Silver Peak Trail #280

Access

The Silver Peak Trail is accessible from two locations.

The trailhead with a paved parking area is located in Cave Creek Canyon on the north side of Forest Road 42, (31.89641, -109.16447) a short distance west of the Cave Creek Visitor Center. The trailhead can also be accessed on foot via the Cave Creek Nature Trail, which connects to all three major campgrounds in Cave Creek Canyon.

A 0.13 mile long connector trail connects the Cave Creek Visitor Information Center (31.89864, -109.16235) to a point along the Silver Peak Trail 0.14 mile from the trailhead (31.89807, -109.16397) and can be a good option for starting the hike if you're already at the VIC. If parking in the parking lot here, be sure to note what time they close and lock the gate so you don't get locked inside.

Trail Description

From the pedestrian gate at the Silver Peak Parking Lot, turn right. Beginning with some gentle curves and intermittently climbing through the trees on a generally northeastern heading, you may find a few social trails or game trails through here—the Silver Peak Trail is generally more obviously well-traveled.

0.14 mile after leaving the trailhead, you will come to a junction with the connector trail to the Cave Creek Visitor Information Center departing to the right. (31.89807, -109.16397) The Silver Peak Trail climbs up a steep set of steps out of this junction, then curves to the northwest and begins a segment of steady uphill climbing. While this section used to ascend straight up a fall line for the next mile, erosion started to channelize it with several sections becoming a several foot deep trench in places. The trail has been realigned through a series of more gentle climbing turns up the ridge instead.

0.2 mile after leaving the junction, you will come to a short spur trail to a viewpoint of cave creek canyon, marked by a sign. (31.89968, -109.16578) Another mile of newer climbing turns and a few old, steeper sections of trail later and you'll end up at a pedestrian gate under a tree atop a ridge. (31.90433, -109.17399) This can be a good spot to stop and catch your breath and enjoy a view out over the town of Portal below.

From here, the trail briefly heads roughly west along the edge of a drainage before cutting north past its upper end and beginning to contour along the mountain proper. Roughly 0.4 mile after passing through the pedestrian gate, you'll be directly below The Fingers, a rock formation which, when viewed from the south, resembles a number of hands and fingers pointing to the sky. Another 0.17 mile and you'll come to a second pedestrian gate. (31.90964, -109.17786)

The first true switchback (as opposed to the climbing turns from earlier) comes about a thousand feet later. (31.91111, -109.17971) This is a notable point, as there is a faint social trail here continuing straight out of the turn. Many hikers have missed this and continued onto the rapidly disappearing social trail instead of following the switchback. As of August 2017, a "TRAIL" sign with a left arrow has been installed to help guide hikers on the correct path.

After another switchback shortly after, the trail spends the next half mile skirting around the north face of a ridge, curving around it to end up heading south-southwest, where it hits the second of five sets of switchbacks. This set spans 570 feet of trail across six switchbacks in order to ascend above a rock outcrop and an area of steep cliffs before continuing south, crossing a small drainage after 600 feet, and angling to the west in a more significant drainage 500 feet after that.

From the drainage crossing it's 200 feet to the next set of eight switchbacks across a 560 foot stretch, and which pass through a stand of small Gambel oak. 320 feet beyond the upper switchback, a distinctive Alligator Juniper tree grows atop a flat rock protruding out of the cliff. This point is nearly ⅔ of the total distance to the top and often serves as a break or snack stop—the tree can provide enough shade during hot seasons for this to be appealing. (31.90778, -109.18832)

The trail then contours around to the southwest for 0.12 miles before making a tiny switchback beneath a large rock outcrop—from another angle, further up the trail, this outcrop resembles a human head peering out to the northwest. The forest canopy begins to change around here as you begin passing under a stand of pine for the next 0.13 miles before another set of eight switchbacks. After another 200 feet you will exit the pines again for a short distance and return to oak and chaparral as you contour widely to the north for the next two tenths of a mile.

After returning to pine cover the trail climbs for the next quarter mile to a small set of switchbacks and then 0.17 miles to another much larger one, the trail changing from an westerly course to head southeast and beginning to climb more steeply. After another nearly two tenths of a mile, the final set of switchbacks begins. This consists of ten which are relatively even in length over a third of a mile stretch, followed by a 500 foot stretch climbing steadily to the southeast, then the final switchback to the top of the ridge below the peak. From here, Silver Peak proper actually lies 500 feet to the east-southeast, but the trail continues west to the site of the former fire lookout cabin.

70 feet to the west of the final switchback you'll pass a tool shed structure. 100 feet further, the outhouse lies 50 feet off the left side of the trail. The trail makes a bend to the left and the final 60 feet to the lookout take place across 51 very steep cement steps.

Only the foundation of the lookout remains, the structure having burned down in October 1992 during a thunderstorm. The view from this point is one of the most impressive of the area, from the Portal Peak to the east, Cave Creek Canyon to the southeast, the Cave Creek Basin and the Southwestern Research Station to the south, the Trans-Mountain Road (FR 42) climbing to Onion Saddle to the west, Paradise to the northwest, and San Simon and I-10 to the north.

Map

Last updated July 17, 2025.