RYAL
CANYON: Prescott
National Forest
 |
| High desert vegetation lines the Ryal Canyon Trail |
Up until
last year, gaining access to one of the most challenging hikes in the Camp
Verde area was an iffy venture. Although
the Ryal Canyon Trail 521 terminus is located right off Salt Mine Road just a
few miles southeast of town, hikers had to cross private property to get to
it. The landowner was pretty
chill about allowing people to walk the few yards between the road and the
Prescott National Forest boundary where the trail begins, but the town of Camp Verde decided to do the
right thing and make access to the popular multi-use trail legal.
 |
| Fractured earth and white cliffs on Ryal Canyon Trail |
With a grant
provided by Arizona State Parks and Trails and the Off-Highway Vehicle
Recreation Fund, the city purchased a 4.4 acre buffer zone from the
privately-owned Salt Mine Cattle Company.
 |
| The hike begins at the boundary of Prescott National Forest |
The purchase and subsequent development of a real trailhead are part of
a larger effort to expand trail access and stoke interest in hiking in the Camp Verde area.
The
roomy new trailhead has plenty of parking and provides worry-free access to trail
521. At this writing, the trailhead is open but still under construction. Trail signs and other planned amenities including a restroom and picnic ramadas have yet to be installed. But the drive-up convenience doesn’t mean the rugged trail that’s known for its fierce workout value has been tamed. To find the route, just pass through the forest boundary gate and start hiking
on the dirt two track that parallels a deeply rutted drainage area where hardy
mesquite trees teeter over gaping cracks in the flat terrain.
 |
| The trail skirts the crest of Ryal Canyon |
It takes
about 10 minutes of walking to discover that this hike is not for the faint of
heart.
Steep and
rocky, the 2.5-mile path also has some sections that cling uncomfortably close
to the precipitous edges. The trail
swings south, hugging the crest of Ryal Canyon via a series of aggressive
vertical clambers with intermittent level sections.
 |
| Ryal Canyon trailhead is still under construction |
On the way up, the queasy track exposes views of the Verde Valley, Sedona, Flagstaff
and the green course of the Verde River which get bigger and better with every
few feet of elevation gained.
 |
| Mesquite trees thrive in the drainages around the trail |
Throughout the hike, the landscape is dominated by
sheer cliffs colorfully layered with clay, salt and gypsum. These sediments are
the signatures of an ancient lake that ebbed and flowed between 10 and 2 million
years ago. Long since eroded into a maze of crumbling embankments and chiseled mesas,
the mineral-rich lake sediments have been mined for centuries. For a
closer look at the history of these natural resources, visit the nearby Camp
Verde Salt Mine which archeologists say may have been mined for over 2,000 years.
It was abandoned in the 1930s and is currently being developed as an
interpretive site.
 |
| Evidence of the area's salt deposits are visible on the hike |
This hike
also emphasizes the frustration of false summits. Just when you think “I got this,” another
brutally vertical hill tests your resolve. Relentless in its 1,650-foot upward haul
and lack of climb-mitigating switchbacks, the hike is a wild workout your quads
won’t soon forget.
 |
| San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff seen in distance |
 |
| Steep inclines on the trail make for a great workout. |
 |
| Verde Valley views stand out throughout the hike |
The trail
ends at the junction with the Box T Trail 511. By referencing a forest service
map, the east leg the 10.4-mile route may be used to create a loop hike.
Otherwise, head back down on the Ryal Canyon trail where slippery inclines and
vertical drops will have you wondering if the uphill slog was the easy part.
LENGTH: 5
miles round trip
RATING:
moderate-difficult
ELEVATION:
3,110 – 4,760 feet
GETTING
THERE:
From
Interstate 17 in Camp Verde, take the State Route 260 exit 287. Go 1.6 miles east on SR 260 (toward Payson)
to Oasis Road, where there’s a sign for Copper Canyon Trailhead. Turn right and
follow Oasis Road PAST the Copper Canyon Trailhead (Forest Road 136) to a stop sign. Turn right
onto Salt Mine Road (not signed) and continue 2 miles to the large trailhead on
the right. Hike begins at the national forest boundary gate. Access roads are 100% paved.
INFO:
Prescott National Forest
Camp Verde
Salt Mine
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