big man tips

BUTTE CREEK TRAIL Butte Creek Bridge at Stricklin Park Besides packing the usual gear and water, hikers on Prescott�s Butte Creek Trail #321 should be prepared to duck.   That�s because the 1.6-mile city-managed section of the route passes through the private Hassayampa Golf Club.   Part of the trail goes through a private golf community  This pleasantly diverse pathway that skirts manicured greens and glass-faced homes with wrap-around balconies provides alternative access to the Thumb Butte Area in Prescott National Forest.   The trail begins at Stricklin Park where a bridge embellished with whimsical dragonfly sculptures crosses Butte Creek.   Fragrant cliffrose Even in drier years like this one, the creek corridor is alive with greenery. Canyon grapes thrive near the creek Massive Fremont cottonwood trees sway above a meandering strip of willows, oaks, wild roses, reeds, Canyon grape vines and boxelders.   The well-marked trail wanders through a shady, ...

CLARK SPRING TRAIL #40 Clark Spring Trail Clark Spring is bone dry.   Like many water features in drought-stricken Arizona, the ordinarily moist natural fountain that trickles into a sandy drainage in Prescott�s Granite Mountain Recreation Area isn�t flowing this year.   Although lack of winter snow and rain has caused the spring to regress into a barely discernable trench, the riparian corridor it feeds along Clark Spring Trail #40 is alive and well.   Even without springtime waterworks permeating the area with lacy rivulets and clear cascades, a hike along this stunningly diverse trail makes for an afternoon of fun and discovery. Riparian corridor on Clark Spring Trail The scoured, mile-long gully near the spring that hosts a community of willows and cottonwoods is just one part of a multi-faceted trip through jumbled terrain just a few miles north of downtown Prescott.   Finding the trail is a little tricky.   Wild candytuft blooms February through August Be...

WOLVERTON MOUNTAIN and QUARTZ MOUNTAIN Summit of Quartz Mountain Over its 54-mile course, the Prescott Circle Trail tours some of the most spectacular country in Arizona�s central highland region. The city-circumnavigating route is organized into 10 segments that range from 2.7 to 9.1 miles in length with unique features that transport hikers through shady pine forests, lakeside coves, granite dells, grasslands and juniper scrub. Summit of Quartz Mountain But if highpoint vistas are your thing, Segment 4 delivers two juicy side trips: One tops out on an exposed crest with terrific sights while the other explores a solitary quartz-studded knoll. The segment is tethered by two trailheads. The White Spar Road trailhead is near a campground while the Aspen Creek trailhead is hike-in only.   The quickest access to the peaks is via the latter. Begin on Aspen Creek Trail #48 across from the parking area on Copper Basin Road. First up is Wolverton Mountain. Wolverton Mountain Trail To get...

PINE LAKES TRAIL #316 Thumb Butte North Trails Pine Lakes Trail flanks Willow Creek  Pick a day following a good monsoon soaking to hike Pine Lakes Trail #316.   That way, you�ll have the best chance to see the tiny waterfalls that tumble over logs and rocks in Willow Creek. Canyon grapes grow along the creek Arguably the most ecologically diverse route in the north segment of Prescott�s Thumb Butte Recreation Area, trail #316 packs a lot of interesting elements into its short length. The first half-mile of the trek moves through an exposed landscape of juniper and oak under the imposing pinnacle of Thumb Butte. The trail climbs easily to a point where the Bradshaw Mountains peek out from behind the butte before beginning its descent into the riparian corridor of Willow Creek.   A post-monsoon mini waterfall As the trail switchbacks down into the gorge, the vegetation makes an abrupt shift from sparse scrub and cacti to rich greenery shaded by arching oaks and soaring Pon...

 JEWELS OVER JEROME The flowing profiles of Mingus and Woodchute Mountains are familiar sights hovering over the arty community of Jerome. Popular year-round for hiking, camping and day-trip picnicing, this recreation hub located between Prescott and Jerome features trails that wander around the rounded summits and precipitous edges. In autumn, forests of Gamble oaks and Big-tooth maples that drench the slopes in warm shades of crimson and gold add spectacular color to an already amazing set of trails. Here are three to try. WOODCHUTE MOUNTAIN TRAIL Woodchute Wilderness Area Woodchute Trail Cooler temperatures and shorter days of autumn work together to paint the oak trees on Woodchute Mountain in a palette of orange and gold. The mountain is really more of a long ridgeline with Prescott Valley on one side and grand views of the red cliffs of Sedona and the peaks of Flagstaff on the other. Easy-to-follow, trail No. 102 meanders 3.7 miles up the mountain on a moderate slope that s...

JOHNS TANK TRAIL #94 Prescott National Forest View of Lynx Lake from Johns Tank Trail The eagle has not landed. Sadly, the bald eagles that nest near Prescott's Lynx Lake did not produce offspring this year. Since they first appeared in the winter of 2002, breeding pairs of the quintessential American raptors have commandeered lakeside osprey nests to raise their chicks. In years when the eagles are on the nest, Johns Tank Trail #94-- the hiking trail that traverses their breeding territory-- is closed to human travel from February through June to give the hatchlings their best chance to thrive. The trail explores a bird friendly environment of Ponderosa pine forests swaying over trout-rich waters while tethering two loop routes in the foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains. Ponderosa pines on Johns Tank Trail There's no dedicated trailhead for Johns Tank, so it must be accessed by either Lakeshore Trail #311 to its west or Salida Gulch Trail #95 to the north. To take the lake ac...