Arizona Trails Plan Survey 2025

 

YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED FOR THE FUTURE OF ARIZONA'S TRAIL SYSTEMS.

Arizona State Parks and Trails is currently seeking input 

from thepublic for the 2025 Trails Plan.

The statewide plan aims to enhance trail systems and 

improve access to outdoor recreation in Arizona. 

Your input is valuable in shaping the future of Arizona's 

trail system.

What’s in it for you? 

Not only the opportunity to influence the future of Arizona’s 

trails but also a chance to win awesome Arizona experiences 

and prizes! 

Oracle State Park

Arizona State Parks has awesome incentives you enter a 

drawing for, just by taking the survey. Prizes include 

staycations in scenic Pinetop-Lakeside and Flagstaff, 

a two-night camping trip in a comfortable micro-camper, 

Arizona State Parks annual passes and gift cards, 

and more, thanks to generous partners like the 

Arizona Office of Tourism, Pin Drop Travel Trailers,

and the Southern Arizona Hiking Club! 

Dead Horse Ranch State Park

Trails are an essential part of Arizona's outdoor recreation 

culture,providing access to some of the state's most 

beautiful and unique landscapes. 

More than 4.3 million Arizonans used trails in 2020, and 

we expect that number to continue increasing in the

coming years. 

Trails are not only a source of fun, health, and adventure 

but also an important contributor to the state's economy.

Sonoita Creek State Natural Area

The 2025 Trails Plan is a collaborative effort of our 

organization, Arizona State Parks and Trails, other 

land managers, nonprofits, and the public...that’s YOU! 

We’re seeking input from all trail users, including hikers,

equestrians, mountain bikers, and off-highway 

vehicle riders. 

The survey aims to identify the most pressing trail 

needs and help guide future federal and state 

funding priorities.

The survey covers a wide range of topics related to 

Arizona's trail systems, including:

• Acquisition of land and new trail development

• Trail maintenance and improvements

• Trailhead facilities like restrooms and parking

• Trail signage and wayfinding

• Trail safety and education

Your input can help shape the future of Arizona's trail system. 

Whether you're an avid trail user or just getting started, 

your opinion matters.

 

The survey takes only a few minutes to complete and can be accessed on the Arizona State Parks and Trails website at 

 surveyentrance.com/TrailsPublic7.  

General Crook Trail: Mud Tanks Draw

GENERAL CROOK TRAIL: MUD TANKS DRAW

Tanque Aloma on the General Crook Trail

Most of what remains of the historic General Crook Trail are eroding two tracks, toppled rock cairns, tree blazes, a few telegraph insulators, and roadside monuments. 

Forest Road 142H in Mud Tanks Draw

Originally constructed in the early 1870s, the trail stretched for 200 miles along the edge of the Mogollon Rim in Central Arizona between Fort Verde and Fort Apache.

White chevrons mark the General Crook Trail

The dirt track served as a military and civilian supply route for nearly 50 years before being replaced more efficient travel corridors. 

Evie the Aussie shepherd herds her hikers

In the 1970s, Boy Scouts located and signed bits of the route with chevron-shaped white metal markers and rock cairns, many of which are still in place today to guide hikers through the notoriously sketchy path.  Popular reclaimed passages of the old wagon road trace Rim Road (Forest Road 300) and State Route 260 in Coconino National Forest.

Storm clouds over Mud Tanks Draw

 

The third gate near Tanque Aloma

Roughly 22 miles east of Camp Verde, a portion of the General Crook Trail winds through a hilly, juniper-studded landscape situated between West Clear Creek and Fossil Springs Wilderness areas.  The pastoral backcountry is an alloy of dust and juniper welded into a knobby expanse.

Tanque Aloma on the General Crook Trail

Mountain vistas on General Crook Trail

The resin-scented air augments the raw, wind-sculpted landscape of ruffled hills, grassy rangeland, and shrubs disrupted only by whirlwinds and the occasional rogue coyote or herd of cattle.

