The only way to do Santiago–via Maple Springs. You do need a high clearance vehicle to get to the TH unless you want to stop at the very bottom which makes the hike 22 miles.
Very few hikers, lots of Jeeps/Trucks.
If you do this hike I highly recommend taking the cut off just after where Joplin meets the fire road… it's a little trail on the left hand side as you go up. Much more interesting than the fire road and you avoid the dust from the Jeeps. It will meet up with the Holy Jim road on the backside.
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Way to go Kristin!