YELLOW
JACKET TRAIL
Prescott
National Forest.
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| Mesquite and juniper trees ring Cottonwood Tank |
The most
striking characteristic of the Yellow Jacket Trail 524 is the silence. Located
a mere 4 miles from Interstate 17 near the Yavapai County town of Dugas in a hilly corner of
Prescott National Forest, the shared-use path cuts through sprawling open
spaces where the sounds of civilization are muffled by a landscape of mesas,
buttes, creeks and ragged drainages.
 |
| Estler Peak is a prominent feature along Yellow Jacket trail |
At
first glance, the largely treeless terrain flanked by volcanic bluffs and bald,
isolated peaks appears intimidating and harsh. Within a few yards of hiking,
though, the trail reveals bucolic rangeland, epic vistas and hidden pockets of
greenery.
The
out-and-back trek begins at a tiny trailhead near the leafy confluence of
Little Ash Creek and Yellow Jacket Creek where sycamores and cottonwoods create
a conspicuous ribbon of color against the muted tones of desert chaparral.
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| Sycamores & cottonwood trees in Yellow Jacket Creek |
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| A cow grazes along Reimer Spring Road |
Trail 524
is described by the forest service as a 1.4-mile route, but a 0.8-mile hike is
required to get to the trailhead proper. The access path is a fading two-track
that parallels the boulder-strewn course of Yellow Jacket Creek. The path makes
many mild dips and climbs on breezy plains dotted with junipers, cacti and wildflowers.
 |
| Cattle graze at the base of Yellow Jacket Mesa |
 |
| A rustic corral at Gyetta Tank |
To the west, great views of 4,263-foot Estler
Peak, a prominent pinnacle along the drive in on Dugas Road, dominate the
horizon.
 |
| Extend the hike on the Cottonwood Trail 9709 |
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| Cottonwood Tank attracts resident cattle and wildlife |
At the signed junction for trail 524, the route begins its journey
into stunning back country with the first of several creek crossings. The rocky,
but usually dry crossings are fringed with scrappy stands of scrub oak, willows
and catclaw.
 |
| Part of the route follows the Great Western Trail |
Soon, the dual landmarks of
Yellow Jacket Mesa (4,751 feet) and
Cottonwood Mesa (4,577 feet) appear as intersecting plateaus on the eastern skyline
standing out above the rustic corrals of Gyetta Tank. Rusty barbed wire and sun-bleached posts
circle the watering hole where herds of cattle can usually be seen grazing the
surrounding grasslands.
At the end of the corrals, hop a bright green rollover
gate to follow the trail to its terminus at Reiner Spring Road (Forest Road
68D) which is also part of the Great Western Trail, a 3,000+-mile shared-use
historic route from Mexico to Canada that runs through five Western states, 800
miles of which are in Arizona.
 |
| Roll over gate at Gyetta Tank |
The unsigned junction is the official end of the
Yellow Jacket Trail and makes for a satisfying 4-mile round trip hike. But the
adventure doesn’t have to end there. For a sweet taste of the Great Western
Trail, head left at the junction and hike up the road watching as beautiful views
of the Bradshaw Mountains open up to the west.
The road crosses the gorge of
Cottonwood Canyon before emerging on an expansive rangeland at the mouth of a pass that flows between the two mesas.
At the 2.7-mile point, a sign for
Reiner Spring and Cottonwood Tank marks yet another scenic transition. Take the first right beyond the sign and
follow the degraded road that plows though a draw where the mesas gradually pinch the path.
 |
| Yellow Jacket (L) and Cottonwood Mesas |
The half-mile hike
leads to Cottonwood Tank. Tucked into a gully at the convergence of the mesas,
the glassy, mesquite-cluttered pond reflects vertical cliffs that top out 300
above the water.
Wandering cattle, flocks of doves and swarms of pollinators frequent
the remote water source. Judging from footprints along the tank’s muddy rim,
bobcats, deer, javelina and raccoons are regular guests as well.
Just a few
yards east of the tank, a cattle guard and sign post for the Cottonwood Trail
9709 signals the beginning of an optional continuation of the hike.
Trail 9709 goes
up and over Cottonwood Mesa and is 3.5 miles long, but it’s just a mile to the high
point which serves as a nice turnaround point for an even 9-miler.
 |
| It's a 0.8-mile hike to the trailhead proper |
LENGTH:
Yellow
Jacket Trail: 4.4 miles round trip
Yellow
Jacket Trail + Cottonwood Tank: 7 miles round trip
Yellow
Jacket Trail + Cottonwood Trail to the top of the mesa: 9 miles round trip
RATING:
moderate
ELEVATION: 3,883 – 4,235 feet to Cottonwood Tank
(4,524
feet to the top of the mesa)
GETTING
THERE:
From the Cordes
Junction interchange on Interstate 17, continue 5.5 miles north to the Orme Road/ Dugas Road exit 268. Go east (right) at the bottom of the
off ramp and follow County Road 171 (Dugas Road) 4 miles to the trailhead on the
left. The trailhead is an unsigned gravel lot across from Forest Road 9650N and
a “narrow bridge” sign. Roads are paved up to the last 2 miles which are on sedan-friendly
dirt. The hike begins at the 524 sign.
INFO:
Prescott National Forest
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