First gate where General Crook Trail leaves FR142H

From a non-descript trailhead off State Route 260, the hike to the historic backroad segment begins with a short walk on Forest Road 142H.  The dirt two track twists through Mud Tanks Draw, an area of low ground between ridges where water runoff collects in a chain of pools, rivulets, and mucky ponds.  

Ideal lunch spot near Tanque Aloma

The shallow funnel ruptures the scrubby terrain with payloads of rain and snow melt that flows down from the rim above West Clear Creek eventually dumping into Fossil Creek.  The half-mile walk on FR142H ends at a twig-and-barbed-wire gate off to the right where there’s a 142H sign. 

Buffalo-bur in Tanque Aloma

The first set of General Crook chevrons are tacked to the gate.  This is the General Crook Trail crossroads. For this trip, the route continues straight ahead (not through the gate) following sporadic chevrons nailed to fence posts.

Evie on General Crook Trail, April 6, 2024

Although it’s not signed, this segment of the Crook Trail is also named Forest Road 9243P.  The road makes an easy ascent, dodging junipers, catclaw and a smattering of firs and Ponderosa pines.  

Highest point of the hike on General Crook Trail

A second gate marks the beginning of big mountain vistas that continue to expand as the trail works its way to a third gate at the base of a prominent mesa. 

Trail chevrons on the second gate

Just past the third gate, the muddy waters of Tanque Aloma can been to the right (north) and a short walk uphill to the hike’s high point gives a bird’s eye view of its place in the landscape.  While the road continues west to connect with FR9243N, this trip turns around at the top of the ridge and backtracks to the tank where a spur road leads to the water.  Tanque Aloma’s muddy banks are trampled with footprints of domestic cattle, deer, raccoons, coyotes and myriad little critters and birds.  It’s an important water source for wildlife in the semi-arid terrain.  

Turnaround point on the hike

Ringed with buffalo-bur and coniferous trees, the tank’s reflective qualities are a photographer’s dream.

Apron Tank at the trailhead

  A couple of gigantic junipers along the spur road make for shady lunch spots within view of ravens and hawks riding airwaves above the water.

Trailhead off State Route 260

LENGTH:  5.85 miles out-and-back as described here

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION:  5,819 – 6,137 feet

GETTING THERE: From Interstate 17 in Camp Verde, take the State Route 260 exit 287 and continue 22 miles east (toward Payson) to Forest Road 142H on the left just past milepost 241. Forest Road 142 H is not signed, but there’s a stop sign and cattle guide a few yards in.  For reference, Apron Tank, a shallow pool that sits on both sides of the road, is at FR142H.  There’s parking in a dirt turn out past the cattle guard.  (If you pass under power lines, you’ve gone a mile too far).

 

 

Redbird-Gooseneck Loop

RED BIRD-GOOSENECK LOOP

A boulder passage on the Gooseneck Trail

By trail, it’s only 7 miles from the Fraesfield trailhead to the Tom’s Thumb trailhead in Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve Central Region.

Fraesfield trailhead seen from Gooseneck trail

  Three miles, as the crow flies. The trail miles wind within a narrow strip of Sonoran Desert that sits between the preserve’s north and south regions.  

Snow capped Mazatzal Mountains

Serving as a non-motorized travel corridor and buffer zone between suburbs and wilds, the tiny parcel abuts private property and McDowell Mountain Regional Park with just enough width for a seamless, airy transition.  

Granite formation on the Redbird Trail

While the Central Region of the preserve sees less action than its compatriots, the maze of routes it holds offer less crowded treks with some of the best mountain vistas in the northeast Valley. 

Desert rockpea bloom on the Redbird Trail

The 6.7-mile Gooseneck Trail, which is also part of the 315-mile Valley-circling Maricopa Trail, is the region’s main artery and can be used as the primary path in building customized hikes.

Creosote forest on Gooseneck Trail

From the Fraesfield trailhead, the Gooseneck single track trail heads south in a lazy-S format--much like its moniker suggests.  

