Tonto National Forest - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Mount Ord is one of the most popular and accessible tree-covered summits nearby the Phoenix, AZ metropolitan area. The turn off to Mount Ord Road is less than an hour from the suburbs of Mesa and Scottsdale via the Beeline Highway. The top of Mount Ord is home to a collection of communications towers. The mountain is popular with birdwatchers.

Four Peaks is a prominent landmark on the eastern skyline of Phoenix. Part of the Mazatzal Mountains, it is located in the Four Peaks Wilderness in the Tonto National Forest, 40 miles east-northeast of Phoenix. In winter, Four Peaks offers much of the Phoenix metro area a view of snow-covered peaks. Four Peaks is the site of an amethyst mine that produces top-grade amethyst.

Bartlett Lake is a reservoir that was formed by the damming of the Verde River in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is downstream and to the south of Horseshoe Reservoir. Constructed in 1936–39 by the Salt River Project, the Bartlett Dam and reservoir were named for Bill Bartlett, a government surveyor. Bartlett Lake was the first reservoir built on the Verde River.

The Three Bar Wildlife Enclosure is a fenced wildlife study area operated by Arizona Game and Fish. The proximity of two recreation sites provides ample parking should you want to cool off in Roosevelt Lake after your ride. Scenery includes the riparian habitat associated with Roosevelt Lake and watershed as well as chaparral vegetation.

Devil's Canyon also known as 'Devcharacho kond' in Konkani, is a picturesque river gorge near Molem situated in a beautiful patch of the jungle where the river flows with great turbulence and cuts the deep gorge into solid rock. It is suicidal for swimmers due to the slippery rocks, strong undercurrents and unfathomed depth. In its jungles one can see some rare sightings of Black Panther and while here one can also visit the Tambdi Surla Temple that is situated nearby.

Barnhardt Trail is considered to be one of the "expressways" to the Mazatzals. It starts at Barnhardt trailhead and proceeds westward to the ridge of the Mazatzal range or "Divide" where you intersect the N-S Mazatzal Divide Trail, which is part of the Arizona Trail. This is a very popular area for hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime.