Initially, we set out to hike the Broken Arrow Trail to Chicken Point but ended up taking a detour that proved a worthwhile adventure. Broken Arrow Trailhead allows 4×4 road vehicles and jeep tours – and it can get quite busy throughout the day. Parking was also a challenge, so arriving earlier in the day may help, but as traffic builds during tourist season expect large crowds of hikers, mountain bikers and four-wheel-drive vehicles. If you are looking for serenity, this may not be your ideal hike. With that said, it’s still worth the trip.
There are two trails, a designated trailhead for Broken Arrow, and a vehicle trail for those who have no fear in maneuvering through rocky terrain that could be questionable. However, signage at the entrance way warns drivers to read before venturing out.
Broken Arrow Trail is a 3.2-mile loop with other intercepting trailheads. We passed the Devil’s Dining Room, a 50-foot wide and 90-foot deep sinkhole that also is the home of a bat colony. The sinkhole is fenced in, protecting onlookers from falling in – although fencing doesn’t protect the bats from escaping! Signage close by explains the geology of the sinkhole and describes the bat habitat. It’s probably a good thing to acknowledge, but in our case neither discovering bats, nor being close to their dining room, was on our agenda – so the faster we moved, the better we felt.
Just past Devil’s Dining Room, you can climb up toward the Twin Buttes, and descend to Chicken Point. We opted to take Submarine Rock Trail, noted for its unusual rock formation. Arriving at the base of this enormous rock structure, we climbed to the top. We took the not-so-easy way up from the front side; however, there is a more natural route, if you circle Submarine Rock and climb from the east or south side. Once you get to the top, the 360-degree panoramic views are outstanding. It did get a little breezier, and the area is prone to high wind gusts.
As we hiked down the east side of Submarine Rock, we noticed a Wilderness Trailhead. We chose to be adventurous. We did manage to find wildlife, a buck and a few deer on their journey. It was a sight to behold, as you don’t see that often. Several hummingbirds flew past, as it added to the serene surroundings of this particular trail. We decided to turn around and head back. The hike was moderate with a little effort to get up Submarine Rock but it was manageable.We spent about three hours out on the trail and hiked a distance of 2.7 miles, exploring new paths. We did get
sunburned as we forgot the sunscreen – be sure to pack some, as you will need it on this trail.
