Canyon and Basin Trails, Prescott

The approximately two mile Canyon and Basin trails near Willow Lake are now open. Heralded in an article by Cindy Barks in today’s Daily Courier (see article in sidebar within longer piece on the Granite Dells purchase), Chester and I had to head out and and give it a try.

Featuring huge granite expanses, a riparian zone and high desert vegetation (I saw mountain mahogany, prickly pear, piñon pine, scrub oak, manzanita and yucca, to name a few) in the first part of the trail), you get to experience a variety of zones and terrains in a short time and distance.

“Over the Hill Gang,” volunteers and youth from the Yavapai County Juvenile Probation Department, and other volunteers provided the labor.

How to find it:

Head out to Willow Lake (directions to Willow Lake are here) and drive to the boat launch parking lot. If you are standing on the pier looking around, you went too far. The trail head is directly across the parking area from the original trail in this area, which takes one in the direction of the ramadas and zoo.

Time to go?

Well, Chester and I headed out at 8:00 a.m. on a sultry August morning. Our thought was that the skeeters wouldn’t be buzzing around by then, but we failed to consider how how and humid it is by 8:30. There is a lot of shade in the canyon portion of the trail, and the creek is running in there now, too (hence, skeeters, after all), so that provided relief from the heat. I suggest it as an early fall/early spring hike.

How fit do you need to be?

Prescott’s city trails specialist, Chris Hosking, says that both the slope of the trail and its many rocky stretches earned it an advanced, technical designation for both hikers and mountain bikers.

Even though there are some areas that might force some people to get down on all fours, the trail was constructed with rocks-as-stair-steps and bridges across some of the trickier areas.

Speaking as a 50-something female, I can say that it didn’t feel advanced to me.

What shoes to use?

Both new trails range from sandy, gravelly surfaces to actually hiking across granite slabs (not actual rock climbing, just hiking) and then into some mucky areas near the creek. As long as you have substantial footwear (I wore my hiking boots), you likely don’t have to worry about slipping. No flip flops.

If it’s raining, I would avoid the trail as those lichen-covered granite stretches could become quite slippery, no matter what’s on your feet.

This is a beautiful new addition to our other city trails. Returning to the parking lot, I met Mike King, who had just done a combination of cycling and hiking throughout the entire trail system and said he loved it. A huge thanks to the city of Prescott for developing this scenic new hiking and cycling area.