Maybe by now you’ve visited “Everybody’s Home Town” and experienced our beautiful historic downtown area, courtesy of the day trip tour created by About Guide Judy Hedding. If you’re ready to see more of Prescott, pack your hiking boots or trail shoes and come on up again! To help you choose the best hike for your experience and time constraints, here is a rundown on the hiking culture in our area.

You’ll find all kinds of people on the trails surrounding my hometown, Prescott, Arizona. The hardiest may just be the endurance people. They’re out there training for triathlons and marathons. These people aren’t hiking our trails: they are running them, when they aren’t cycling or swimming. They are incredibly fit and focused, sport technical shoes and clothing, and are out there solo in all kinds of weather. Taking advantage of our mile-high altitude, this kind of workout might be perfect for you if you’re a competitive runner yourself.

Next (and just as serious) are those who are training for a “rim-to-rim” hike at the Grand Canyon or some other equally arduous backpacking trek. These folks wear boots or Tevas or high-performance trail shoes. They might be out there alone or with a hiking partner, and they are building up distance and endurance on the up-and- down rocky terrain of some of our most challenging trails.

Prescott has several active hiking clubs. These groups often attract people new to Prescott (many retired) who prefer an active lifestyle. They take full advantage of our natural setting by exploring the trails with other like-minded people. They are ardent and frequent hikers, hiking all over the state and beyond. To that end, they are well turned out with suitable clothing, hats and even walking sticks. They hike somewhere new all the time, in social groups of varying sizes, so you might meet such a group spread out over a mile or so on some or the more remote and/or challenging trails.

Birders are out there on our trails, too, lugging binoculars, spotting scopes, cameras, field guides and logs. They are quiet, whether solitary or in small groups, and become very animated when they spot a species they’ve been tracking.

And now the category to which I assign myself: those out for a nice walk for exercise and fresh air, with or without canine buddies or walking partners. We wear just about any old thing on our backs, heads and feet. Walking outside is simply a part of this group’s fitness routine. Sure, you can accomplish this goal with treadmill work, but when you are lucky to live in a place with beautiful weather, views and air you can actually breathe, walking outside is a reward in itself.

When I first got my dog, Chester, I branched out and explored trails I might not have felt safe on without a dog at my side–we’d often go somewhere new every day. After about a year of that, I settled on a less adventurous routine that can be accomplished whenever I have time to take a break from work.

I can’t speak for other walkers, but when I head out, I am looking for a trail that’s quick to get to (say, 10 - 15 minutes from my front door), with adequate parking, gentle elevation changes, some shady areas for hot summer hikes, and a tolerance for canines.

Important note about hiking with dogs: Leash laws apply just about everywhere and are clearly posted, but after awhile you get a sense of which trails enforce that and which are OK with well-behaved furry friends off leash. That said, Prescott has recently ramped up their enforcement and are using surveillance to spot violators. DO NOT allow your dog off leash at Willow Lake or Watson Lake, or you may encounter an unsympathetic deputy and receive a criminal citation and a hefty fine.

I tend to prefer trails where I won’t run into too many people, but with a nod to safety, I do expect to encounter two or three individuals or groups during my outing. In addition, I want to enjoy a hike of thirty to ninety minutes’ duration, depending on what my work schedule allows that day. It’s worth mentioning here that we have a number of popular, heavily hiked trails, such as Peavine and Thumb Butte. Personally, I avoid those because they are so heavily traveled, but they are, again, very popular and you may want to give them a shot.

When you hit the trail, please be mindful of commonsense hiking safety. Carry water, don’t go alone, use sunscreen and a hat, dress for the prevailing weather conditions, and let someone know your itinerary. Don’t presume you’ll have cell phone reception everywhere, either; it’s pretty sporadic around this area. Remember to take our elevation into account, as well as having an awareness of hunting seasons.

Regardless of type of hiker you are, and depending on the type of trail you prefer, you may be rewarded with wildlife sightings or great views.

Here are my two personal favorites, followed by some links to sites that provide more detail on many other Prescott hikes.

Pioneer Park Trail System.

Described in the City of Prescott web site below, this is how you get there: take Willow Creek Road out to Pioneer Parkway. Turn left on Commerce Drive (between Galpin Ford and Tim’s Buick/Toyota, etc.), drive about a mile and you’ll see a dirt parking area on your left. Don’t jump out of your skin when you see the very realistic mountain lion sculpture at the front of the parking lot like I did the first time I saw it.

