Get Involved to Guide Fossil Creek's Future

Fossil Creek Wild & Scenic River Draft CRMP and DEIS ~ 125-day Comment Period: 

A Summary of the Alternatives

Dec. 1, 2018 – April 4, 2019
Hikers, paddlers, campers---ALL outdoor enthusiasts with in interest in how recreation in Fossil Creek will be managed should check out the resource links below and WEIGH IN. The public comment period ends April 4, 2019.  You MUST comment before the deadline to be eligible to participate any post-decision discussion or lodge objections.
To Participate in a Public Meeting and to Comment:
Comment Period: A 125-day comment period is occurring from Dec. 1, 2018, to April 4, 2019.
Online Project Information: Go to http://tinyurl.com/FossilCreekCRMP
Online Planning Documents: Go to http://tinyurl.com/FossilCreekDocuments
To Submit Comments: Please submit comments in writing through one of several methods:
• Email: to comments-southwestern-coconino-redrock@fs.fed.us (include “Fossil Creek CRMP” in the subject line)
• Mail: to Coconino National Forest, Attention: Fossil Creek CRMP, P.O. Box 20429, Sedona, AZ 86341
• Fax: to (928) 203-7539
• In person: to Red Rock Ranger District Office, 8375 State Route 179, Sedona, AZ 86351.
Comments should clearly articulate the reviewer’s concerns and contentions and provide the Forest Service with information that will be helpful in making a decision on the Fossil Creek CRMP and DEIS. For example, are there components of an alternative that you believe will result in effects (good or bad) that are not adequately described in the DEIS? Be as specific as possible and support your statements with facts and references. Consider whether your comments are solution-oriented. Do more than just provide an opinion or a vote. Remember that comments are not counted as votes where the alternative that is most referenced is the selected alternative. Also, remember that identical comments submitted (as a form letter, for example) will be treated as one comment.
Names and physical and/or e-mail addresses that are submitted during the comment period will be included in the official record for the Fossil Creek planning project and may be available for public inspection.
Public comments collected during the 2016 scoping period and during earlier comment periods serve as the basis for the range of alternatives presented now in the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). All previous comments, since 2010, have helped the Forest Service understand the issues important to people who visit or are interested in Fossil Creek, namely how people are able to recreate in Fossil Creek, the impacts that use has on natural and cultural resources and the recreation experience, the amount and type of recreational development in the Fossil Creek corridor, and public health and safety. Comments submitted in earlier phases of planning for the Fossil Creek CRMP need not be re-submitted.
Contact Us: If you have a question about the Fossil Creek CRMP or want to know how to get involved, contact:
Fossil Creek Project Coordinator Marcos Roybal: (928) 203-2915 maroybal@fs.fed.us
Red Rock Ranger District NEPA Planner Elizabeth Munding: (928) 203-2914 elizabethamunding@fs.fed.us

Legends of Superior Trails: Arnett Canyon Trail segment

Legends of Superior Trails: Arnett Canyon Trail segment

Arnett Creek is a key feature of the LOST system

Picketpost Mountain looms over the LOST 

The new LOST trail segment connects with the AZT

“When I first hiked the Legends of Superior Trails, I had no clue how awesome they are,” says Mila Besich, Mayor of the Town of Superior.  “After the hike, I felt like crying but I wasn’t sure if it was because of the overwhelming beauty or because I had gone nearly nine miles,” Besich laughed. 

Hikers descend a steep section of the new Arnett Canyon Trl. 

Speaking at the March 24, 2019 inauguration of the new Legends of Superior Trails (LOST) Arnett Canyon segment, Besich acknowledged the many individuals and organizations that contributed to the planning and construction of the fresh-cut, 1.5-mile trail section that connects with the Arizona Trail at the Picketpost Trailhead off U.S. 60. 

A steep, narrow section of the trail.

Arnett Creek flows through volcanic terrain.