Four Peaks seen from Service Road #2

Several short trails, connectors and service roads spin off the curvy, weel-signed conduit for use in creating loops, through hikes or out-and-back treks.  One day hike to try uses the Gooseneck, Redbird and Service Road #2 trails for a tour that includes amazing geology, lush desert vegetation and eye-popping views all around.  

Desert hyacynth (Blue Dicks) on Redbird trail

To get the most out of this off-the-beaten hike, spend a few moments at the Fraesfield trailhead mountain-identifying display. The artistic iron display shows the names and elevations of surrounding peaks visible from the trails. 

Mushroom rocks sprout in the Central Region

Heading south on Gooseneck, the route winds among saguaros and cholla cactus, crossing Rio Verde Drive at the 0.8-mile point.  Across the road, the vegetation morphs from cactus-centric to a sea of creosote and brittlebush.  The mostly level trail gains elevation gradually, opening magnificent mountain views.  The prominent profiles of Mazatzal Peak, Mount Peeley, Saddle Mountain and Mount Ord stand out to the northeast.

Tom's Thumb seen from Service Road #2

To the southeast, the hazy silhouettes of the Superstition Mountains dominated by Weaver’s Needle and the Flatiron hover over the Salt River basin and Tonto National Forest. 

Wolfberry shrub in a desert wash

The preserve’s famous “mushroom rocks”—granite formations that have been sculpted into bizarre shapes over millions of years by the forces of nature, make an appearance here as well.  At the 1.6-mile point, the route heads west on the Redbird trail. This 1.1-mile segment passes through several glinting stony passages at the hike’s highest elevation with excellent views of  the iconic Tom’s Thumb pinnacle perched atop the McDowell Mountains.  The route then swings east on Service Road #2.  The unsexy name belies a beautiful walk through a wash-riddled landscape where water-loving wildflowers, mesquite and hackberry shrubs thrive in sandy soils.  The road also unveils best looks at the cloud-piercing mounds of the Four Peaks Wilderness Area. 

Superstition Mountains seen from Redbird Trail

Brown's Mtn (L horizon) seen from Service Rd

Where the road meets up with Gooseneck, the route swings back north for the return leg of the hike.  Open to the sky and drenched in the resinous scent of creosote, the homeward trek keeps on delivering goodies.  Look for peeks at the flat-topped form of Brown’s Mountain in the preserve’s north region backed by the sprawling mesas and peaks of the Cave Creek Mountains.  

Fiddleneck bloom on the Redbird Trail

Once explored, it becomes clear that the preserve’s Central Region is much more than just a bland thoroughfare between two supernovas.  Like an Oreo cookie, there’s good stuff in the middle.

Kiosk at Fraesfield trailhead

LENGTH: 6.6 miles roundtrip

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 2,494 – 2,693 feet

GETTING THERE:

Fraesfield trailhead:

13400 E. Rio Verde Dr. Scottsdale

There are no fees. There are restrooms but no drinking water at the trailhead.

HOURS: sunrise to sunset daily

INFO & MAPS:

Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve

https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/preserve

Big Rock Canyon Circuit

BIG ROCK CANYON

Billion-year-old stone in Big Rock Canyon

Some trails have a way of rousing long buried memories.  Whether it’s the trail name, location or ambience that rustles the cranial recesses, the results can have surprising impacts on the hike experience. Consider the Big Rock Canyon trail in Prescott’s granite dells.

View of Watson Lake from Capts Trail

Its name conjures sweetness and an ear worm. Grown up kids of a certain age might remember a tooth-rotting confection called rock candy—word play on rock canyon. It was—and still is, if you can find it—pure sugar.  

The route crosses Boulder Creek

Rock candy Classic had no color or added flavor, just 100% nutritionally void carbohydrate manufactured to resemble quartz crystals. Sometimes, it came embedded on strings.

Hike begins on the Peavine NRT

While the treat was a step up from the chalky candy cigarettes and wax lips frequently bought together, it never made it off the dentist’s no-no list. Other than providing a brief energy rush, it has no redeeming qualities.

