Today I went on a beautiful hike with one of my dear friends which got me thinking about the hiking trails in the Prescott area. I am always looking for new dirt to tread, and wanted to bring both the locals and potential visitors some of the resources I have started to collect in my pursuit to hike Prescott. If you are a local I encourage you to take advantage of the natural beauty that is so accessible and abundant in this area, and if not come visit!For those of you who want to get serious about hiking and you are local to the area, I suggest stopping by one of the Prescott National Forest offices to pick up a free map. The City of Prescott offers a good trails map as well, which I recommend looking for at the Prescott Chamber of Commerce or the City of Prescott building downtown Prescott. Trails on this map are marked for accessibility and difficulty which is helpful to have before you actually lace up and go.
While it is my goal to hike as many Prescott trails as I can I have only been able to take several of them, all of which I have loved. Here are a few that I would recommend if you are just getting started.
- Trail 393 - Which is the trail we hiked today. To access it drive up Copper Basin Rd. till you hit dirt. There will be a place to park on the right hand side. Look for signs marking Aspen Creek. It is a forest trail and is beautiful all year round.
- Centennial Trail - Off of Gail Gardner Way and Westridge Drive, this is a trail near a housing development, but is well worth the occasional roof view. I recommend going in late summer after monsoon season to see the creek that is interwoven between large Granite boulders, and wild flowers.
- Trail 396 - There is a parking lot on the right before you enter the White Spar Campground which leads to the Schoolhouse Gulch Rd 67 and trail 396. There are a few trails that you can branch off of from 396, but if you stay on it all the way it leads to Goldwater Lake.
- Jan Alfano trail along Willow Lake - I love this trail because it is next to the lake, but is also in view of the road so I don't feel bad about hiking alone. Just be sure to wear sunscreen, because there aren't large trees to ward off any of the Arizona sun's rays.
Those are just a few for now. I will post more later, especially as spring approaches and the weather will get a little warmer.
Also here are a few links that you might find helpful:
Please feel free to leave a comment with your favorite Prescott trail and how to get there. I love going new places! But most of all get out there and explore for yourself. Wherever you are at there is a piece of earth you have never been. Discover it!
Stay Wild
xoxo
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