MARICOPA GROUP: YAHOO #2, YAHOO #4, GOLDEN DREAMS, KING #1 NOTICE AZAU #1 & #2 ARE NO LONGER A PART OF THE MARICOPA GROUP AND NOT OPEN TO MEMBERS

Much of the area where these claims are located north of Morristown, AZ, is Arizona State Trust Land. The claims are NOT on Trust Lands but are very near and you must go through Trust Lands to access these claims. AZ Trust Lands are not 'public lands' like BLM or National Forests and thus have their own rules. You cannot prospect on Trust Lands but you can camp, hike, birdwatch, etc, BUT you need a permit to do so. You can drive through the area to access our claims without a permit. But many prospectors like to camp on nearby Trust Lands and are advised to get the$15/ $20 family/yr Trust Land permit first. There have been reports of people being fined in this area for not having a permit. For more AZ State Trust Land info and to obtain a permit online visit: www.land.az gov.
Happy prospecting!

Step 1 - From I-17 N, take exit 223A-B Travel West on Hwy 74 (Carefree Hwy) 28.9 miles to N. Castle Hot Springs Road.
Step 2 - Turn North (right) on Castle Hot Springs Rd.

In Morristown AZ, go north of SR 74 onto Castle Hot Springs Rd 2.6 mi, turn left just past cattle sign.

I used the directions (to Vulture Bait) added by Kevin Hoagland to get to the claim. Since my Jeep Cherokee is 2x4, and I thought the chances about 40% (at most!) it'd make it down through the wash, the soft sand, and back up the other side, I parked at the Y mentioned in Kevin's directions, and hiked in. Early in the morning, so not quite so hot just yet.

Having recently joined GPAA, I wanted to at least get an hour or two metal detecting on a claim while in AZ. I targeted Vulture Bait, yet made it as far as the old miner's cabin, then back-tracked to King #1. Didn't pull any gold from the ground on this trip. Prospecting with a metal detector on a claim is all new to me so this was as much of an adventure getting there and back as finding any gold.

Maybe 20 minutes walk to the miner's cabin. 5 minutes back to the NW claim stakes for King #1. Dropped down into the dry river bed and detected for a while. Nothing but pesky flies, so called it a day and headed out.

Thanks to those of you who posted directions and coordinates. Very helpful!

Thank you GPAA for the opportunity to have these experiences. We followed Kevin Hoaglands directions to Vulture Bait via the lower wash route, we turned left at the windmill and right in the wash then left up the hill and stopped at the level camping spot he described, before a 4x4 is a must. That is at the Southwest corner of one of the claims in the Maricopa Group. We have a 2wd double cab pickup
hauling a pop-up camper. That was as far as we could haul it safely. Beautiful site, we stayed 14 days.