Acres of easy trails, some hilly, some flat, some wide open, some with piñon pines, some washes though they are usually dry. It’s a county property and subject to leash laws, and while I see others with their dogs off-leash, they quickly leash them up when they see you coming. You’ll share this trail with runners, cyclists and even horses on some occasions, so maybe don’t use your MP3 player so that you hear them coming up behind you. Though surrounded by soccer and softball/baseball fields & housing developments, it’s serene and has some great views. You could easily spend two hours out on these trails.

Willow Lake Trails.

How to get there: take Willow Creek Road out to the entrance to Heritage Park. Turn right, and then make another quick right, as though you’re going to the Heritage Park Zoo. You’ll see parking right there straight ahead and a bit to your left. You can also find parking if you turn off Willow Creek Road at the Dog Park (Willow Creek Park), and drive back behind the softball field to park.

Winding around Willow Lake, this is an especially good outing if you have a water dog and want to get off the trail for awhile to let them go for a swim. It’s favored by birders, too, as there are many water birds and migratory birds on that lake. (See a Great Blue Heron nesting in a cottonwood on the edge of this lake)

On the other hand, there are a number of limited visibility areas where you need to watch for cyclists. No one on this trail likes a dog owner who doesn’t clean up after their pet, and even though I have seen people hiking with their dogs off leash, the visitors log to the trail indicates that quite a few hikers here are very offended by off-leash pets. Bring your binoculars and pack a lunch as there are nice viewpoints and benches, and the trails connect with a recently developed ramada and boat launch area.

Our local daily, the Daily Courier, includes wonderful detailed hike descriptions occasionally. Here are a couple of recent examples:

White Pickup Truck Trail

From Prescott: Take Highway 89A from Prescott, heading to Jerome and Cottonwood and Mingus Mountain. Drive to the crest where the turnoff to Mingus Mountain Recreation turns right - a parking area sits on the corner. Stay on 89A for about five more miles as it winds down the mountain, looking for a mileage sign that reads: Jerome 2, Flagstaff 61. There will be a large turnout on the right side of the highway and a large, black water tank on the right side of the wash. Park here for the shuttle. Walk back to the curve in the road and cross over, looking for the beginning of the old jeep road that starts the hike. This is the unmarked trailhead.
The other end of the shuttle is where the trail runs into the Perkinsville dirt road about two miles up the road from the entrance to the old Jerome Ghost Town. Turn at the Jerome fire station and drive about 1.5 miles to mile marker 14. Drive on up the road, looking for the jeep road coming down the mountain on your left. (by Dave Ganci, exerpted from TheDaily Courier, 4/21/07)

Grapevine Trail

From Prescott Valley: Head east on Highway 69 through Dewey and toward Mayer. You will need a high-clearance vehicle to reach the trailhead.
Slow down after you pass Poland Junction Road, you’re getting close.

• You’ll go over a bridge and immediately after milepost No. 274, take a right onto an unmarked graded road. Heading in the opposite direction, there is a left-turn lane on the highway.
• Proceed down the dirt road for a couple of miles. Keep an eye out for ATVs that may come screaming around a corner. Along the way, you’ll pass a sign that marks private property. It’s OK to continue on the main road; you’ll have to pass through the private property to get back into the national forest. Don’t accidentally turn off into someone’s driveway.
• After approximately two miles, the road then gets rough and only high-clearance vehicles will be able to continue. Other cars could park here and you would have a hike of 0.7 miles to the trailhead.
• For the high-clearance vehicles, you’ll need to maneuver through some very rocky spots. The narrow road also has chaparral in spots that could scratch your vehicle.
• At 2.7 miles from the highway, you’ll reach a green Forest Service gate. There is probably enough parking space for two or three vehicles.

Here are some more sites that include Prescott area hiking information:

• www.arizonahikingtrails.com/prescotthikes.asp
• www.arizona-leisure.com/prescott-hiking.html
• www.cityofprescott.net/services/parks/trails.php
• www.compassmonkey.com/activities/activities.php/373
• www.garot.com/fun/hiking_prescott/
• www.geocities.com/prescottoutingsclub/club_information.html
• www.go-arizona.com/Prescott/Hiking/
• www.prescotthikingclub.com/
• www.walkingconnection.com/Arizona_Hikes_Prescott.htm.
• www.yavapaitrailsassociation.org/

If you find a great hike using one of these guides or descriptions, let me know so I can give it special mention. Likewise, if a link gives incorrect or confusing information, let us know about that too. In fact, if you want to write a review of a specific trail, send it to us and I may print it here or in my blog, Loosely Speaking.

Meanwhile, maybe I’ll see you on a trail with my dog, Chester. Happy hiking!