junctioned with what we dubbed Gravel Canyon. It comes in from the right and a storm, maybe Hurricane Hilary, had brought down tons of gravel to pile into Dead Man Canyon at its mouth. Curious, we turned to the right and hiked up the canyon a little just to get a feel for it. We had planned not to go all the way to the cabin anyway. The canyon flora and debris closed in on the gravel carpet and we decided not to pursue the route. Seeing that the day was passing quickly, we turned around here and hiked back down to the mouth of "Gravel Canyon" to take our break. Notes on the Hidden Forest Cabin and Trail were printed on a sign at the trailhead: 

The Hidden Forest Trail

"The Hidden Forest Trail begins at the mouth of Dead Man Canyon and as you ascend you’ll find yourself staring into the majestic canopy of a ponderosa pine forest. This forest cathedral is a welcome respite from the desert heat and shelters a historic game warden’s cabin at the trail’s end. Near the cabin you will find Wiregrass Spring bubbling out of the hillside. Hidden Forest Trail is the typical access point to Hayford Peak."

Canyon narrows as we search for bighorns on the Cliffs (none, of course)

Blooming cliffrose was a delight!

Hidden Forest Trail

Hidden Forest Trail

Although I have been to the cabin 3 times, I have not climbed Hayford Peak. Unless you are a really strong fast hiker, Hayford Peak is not a day hike. A lot of people stay in the cabin at the end of Dead Man Canyon overnight for this adventure. Or, they simply backpack in. Hayford Peak has a prominence of 5,392' topping out at 9,924' being the tallest mountain in the Sheep Range. The Hidden Forest Cabin lies at 7,850' in elevation. The trailhead of Dead Man Canyon is at 5,863'. (You do the math!) For our hike today, we reached an elevation of 6,878'. On the return, the crunching seemed endless! Susan found a collared lizard and our car was safe at the trailhead! We drove slightly faster on the way back down Alamo Road. I think the jostling fixed my back that had been hurting for a couple of weeks! All that and a chiropractor, too!

Stats: 5 miles; 1040' gain; 3.5 hours hike time

Nearing Gravel Canyon Junction

Heading out of Dead Man Canyon

A small collared Lizard