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Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Berry Road

BERRY ROAD
Berry Road is an apt moniker for this Mormon Lake hike
A drive along Lake Mary Road that runs between Flagstaff and State Route 87 at the edge of the Mogollon Rim south of the community of Happy Jack is a dramatic tour of  Arizona’s plateau lakes region and the high-country woodlands of Coconino National Forest. A particularly scenic section passes by Upper and Lower Lake Mary and Mormon Lake.
Mormon Lake is a sometimes marsh, sometimes lake
At roughly 2-miles across, Mormon Lake is Arizona’s largest natural lake. Fed mostly by snow melt, the lake’s surface area vacillates between a substantial pool and swampy swales depending on seasonal precipitation. This year has been a pretty good one for the lake. Even now, in late summer, the watery basin is a collection of deep ponds, reedy puddles and emerald wetlands.
Berry Road traces the cliffs below Lake Mary Road.
Wildlife feed on skunk bush fruits that grow along Berry Rd.
The easiest way to view this natural wonder is to make a stop at one or both of the scenic lookout points on Lake Mary Road. The northern most overlook near milepost 322 that's named for wildlife conservationist  Douglas C. Morrison, Jr., sits on a rise at the lake’s northeast corner while a second point two miles to the south offers dizzying lake vistas from the top of vertical cliffs of volcanic stone.
Both sites have interpretive signs that describe land features and wildlife to look for while visiting the area. If you have a sharp eye, you might notice a rough road below the lookouts that traces a ledge above the lake.  This is the old Lake Mary frontage road—better known as Berry Road.
A grasshopper blends in with grasses around Mormon Lake.
Trail visible below the north roadside overlook site.
If you’re intrigued by the cliff-top vistas and want to get a closer look; take this low road.
The easy trek begins at a gate where the old road has been closed to motorized use. Open to hikers, equestrians and mountain bikers, the  route offers excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing and exploring a bounty of fruit-bearing native plants.
Oak trees and fruit-bearing shrubs line Berry Road.
It’s not called Berry Road for naught.  
The hike follows an old frontage road above Mormon Lake
The crumbling byway—with remnants of the chrome-colored paint that marked the median-- reads like a lush wildlife buffet. Arizona walnut trees, Utah service berry, wax currents, skunk bush and Blueberry elders drip with fruits in late summer.  The abundance of wild foods attract swarms of wildlife.  If you walk quietly and gaze over the lake, you’re almost certain to see waterfowl, hawks, pronghorn and elk foraging among bull rushes.
A bumper crop of wax currents ripen along Berry Road.
Late summer and early fall are the best times to observe Rocky Mountain elk. For a primer in how best to observe these impressive beasts in their native habitats, sign up to attend the Arizona Game and Fish Department viewing workshop at Mormon Lake Lodge on August 17th.
A herd of Rocky Mountain elk wallow in Mormon Lake.
When hiking Berry Road, it’s handy to have a pair of binoculars in tow to spot the shy Great blue herons, egrets and osprey that are quick to scurry into cover when startled. 
Between shady stands of Ponderosa pines, Gambel oaks, junipers, cottonwoods and aspens, great views of Mormon Mountain that rises to 8,456 feet above the lake’s western shore fill the horizon.  To the northwest, the San Francisco Peaks appear as a hazy purple silhouette.
At the 1.4-mile point, the road bumps up against stony escarpments below the south lookout site. Here, a jungle of Arizona Walnut trees brushing against columns of basalt cinch the road and clouds of pollinators hover around dozens of wildflower species including poison milkweed, globemallow and wild geraniums that sprout from cracks in the pavement.
View from the south overlook point on Lake Mary Road.
Deer, birds and rodents feast on Utah serviceberry fruits.
The first substantial group of aspens appear at around the 3-mile point where the north lookout site is just barely visible ahead on a prominent ridge above the road.
Berry Road is open year-round for non-motorized use.
Across the pond, lake-side homes and structures of the major recreation hub surrounding Mormon Lake Village peek out from thick tree cover. This popular summer getaway destination is a huge draw for visitors interested in the area’s boating, fishing, picnicking, camping, hiking and eclectic mix of restaurants, trail ride outfitters, cabin rentals and events. It’s a worthy post-hike side trip, too.
Reedy wetlands at Mormon Lake attract wildlife
Pollinators swarm around poison milkweed plants.
San Francisco Peaks seen from Berry Road at Mormon Lake
Mormon Mountain looms above the lake's west shore.
What’s left of the old frontage road fades into a murky contour of the lake just beyond the north lookout site.
You may choose to follow the weed-encroached path a little farther, but it’s best to leave this feral terminus and its fruits and nuts to the birds and beasts and backtrack to the lodge for pizza and beer instead. 
An Arizona walnut tree shades Berry Road at Mormon Lake
 
Wild geranium grow in tangled clusters along the trail.
Aspens frame views of Mormon Mountain.
Squirrels love the Arizona walnuts that grow on Berry Road
LENGTH: 6.4 miles out-and-back
RATING: easy
ELEVATION: 7,182 – 7,031 feet
GETTING THERE:
From Flagstaff, go 24.8 miles south on Lake Mary Road (Forest Road 3) to an unsigned road on the right  just past milepost 319 where there’s a sign that reads “no vehicle turnaround”.  Low clearance vehicles should park along the pullouts here, otherwise drive the road 0.2-mile, cross a cattle guard, turn right at a fork, continue 0.1-mile uphill and park near a locked gate.
INFO:  Coconino National Forest
Arizona Game and Fish Department  Elk Viewing Workshop: August 17, 2019
Arizona Watchable Wildlife Experience
Mormon Lake Lodge
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