President’s Choice Trail Access
President’s Choice is easy to spot on a route map and much harder to plan around if you are unsure where the legal approach begins, what kind of machine fits, or whether the route is open. This guide explains how to verify access, prepare for the ride, and avoid common mistakes in the Parker and Buckskin Mountains area.
Understand the President’s Choice Trail Area
Where the route fits into a Parker-area ride
President’s Choice is associated with the wider Parker and Buckskin Mountains riding area in western Arizona. That puts it within a landscape where desert routes, washes, mountain tracks, and roads serving other uses can sit close together. A route name on a map is a useful starting point, but it does not necessarily tell you where a legal staging area is or whether every connected track is open to motorized travel.
The broader area attracts riders looking for a mix of desert scenery and varied terrain. Depending on your chosen approach, the ride may involve rough ground, loose surfaces, elevation changes, or stretches where there is little shade. Conditions can differ substantially between lower desert sections and higher ground, and a route that looks straightforward on a screen can feel more demanding when you reach rocky, rutted, or sandy terrain.
Treat President’s Choice as a route to verify, not a promise of a particular trailhead or a fixed loop. Before loading the machines, identify the mapped route, the nearest legal staging option, and the roads you are allowed to use to connect them. If you are planning a larger ride nearby, [Buckskin Mountains Trail Network] and [Cattail Cove Area Riding] may help you think about the surrounding area, but check each route separately rather than assuming access carries over.
Why access needs to be checked segment by segment
Public-land boundaries and motorized routes do not always line up neatly. A road may approach a trail but lead across land with different rules, or a route shown by one mapping source may be outdated, unofficial, or closed. In the desert, the temptation to follow a visible track around a blocked gate or muddy section can lead to trespass or resource damage.
Check current land-manager information and motorized-use maps before choosing your approach. Look for route designations, seasonal restrictions, closure notices, and any requirements that apply to the land you will cross. If a route passes near State Trust land, make sure you understand whether a permit is required for your planned activity. [Arizona Trails on State Trust Land] offers useful background on why land status matters, and [Telling Trust Land From BLM Ground] can help you recognize that these are not interchangeable land categories.
Also verify the access point itself. A wide turnout on a satellite map is not automatically an authorized staging area, and a nearby park or recreation site may have separate rules about trailers, overnight parking, and OHV use. If you cannot confirm that a location is appropriate for parking and unloading, choose a clearly designated staging area instead of improvising on the roadside.
Plan a Legal and Practical Approach
Build the route from a verified starting point
Start with the official land-management map for the area, then compare it with a navigation app such as onX Offroad. Digital tools can make it easier to follow a route, check your position, and notice where a track approaches a boundary. They are helpful planning aids, but they should not replace official closure notices or posted signs. Save the information you need before leaving pavement, because mobile service can be unreliable in remote desert terrain.
Plan the whole outing from trailer parking to return, not just the section labeled President’s Choice. Mark the legal access road, the point where you expect to unload, fuel and water stops, and a conservative turnaround point. If your intended route includes a loop or connector, verify that every part is open to your machine. A spur that looks like a convenient shortcut may be a closed route or a track intended for a different use.
| Planning question | What to check before you go |
|---|---|
| Where can we stage? | Confirm the location is suitable and permitted for unloading and trailer parking |
| Is the route open? | Check current land-manager maps, closure notices, and posted signs |
| What land will we cross? | Identify public, State Trust, private, or other managed land and any applicable rules |
| Does the machine fit? | Compare route width and terrain with the machine’s dimensions and capabilities |
| Can we navigate offline? | Download maps and save the route before leaving reliable service |
| When should we turn back? | Set a time, fuel, weather, or daylight limit before the ride begins |
If you use onX Offroad, download the relevant map area in advance and review the route while you still have a connection. Pay special attention to land boundaries and alternate tracks that appear to connect to President’s Choice. Do not interpret a colored line or a visible tire track as permission to ride; confirm that the route is designated for motorized use.
For more general trip planning, [Reading an Arizona Motor Vehicle Use Map] explains the role of travel maps, while [Finding the Right Travel Management Map] can help you choose the map that applies to your riding area. The aim is not to collect every possible map. It is to make sure the route, access road, and staging location all agree before you set off.
Check permits, decals, and staging requirements
The legal requirements can depend on the machine, the rider, the land, and whether you are visiting from outside Arizona. Confirm that your ATV or UTV has the appropriate registration or decal for the trip, and check whether separate land-access permits apply. A vehicle requirement and a land-use requirement are different things: meeting one does not automatically satisfy the other.