While leaders at the Tonto National Forest, Resolution Copper, Arizona Trail Association and the Town of Superior did the governmental and land management red-tape wrangling, young American Conservation Experience workers did much of the shoveling and sweating to build the singletrack path that can be hiked as a loop or a one-way trek to the historic Pinal Townsite that’s part of the LOST system of interpretive routes that explore the town’s history and mining heritage.

Hikers in Arnett Canyon

Wildflowers grow among outcroppings of volcanic ash.

Although the mountain-bound community sits in the heart of the mineral-rich Copper Corridor just an hour east of Phoenix where mining is a core industry, Besich is quick to point out that the area’s treasures extend beyond its ore.

Mila Besich, Mayor of the Town of Superior in Arnett Can.

“We’re not a mining town. We’re a town with a world-class mine,” she emphasized.  Cognizant of the boom-and-bust nature of the mining business, the town ranks its natural outdoor assets as being as important as any commercial enterprise. The improvement and expansion of the LOST hiking hub is part of the town’s diversification objectives to boost the economy while staying true to their roots.  “The project is a marathon,” Besich said. “LOST is a start, and we envision Superior becoming home to the next best hiking destination in Arizona.”  This ambitious goal includes plans for a 110-mile stacked-loop trail system that will wind through rugged back country and the Queen Creek-Arnett Creek watersheds south of town. The project—which will use the LOST system as an anchor-- is currently in the planning and permitting process and if all goes well, construction could begin in the next couple of years.  In the meantime, hikers can enjoy the many miles of outstanding existing trails in Superior. 

Situated at the crux of two of the state-traversing Arizona Trail’s most spectacular desert passages that meet at the base of volcanic Picketpost Mountain, the newly completed Arnett Canyon Trail segment is a segue to a landscape of amazing biodiversity, history and complex geology. 

Globemallow bloom along the trails.

The segment begins near the site host campsite with an uphill walk and views of the Superstition Wilderness. Other than a short section where the trail descends steeply on a narrow, rocky ridge that’s not recommended for bike or equestrian use, the hike is effortless.

Hikers on the LOST loop approach the Picketpost TH 

Where the route brushes the flanks of Picketpost Mountain, hikers might be inspired to climb to its 4375-foot summit by way of a sketchy and difficult spur path off the Arizona Trail.  At the 0.6-mile point, turn right and pass through a gate to complete the 1.5-mile loop. Or, to extend the hike, continue straight ahead into Arnett Canyon for a drop-dead-gorgeous, out-and-back creekside trek smothered in greenery and pillars of petrified volcanic ash.  It won’t take too many miles of hiking to understand why Besich says this enchanting trail system is, “a dream come true” and a key inspiration for the reimagination of a desert town.

LOST is just the beginning of a planned hiking hub.

Volcanic rock formations in Arnett Canyon

Superstition Wilderness vistas seen from LOST

LENGTH: 1.5-mile loop

RATING: easy

ELEVATION:  2461 – 2342 feet

GETTING THERE:

Picketpost Trailhead:

From U.S. 60 just before entering the Town of Superior between mileposts 221 and 222, turn right at the Picketpost Trailhead sign and continue 1 mile to the parking area. Roads are paved and maintained dirt suitable for all vehicles. There is a restroom at the trailhead. The trail begins near the site host campsite.

INFO:

Legends of Superior Trails

http://www.lostinsuperioraz.com/

Arizona Trail

https://aztrail.org/explore/passages/passage-17-alamo-canyon

EASY BREEZY LOOP

EASY BREEZY LOOP: Sedona.

A slick rock segment on the Templeton Trail

At the Back O’ Beyond trailhead one recent Sunday morning, a chirpy declaration from a group of young people spilling from a parked SUV broke the silence. “Cathedral Rock! Counts for church.”

Cathedral Rock seen from the HT Trail

Regardless of where your beliefs fall on the spiritual spectrum, the trails surrounding the iconic Sedona rock formation grab your heart and don’t let go. 

