BLACK CANYON TRAIL: Gloriana Segment
BLACK CANYON TRAIL: Gloriana Segment Near Bumble Bee View of Bradshaw Mountains from BCT Sandwiched between the spot where Interstate 17 splits to begin its climb up to the mesas and gorges of Agua Fria National Monument and a gaping valley below the Bradshaw Mountains, the Gloriana Segment of the Black Canyon Trail is the middle road between a freeway and dusty dirt double tracks. The 80-mile route flows from Carefree Highway in Phoenix to just outside of Prescott following centuries-old Native American trails, defunct livestock paths, dirt roads and sections of new construction. A battered saguaro stands above Maggie Mine Road The trail is divided into segments with trailheads located along its entire length. The 3.4-mile-long Gloriana Segment is smack dab in the middle and wanders along slopes above the scoured courses of Sycamore, Poison, Arrastre and Rock Creeks. Geology buffs will find a plenty to explore. Within a few hundred feet of the trailhead, the path bumps int...