Blowout Butte

BLOWOUT BUTTE

Blowout Butte viewed from Campus Trail

Situated at the core of the Blowout Wash Recreation Area in Cottonwood, Blowout Butte cuts an impressive silhouette on the Verde Valley skyline of Central Arizona.  

Limestone flanks the Blowout Butte Trail

The conical mound of crumbling limestone in Prescott National Forest puts a shine on the 15+miles of non-motorized trails that swirl about its base. 

Mingus Mountain towers over Blowout Wash Area

The particular slice of forest is a pocket of water-scoured high desert hills and ravines bolstered by a ridgeline of pine-covered highlands that include 7,818-foot Mingus Mountain and Woodchute Wilderness. 

Limestone outcroppings on the Limestone Trail

The singletrack trails take advantage of the area’s undulating space between mountains and valleys with long, edgy traverses interspersed with wash crossings and canyon crawls.

Summit of Blowout Butte

While the site is largely shadeless, a smattering of junipers and rock outcroppings cast just enough shade for comfortable hiking almost year-round.

Crucifixion-thorn shrubs dominate the terrain

 

The best perks of the 15+-mile system are its connectivity and excellent signage. This makes getting around and customizing hikes a cinch.   

For first time visitors and regulars alike, climbing Blowout Butte is a must-do trek.  Getting to the prominent peak involves a short, effortless walk with barely over 100 feet of base-to-summit elevation gain. 

Campus Trail crosses Blowout Wash

From the Blowout Wash main trailhead, the route starts out with a short hike on the Campus Trail 559.  At the half-mile point the route veers right onto the Blowout Butte Trail 556. 

Fenceline Trail at the edge of Prescott NF

The half-mile trail begins with a level swing around the butte before taking on a couple of easy switchbacks that lead to a loop path that circles the high point.  The tiny summit, fringed with Crucifixion-thorn shrubs and cacti, is unremarkable except as a platform for viewing 360-degree vistas.  Views of Sedona’s red rocks, the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff, the Mogollon Rim and the vineyards and riparian corridors of the Verde Valley roll out around the pyramid-shaped mound. For the return trip, the trail descends to meet the Limestone Trail 554. After a few yards, the Fenceline Trail makes a 0.3-mile loop detour tracing the post-and-wire boundary of the national forest before reconnecting with Campus Trail.

Verde Valley vistas on Blowout Butte Trail

Here, hikers may head left to get back to the trailhead or consult the maps that are posted at every junction to design longer or more challenging treks.

Map signs at junctions guide the way

LENGTH: 2.5 miles as described here

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 3,713 – 3,932 feet

GETTING THERE: From Interstate 17 north of Camp Verde, take the Cornville Road/County Road 30 exit 293. Continue 17.7 miles west on Cornville Road, which will turn into Mingus Avenue and then Forest Road 493, to the Blowout Wash Recreation Area trailhead on the right. For reference, the trailhead is 1.5 miles south of the Cottonwood airport. Roads are paved except for a short section of rough dirt that’s suitable for all vehicles. There are no fees or facilities at the trailhead.

INFO: Prescott National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/prescott/recreation/recarea/?recid=84363&actid=50