The Easy Breezy Trail has many wash crossings

Whether the come-hither call is the result of magic, faith or the magnetic pull of the high-iron-content rocks, the emotional tug of Cathedral Rock has a way of luring hikers back again and again.

The Two Nuns (far right, center) seen from HT Trail

 

The maze of trails that wrap around Cathedral Rock’s looming parapets that resemble a medieval fortress keeping watch above Oak Creek, offer many ways to commune with the stony behemoth. 

A raven takes flight above the Easy Breezy Trail

An edgy traverse on the flanks of Cathedral Rock

Trail choices include a rugged scramble to a scenic saddle, edge-hugging rambles, creekside walks and easy forest strolls.  A less busy option that samples the many moods of this enchanting landscape is a hike on the Easy Breezy-Templeton Loop.  From the Cathedral Rock trailhead, the circuit steers clear of the crowds by heading left on the recently adopted Easy Breezy Trail.  The theme of the circuit’s first mile is immediately revealed as the path drops into a scoured drainage channel. 

Beginning of the sketchy return leg of the Easy Breezy Trail

Alternating between cloistered cypress-pinion woodlands and open spaces of filtered sunlight, the route makes several wash crossings aided by native stone “stairs” built into water-carved embankments.  Annual deluges have exposed layers of colorful sediments and the artful stylings of tree roots that sprawl snake-like through spillways of sand, stone and crystalline pools.  The HT Trail junction marks the end of the shaded, water-centric leg of the hike.  Head right at the sign and follow HT Trail uphill for a 0.3-mile traipse through high-desert grasslands with clear views of a seldom-seen angles of Cathedral Rock and the familiar silhouettes of Courthouse Butte and the Two Nuns formations. 

Mountain vistas on the Templeton Trail

At the Templeton Trail junction, go right and follow the swerving path as it works its way toward an exposed slickrock passage on the east flanks of Cathedral Rock.  Clinging to the barren mound, the trail swings north to meet the west end of the Easy Breezy Trail. The junction sign here points into a ravine with no obvious trail.

A rocky passage on the Easy Breezy Trail

If you choose this 0.4-mile return leg option, be prepared for some route finding, bike traffic and loose rock. Otherwise, continue north on Templeton and connect with the less confusing Cathedral Rock Trail to get back to the trailhead where a map kiosk can help harness the metaphysical or earth-grounded urge for more into a return trip.

Arizona cypress trees shade the trails

The hike shows seldom-seen angles of Cathedral Rock

Artful exposed roots along the Easy Breezy Trail

LENGTH: 3.3 miles

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 3998 - 4203 feet

GETTING THERE:

Back O’ Beyond/Cathedral Rock Trailhead:

From Interstate 17, take the Sedona/Oak Creek exit 298. Turn left (west) and continue 11 miles on State Route 179 to the traffic circle at Back O’ Beyond Road near milepost 310. Veer left and go 0.6 mile on Back O’ Beyond to the trailhead on the left.

FEE: A $5 Red Rock Pass or equivalent is required. There’s a pay station and restroom at the trailhead.

MAP:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3851980.pdf:

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FIREWATER LOOP

FIREWATER LOOP

Prescott National Forest

South Fork of Willow Creek spills over the Javelina Trail.

The constantly evolving and growing system of woodsy trails surrounding Thumb Butte in Prescott National Forest has a new darling. Although the former social trail (a user-built, unsanctioned path) had been around for a while, it was only recently adopted, rerouted, signed and officially named the Firewater Trail No. 325  by the forest service and group of Prescott-area volunteers known as the Over the Hill Gang.

Wild candytuft blooms along the trails Feb-Aug.

An edgy section of the Firewater Trail.

Since this 2017 debutante is located inland from trailheads, it’s necessary to build an outside-in plan to reach it. There are many options for tying it into a day hike circuit including a loop that begins at the new White Rock trailhead off Thumb Butte Road just 5 miles from downtown Prescott. 