Peavine NRT passes by Watson Woods Riparian Preserve

There’s also a ditty about hiking in an imaginary paradise called Big Rock Candy Mountain (evidently located somewhere beyond the scope Google Maps), that can commandeer the brain with a continuous loop of “Where the lemonade springs and the bluebird sings in that Big Rock Candy Mountain.”

Even with a candy song banging around in the skull, the treat’s word-play trail is the opposite of empty calories. Replete in healthful elements all wrapped in a fantastical landscape of rocks of the volcanic sort, the trail delivers a steady stream of serotonin without the junk propellant. It could easily be the rock paradise imagined in the 1928 ballad.

View from Big Rock Canyon trail

Big Rock Canyon trail is located east of Watson Lake in the heart of a maze of routes collectively called the Storm Trails.  The City of Prescott owned property spans the other-worldly innards of the granite dells—a landscape of weathered billion-year-old granite formations.  Fractured and rounded by years of geological upheavals and exposure to the sculpting effects of weather, the dells are a cluster of nooks, crannies and blind curves interrupted by the course of Boulder Creek.  

Watson Lake seen from Capts Trail junction

There are several ways to get to Big Rock Canyon, but the quick way begins at the Peavine-Watson Woods trailhead with a mile-long hike on the Peavine National Recreation Trail. At the Capts Trail junction, located across from a scenic view of the lake, the route heads inland and is quickly absorbed into stony corridors. 

Big Rock Canyon Trail

Map signs are posted at all junctions. Here are the breadcrumbs for this hike:

• Peavine National Recreation Trail to Capts Trail.

• Capts Trail (sometimes called Captain’s Trail on apps) to Easter Island Trail

• Easter Island Trail to Big Rock Canyon Trail

• Big Rock Canyon Trail to Big Piney Trail

• Big Piney to Boulder Creek Trail

• Boulder Creek back to Peavine for the return leg.

Where the trails pass over slickrock, white dots painted on the russet stone show the way.  It’s very much a game of connect-the-dots and follow-the-signs. A hop over Boulder Creek signals the entry to the canyon. Once inside, the route ducks among vertical escarpments, oddly balanced rocks and contorted pillars.  Highpoint vistas showcase a fringe of mountains including iconic Granite Mountain, Glassford Hill and the peaks of Prescott National Forest.  The Storm Trails feel purpose-built for those with adventurous proclivities.

Map signs are posted at all trail junctions

Side trip on the Blaster Trail

Many are short loops and connectors, so there’s a natural magnetism for impulsive side trips.  Surprises emerge around every bend in the forms of oak thickets, quartz deposits, errant water birds and lakeside riparian vegetation.  North of Big Rock Canyon, there’s a trail called Candy. Really, there is.  It’s new, so trail signs may not yet be in place. But like a folksy ear worm, the urge to find it within this wilderness of rock might be hard to shake.

LENGTH: 8 miles roundtrip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 5,166 – 5,340 feet

GETTING THERE:

Peavine-Watson Woods Riparian Preserve trailhead.

From State Route 169 in Prescott, turn right (north) on Prescott Lakes Pkwy and continue 1.7 miles to Sundog Ranch Road, turn right and go 0.2-mile  to Peavine Trail/Watson Woods Riparian Preserve parking area.

FEE: There’s a $3 per vehicle daily parking fee.

FACILITIES: restroom

INFO & MAPS:

prescott-az.gov/rec-services/recreation-areas-prescott/trails/mile-high-trail/

 

Rockin' River Ranch State Park

ROCKIN’ RIVER RANCH STATE PARK

Verde River from the White Cliffs Trail

The thickets shock the eye. Massive tangles of sycamore, cottonwoods, ash, and willows quake with the rustlings of birds making a sweet living above perennial waters at the confluence of West Clear Creek and the Verde River.

Mountain vista on the Buckaroo Trail

A small slice of this watery, woodsy paradise surrounded by mountains at the end of a narrow dirt road is now the domain of Rockin’ River Ranch State Park which opened to the public in February. 