Visitors should pay particular attention to Arizona’s non-resident requirements before setting out. [Arizona Rules for Visiting Riders] covers the broader issue, and [Arizona’s Non-Resident OHV Decal] is a useful place to start if you are bringing an out-of-state machine. Also check whether your route crosses State Trust land, since a permit may be needed for the activity and access you have planned.
Staging deserves the same care as the ride itself. Keep the tow vehicle and trailer out of traffic, away from gates, and clear of emergency access. If a designated lot is busy, do not assume that parking along an adjacent road is acceptable. A few minutes spent confirming the right place to unload can prevent a frustrating start—or an avoidable conflict with land managers, nearby residents, or other users.
Match the Ride to Your Machine and Group
Choose equipment for the terrain you have confirmed
Do not pick a vehicle based only on the route name or a few photos. A capable machine can still be a poor match if it is too wide for the marked route, carries more weight than a narrow section can accommodate, or is being driven by someone who is not comfortable with the terrain. Before you go, compare the machine’s width and clearance with the route information you can verify.
A compact ATV may suit tighter terrain but offers less storage and fewer options for carrying passengers or recovery gear. A side-by-side can make a longer day more comfortable for some groups, but its size can limit where it can go. If you are unsure about width or route compatibility, choose a route clearly suited to your machine rather than attempting to squeeze through a questionable section.
Take a basic pre-ride look at tires, brakes, steering, lights, fuel, and cooling. Carry the tools and equipment that match your machine, plus a spare tire or repair supplies appropriate to your setup. In rocky desert country, small problems can become major delays when you are far from a paved road. A machine that starts reliably at home is not automatically ready for a full day in remote terrain.
Set expectations for heat, distance, and group pace
Desert rides often take longer than the map suggests. Stops to check navigation, help a newer rider, or inspect a rough section add up. Plan around the slowest rider and the least capable machine in the group, not the fastest vehicle. If a route becomes more difficult than expected, turn around early rather than pushing on because the destination seems close.
Carry more water than you expect to need, and make sure every rider can reach their own supply. Wear sun protection suited to a long day outdoors, and plan breaks before anyone feels unwell. Heat can make concentration and decision-making harder, especially when riders are also dealing with dust, rough ground, or a long return to the trailer.
Have a group plan that everyone understands. Agree on who leads, who sweeps, how you will regroup after a turn, and what the signal is if someone needs to stop. Keep a reasonable following distance in dust, and do not leave a rider alone at a junction while the rest of the group continues. For practical desert preparation, [How Much Water a Desert Ride Needs] and [Cell Dead Zones in the Arizona Backcountry] cover two issues that can quickly shape the day.
Ride Responsibly and Handle Changes Safely
Follow the route and respect closures
Stay on designated routes, even when a nearby track looks smoother or more direct. Creating a new line around a rough patch can damage fragile desert ground and encourage other riders to do the same. It can also take you onto land where riding is not allowed. If the mapped route is blocked or closed, stop and reassess instead of driving around the obstacle.
Pay attention to gates, signs, and barriers. A gate that is open does not necessarily mean every nearby route is open to recreational vehicles, and a sign at the trail entrance may describe rules that are easy to miss when you are focused on unloading. If signs conflict with a downloaded route, follow the posted restriction and check with the responsible land manager when possible.
Be prepared to change your plan. Weather, fire restrictions, damaged roads, and temporary closures can all affect access. Before departure, check for current notices; on the ride, treat visible signs and conditions as information that can override an older saved track. [Arizona Closure Notices for Public Land] and [Arizona Fire Restrictions by Stage] are relevant planning topics when conditions or land restrictions may affect a trip.
Leave room for a safe return
Set a turnaround rule before the group leaves the staging area. It might be a latest return time, a fuel threshold, an approaching weather change, or a point beyond which you will not continue if navigation becomes uncertain. Agreeing on that limit in advance makes it easier to make a calm decision when riders are tired or eager to finish the route.
Keep your route plan available to the group, not only to the person carrying the primary navigation device. A second offline map or a written note with the intended access point and return direction can help if a phone battery dies or one rider becomes separated. Carry a charged phone, but do not depend on it as your only way to navigate or communicate.
After the ride, check that everyone and every machine made it back before loading out. If you encountered a closure, damaged route marker, or other access issue, report it through the appropriate land-management channel rather than posting an unverified workaround for others to follow. Responsible access helps preserve the routes that riders came to enjoy in the first place.
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Laws, prices and regulations vary by location and change over time. Consult a qualified professional for guidance on your specific situation.
