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Arizona Day Hike Near Cactus Lake | Superstition Wilderness

This hike stays entirely on Forest Road 80, a graded road that drops off the Apache Trail toward Cactus Lake. What looks straightforward on a map turns into a demanding day on foot: a long descent, sustained grades, and a final push down to the water near Back Beach and Fish Beach below Horse Mesa. It’s a 7-mile round-trip hike with enough elevation change to keep you interested.



Trailhead & Route Context

The hike begins along Forest Road 80 in the Tonto National Forest, near Black Cross Butte, on the edge of the Superstition Wilderness. There is no traditional trailhead. Parking is informal, limited to pullouts along the side of the road.


Forest Road 80 functions as an access corridor toward Horse Mesa Dam, and the hike follows the road itself from start to finish. Once you step off the shoulder and begin walking downhill, the route is obvious—the road commits immediately.


The Descent: Switchbacks to the Lake

The first 1.5 miles define the hike. Forest Road 80 drops fast through a series of steep switchbacks cut into volcanic rock. Even though the surface is graded, the grade is sustained enough that footing and pacing matter, especially in warmer weather.


The views open quickly as you lose elevation. Looking back, the Apache Trail fades into the cliffs above. Looking ahead, Cactus Lake begins to appear in fragments between the bends of the road.


As the switchbacks give way to longer straight sections, the road continues to descend at a steady clip. The final stretch toward the water steepens again, with a tougher grade near the bottom that makes the last push down to the shoreline feel earned rather than casual.


Back Beach & Fish Beach

At lake level, the road flattens out and the hike changes character. Back Beach sits against darker rock and gravel, more enclosed by the canyon walls. Fish Beach lies farther along the shoreline, slightly more open, with easier movement and broader views across the water.

Time here slows naturally. Walking the edge of the lake, watching how fluctuating water levels reshape the shoreline, and taking in the quiet all feel amplified after the long descent.

Across the water, Horse Mesa dominates the view—a fixed point that gives scale to the canyon and a sense of how much vertical ground you’ve covered.


Landscape & History

Horse Mesa Dam was completed in the 1920s as part of the Salt River Project, one of several dams that transformed this stretch of the Salt River into a chain of reservoirs. Cactus Lake occupies what was once a steep, narrow river corridor.


The surrounding terrain remains unmistakably Superstition: fractured volcanic rock, sparse soil, and slopes that don’t forgive rushed movement. Even on a graded road, the land dictates the effort.


The Climb Back Out

What goes down must come back up. The return hike reverses the same road, turning the long descent into a sustained climb. The switchbacks that felt quick on the way down stretch out on the ascent, and the grade near the lake hits hardest when legs are already working.

This is where the numbers show themselves. The elevation gain isn’t dramatic in one place—it’s cumulative. Steady pacing and patience make the climb manageable, and each switchback brings wider views as you gain height.


Wrapping Up

Hiking Forest Road 80 to Back Beach and Fish Beach is simple in concept but physical in execution. The route is obvious, the surface is graded, and there’s no navigation challenge—but the distance, elevation, and exposure make it a legitimate day hike.


It’s a good reminder that roads aren’t always easy, and that access routes can offer just as much effort and reward as narrow trails.


Trail Stats

  • Distance: 7 miles round trip

  • Elevation Gain: 1,338 feet

  • Route: Forest Road 80 (graded road)

  • Key Feature: Steep switchbacks in the first 1.5 miles of descent

  • Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous due to sustained grade

  • Shade: Minimal, especially below the switchbacks


Trail & Area Context

For general orientation and area information (not exact routing):

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