Riparian forest along the Verde River

Located about 90 miles north of Phoenix and 7 miles southeast of Camp Verde, the 209.4-acre site includes a mile of the Verde River, one of only two Arizona waterways designated as part of the National Wild & Scenic  Rivers System (the other is Fossil Creek, learn more here: rivers.gov/arizona).  

Cottonwoods on the White Cliffs Trail

The irregularly shaped waterfront property abuts private lands and both the Coconino and Prescott National Forests.

Pastoral view on the Outlaw Trail

The rich landscape has a long history of human habitation stretching back thousands of years when indigenous hunters and farmers lived off the area’s natural resources. More recently, the property had been a private guest ranch replete with corrals, pastures, living quarters and critical historic water rights.

The new park is physically and intellectually engaging. Its appeal begins with its “out there” territorial atmosphere.  Amenities are delightfully sparse.  Simple trails, a few picnic tables, and benches placed in shady alcoves provide just enough structure for safety and comfort without sullying the wild and scenic spirit.

Winter scene on the Verde River

The day use park is open only on weekends for hiking, picnicking, and fishing. Four miles of wide, well-groomed trails loop through pastures, mesquite bosques and riverside riparian forests.

The park includes a mile of the Verde River

The park’s Central Arizona location means seasonal changes put perpetual spins on the landscape. Summer may be too hot to venture here, but the rest of the year is amazing.

Old building near the White Cliffs trailhead

The bare-branched beauty of winter exposes the arboreal bones of the place backed by snowy mountain vistas. Spring sprouts a pastel palette as cottonwoods and sycamores shower the trail in soft catkins before leafing out in thick green canopies that wind down in autumn with a showy display of golden foliage.  Whatever the season, water remains the park’s central draw and the 1.7-mile White Cliffs Trail, the longest and most diverse of the park’s 6-trail hiking menu, is the best way to explore along the Verde. Beginning near an old ranch building that now serves as a maintenance office, the trail heads straight for the Verde River and follows it for about half of its length.  The jungle-like approach to the river crackles with an avian cacophony.

Mountain vista on the Outlaw Trail

The cries of blue herons, egrets, ducks, and swarms of tiny sparrows add random top notes to the steady baseline of tumbling water. First up-close glimpses of the river come about a quarter mile in.  The ducks are generally visible, but the supporting cast of elusive river otters and beavers are rare sightings for those willing to make use of one of the strategically placed benches and a pair of binoculars.

Thickets of cottonwoods, ash and sycamores

 The eponymous White Cliffs show up around a half-mile in.  The vertical, buff-colored walls of flood-scoured sediments contain the river’s northeast banks casting long shadows over the waterway that vacillates from raging to trickle with the seasons. 

White Cliffs on the Verde River

Beyond the cliffs, the trail enters semi-arid terrain dominated by prickly stands of catclaw and mesquite.  The White Cliffs Trail connects with most of the park’s trails for easy customization. 

Park trails are wide and mostly flat

All trails are largely flat, simple to navigate, unique in theme and replete with wildlife, mountain vistas and the kind of solitude that comes with a former ranch at the far end of a dirt road. 

LENGTH: 4 miles of trails

RATING:  easy

ELEVATION: 2,962 – 3,016 feet

GETTING THERE:

4513 S. Salt Mine Road, Camp Verde

From Interstate 17 exit 287 in Camp Verde, go 1.6 miles east (toward Payson)  on State Route 260 to Oasis Road on the right just past milepost 220. Follow Oasis around a bend to a stop sign and turn right onto S. Salt Mine Road (not signed) and continue 5 miles to the park. Roads are paved up to the park access road which is maintained dirt and passable by all vehicles.

HOURS: Day use only. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (last entry at 4 p.m.). Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Holiday hours vary.

FEE:  $7 daily fee per vehicle or $3 per person for walk/bike-in

FACILITIES: Visitor center, picnic areas, restrooms, fishing. There’s no public drinking water, but water bottles are sold in the gift shop.

INFO & MAPS:

azstateparks.com/rockin-river