HOWARD DRAW-PRIEST DRAW LOOP

Howard Draw-Priest Draw Loop

Flagstaff

Pleasant hiking with side show attractions

Holy bat cave--shared use forest trails don't get more interesting than this one.

Well known as a world-class destination for the sport of bouldering, Howard and Priest Draws are side-by-side shallow canyons with a yawning meadow in the middle. Cavernous limestone bluffs with cantilevered overhangs, slabby shelves, cracks and fist-sized depressions anchor both draws---a perfect topography for the nimble climbers who dangle from the stone like acrobatic bats.

In my experiences, the climbers don't mind spectators as long as they keep a respectful and safe distance as the climbers work on their "problems". On my visit, a couple of them struck up a conversation with me and answered my (albeit ignorant) questions like "How do you do that?" (Uh, you just do it.) And "What are those folding mattresses called?" (Crash pads.  Duh.).  Even on busy weekends when dozens of  "bat people" clamor for choice rock, the commotion is absorbed in scattered pockets of solitude where the trails meander among pine woodlands, aspen fringes and flower-speckled seas of hip-high forbs. 

Although directional signage is non-existent, trodden and true footpaths are simple to follow.

From the parking area, head right, descend a series of steps and hike 1.5 miles through Priest Draw to a path taking off on the left near FR235A.  Follow this track 0.7 mile to a T-junction, turn left and hike 1.6 miles though Howard Draw back to the trailhead.

A choice bouldering "problem"

LENGTH: 3.8-mile loop

RATING: easy

ELEVATION:  6830' - 6880'

Trailhead

Limestone closeup

GETTING THERE:

From Flagstaff go south on Lake Mary Road (FR3) to Crimson Road which is on the right just past the Canyon Vista Campground turnoff.  Turn right onto Crimson and then make an immediate left onto CR132.  Continue 3 miles on CR132 to a dirt road on the right, signed "Priest Draw parking area". Follow this rough dirt road (FR238) 0.3-mile to the trailhead.  Day use only.  No fees. 

PRIEST DRAW

PRIEST DRAW

Flagstaff

Aspens on Sept. 22, 2012

As the annual autumn equinox (Sept 22) brings the promise of cooler temperatures in the Valley, it also heralds in a brief season of hybrid summer-fall hiking in Arizona's higher elevations.

Limestone cliffs

During the final week of September, high country trees break with whispers of a warm autumnal palette above meadows awash in a slurry of hanger-on summer blooms and past-prime grasses. This glorious dichotomy of balmy sun and biting breezes serves up perfect trekking with a side of camera-ready photo opportunities.  An interesting area to explore this subdivision of hiking nirvana is Priest Draw.  Although it's pretty much an off-the-radar kind of place for hiking, the area's wildly contoured limestone walls make it a major "draw" for the sport of bouldering.  Complementing the surrounding vegetation, a bank of caves, roofs, tunnels and pocked-and-cracked walls result in unmitigated visual overdose.  Add to that the hordes of mat-packing climbers hanging upside down and scaling the rock superfly style, and you've got a hike of extraordinary interest.  The draw delves through woods and fields for roughly 1.5 miles to a point where the cliffs disappear.  Here, footpaths continue on sans the manic mix of geology, athleticism and natural elements on a seasonal cusp.

Priest Draw

LENGTH: 3 miles roundtrip

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 6,900' - 6,650'

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, travel north on I17 to Lake Mary Road exit 339, which is south of the I40 interchange just before entering Flagstaff.  Turn right, and at the bottom of the off ramp, turn right again.  Continue 5.4 miles south on Lake Mary Road (FR3) to Crimson Road---this is on the right hand side of the road just past the Canyon Vista Campground turnoff.  Turn right on Crimson and then make an immediate left onto CR 132.  Continue 3 miles on CR132 (which is good gravel) to a dirt road on the right signed "Priest Draw parking area".  This is FR238, a deeply rutted (watch that entry drop), unmaintained road where a high-clearance vehicle is required.  Follow FR238 0.2 mile to the first (small) parking apron or to 0.3 mile for the main parking corral.   AREA IS DAY USE ONLY.

MORE PHOTOS:

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