Table Top Trail

Overview

Table Top Trail, in the 34,400-acre Table Top Wilderness, takes visitors from the floor of Vekol Valley (elevation 2,299 feet) to the summit of Table Top Mountain (elevation 4,356 feet) in just 3.5 miles. Along the way, visitors are treated to a variety of Sonoran Desert plants and wildlife, scenic vistas, and evidence of the area's volcanic history. The view from atop the summit is a dramatic panorama of rugged mountain ranges and desert plains.

The trail begins by crossing several small washes and bajadas (desert outwash plains), and winds northeasterly toward Table Top Mountain through forests of saguaro, cholla, prickly pear, paloverde, and ironwood. At the base of the mountain, the trail begins a series of switchbacks on its steep ascent to the summit. Near the summit the trail is bordered by four-foot- tall walls of loosely piled stones, the origin and purpose for which are unknown. Vegetation on the summit includes an unusual, 40-acre island of desert grassland.

Facilities

Table Top Trailhead includes a small, three-site campground with picnic tables, fire-rings, a vault toilet, and day use parking for approximately 10 vehicles. No water or trash collection is provided.

Know Before You Go

• A high clearance vehicle is required to reach Table Top Trailhead.
• Equestrian use is not recommended due to the steep conditions.
• Fires are not allowed in Table Top Wilderness.
• Pets are not allowed on Table Top Trail.
• Vekol Valley is prone to heavy rains and flash floods. Do not attempt to cross flooded washes. Wait for waters to recede before crossing.
• Drinking water is not available, so you should bring plenty of your own water.
• Cellular phones do not work in many areas of the national monument.
• Drug and human smuggling activities have occurred within the monument south of Interstate 8. If you see any activity that looks illegal, suspicious, or out of place, please do not intervene. Contact BLM Federal Law Enforcement Communications Center, County Sheriff or Border Patrol. Call 911 to report emergencies.
• Summer temperatures may often reach up 115 degrees. Wear a hat, long sleeve shirt, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Drink plenty of water!
• You might encounter rattlesnakes and scorpions. Don't put your hands or feet in brush or under rocks and boulders.
• Many abandoned mine shafts dot the landscape in Arizona and are very dangerous. Many shafts are deep vertical holes with no way out. Do not get close to or enter any mine shaft.
• Fires are not allowed in Table Top Wilderness.