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Stride into Adventure on the Arizona Trail
Adventure Stride into on the Arizona Trail
by Blake Herzog
The Arizona National Scenic Trail is an 800-mile path spanning our state from north to south, cutting through high plains, forests, mountains, deserts and canyons, slicing through the Grand Canyon itself.
The nonmotorized trail also links wildlife habitats and human communities, establishing or reinforcing ties along the way. Hikers, runners, bikers and equestrians can trek its entire length or ramble along a few miles on a weekend afternoon. Q
Better known as the Arizona Trail, it connects deserts with their mountain “sky islands,” threads across the Superstition Mountains and crawls over the Mogollon Rim before reaching the San Francisco Peaks outside Flagstaff on the way to the canyon and through the sagebrush-strewn plateau north to the Utah border.
It’s an invitation to adventure in every kind of landscape the state has to off er. The trail combines existing trails with connecting segments that create a continuous, non-vehicular route.
It’s one of the premiere longdistance trails in the U.S., and a whole culture has sprung up around it as “fi nishers” register their feats with the Arizona Trail Foundation, whether it took them 10 days or 10 years to complete all 800 miles.
A network of volunteers or “stewards” maintain the path through all weather patterns and occasional reroutes.
THE HIGHLINE PASSAGE The trail is organized into segments called “passages,” as seen on the map at www.aztrail.org/the-trail/ map-of-the-trail, and the one most accessible to Greater Prescott is Passage 26, known as the “Highline.”
The southern end is in the small town of Pine, an hour and 45 minute drive east from downtown Prescott, and the route takes you on several climbs through forests of alder, pine and walnut trees. Elevation ranges from approximately 5,300 feet to 7,000 feet.
A hair more than 20 miles, the segment lives up to its name by starting with two large switchbacks that lead to a clearing with its fi rst spectacular view of the Mazatzal Range. It then passes Milk Ranch Point leading to appealing camping spots for backpackers at Red Rock Spring and just south of the bridge over Webber Creek.
The route continues east to cross over Bray Creek to the Washington Park Trailhead before descending to a steel bridge over another stream, which is actually the headwaters of the East Verde River. Just after the bridge, the Arizona Trail shifts to the Colonel Devin trail, a very well-marked No. 290 in the numbering system for Tonto National Forest.
The path continues to follow the East Verde stream bed over two wooden footbridges and a steel bridge before ascending through a rocky passage to join a utility road. When it looks like the trail is about to run smack into the Mogollon Rim it veers to the right and begins to climb, until reaching Forest Road 300 and the Battle of Big Dry Wash historical marker atop the rim, which marks the end of Passage 26 near a small parking lot.
MORE INFORMATION ƒ The Arizona Trail is always changing, just like the natural world surrounding it. For upto-date information visit www.aztrail.org/importantinformation-for-thru-hikersand-riders-for-spring-2022. ƒ Several Facebook Groups are geared to Arizona Trail users and are a great source of ideas and socializing.
Junior Bonner, written by the late screenwriter and Orme School graduate, Jeb Rosebrook, is a deeply personal homage to family, historic Prescott and the small towns and ranchlands of Yavapai County. One reason the film was successful—and remains a snapshot in time and history—was its location manager, William Pierce, the local Arizona Film Commission representative, president of the Fair Association, and the Prescott Jaycees rodeo chairman. The local businessman was well connected, friend to all and not intimidated by Peckinpah or in awe of McQueen. Pierce actually drove the leading man around on his motorcycle to get to locations during the parade sequence. Pierce’s local connections also helped secure a local track for McQueen and his son to race their dirt bikes. Pierce was successful in landing the production of Pierce was successful in landing the production of Junior Bonner for Prescott and Yavapai County Junior Bonner for Prescott and Yavapai County because he recognized the locales my father Jeb because he recognized the locales my father Jeb Rosebrook wrote about in the script and was able to open doors to secure all the film’s locations. Pierce’s contribution to making the film a reality was so appreciated by the production company, the film ends with a heartfelt message of special thanks to the people of Prescott and Pierce. This heartfelt thanks we should continue to express, for without Bill Pierce and the generosity of spirit of the people of Prescott and Yavapai County, we would not be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1971 production and its subsequent release in 1972.