Signs at the beginning of the loop portion of the hike.

With its stimulating blend of water, far-reaching vistas, historic artifacts and several bio-zones, the moderate, three-trail circuit is bound to become a classic.

Corral on the Javelina Trail.

Creek crossing near the Javelina-Firewater junction.

Start on the West Trail No. 318, which is also part of the Prescott Circle Trail--- a 55-mile route that wraps around town.  Ponderosa-pine-shaded and replete with gigantic granite boulders and trickling drainages, West Trail is an effortless 0.5-mile traipse up to the Javelina Trail No. 332 junction---the beginning of the hike’s loop section. Veer left and follow Javelina Trail through an undulating terrain flanked by alligator junipers, manzanitas, oaks and mossy ravines. Much of this deeply forested segment traces trickling drainages and the South Fork of Willow Creek.

Granite Mountain seen from the Firewater Trail.

Roughly 1.4 miles from the junction, the trail bends right into a rocky, willow-cluttered  corridor, crosses the creek and heads uphill into a clearing with an old corral.  This rustic pastoral scene culminates at a clearing with ruins of an old stone chimney where the route heads right, crosses the waterway again then swings right (avoid the social trail that goes left) and connects with Firewater Trail No. 325.

Javelina Trail passes by Thumb Butte.

The 1.2-mile leg begins with an edgy climb on the slopes above the creek that plows through some of the most stunning scenery of the loop. Deep canyons, steep drop offs and lots of shade make the twisting course a joy to hike and an all-too-short dip into a rich pocket of Prescott National Forest. 

The route crosses several drainages.

Where the route leaves the deep woods and  bumps back into Trail No. 318, head right for the view-centric return leg. Here, high ridge vantage points showcase multi-level mountain vistas. 

Granite boulders on the West Trail.

In the foreground, the massive hulk of Granite Mountain commands the landscape.

Prescott Valley seen from West Trail.

Farther out, a dim chain of peaks that includes Bill Williams Mountain, Kendrick Mountain and the San Francisco Peaks appear as vague humps jutting above a sea of pines and the plains of Prescott Valley.  At several turns along the final mile, Thumb Butte peeks out from breaks in the pinion pine cover, signaling the end of a short but multi-faceted trek.

Part of the Javelina Trail flanks the So. Fork of Willow Creek.

White Rock trailhead on Thumb Butte Road opened in 2018.

LENGTH: 5.3 miles

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION:  5614 – 6010 feet

GETTING THERE:

From Courthouse Plaza in historic downtown Prescott, go 5 miles west on Gurley Street (turns into Thumb Butte Road) to the large White Rock trailhead on the right. Roads are 100% paved. No fees or facilities.

INFO:

City of Prescott

http://www.prescott-az.gov/recreation-events/recreation-areas/trails/

Prescott National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/prescott

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Wickiup Mesa Trail System

Wickiup Mesa Trails

High desert vegetation on the Cedar Knoll Trail

Just a few miles north of Camp Verde, Wet Beaver Creek cuts a meandering course through  high desert plains and sparse mesas on its way to the Verde River. For thousands of years, the perennially-flowing stream has been the life blood for peoples who settled near its green corridor.  

Excellent signage on the Wickiup Mesa Trails

The communities of Rimrock and Montezuma Lake are the most recent to evolve around the reliable water source. The tiny towns are a quaint mix of ranch homes, antique shops, cafes and honey stands that sit at the hub of several important heritage sites off Interstate 17.

Montezuma Well (center far right) seen from the overlook.

Montezuma Well seen from the Well Vista trail.

The trail system crosses rugged washes.

Gordon's bladderpod bloom along the trails.

A scenic spot on the Cedar Knoll Trail.

Up until last year, out-of-town visitors had few reasons to do anything but drive through the creekside hamlets on their way to somewhere else, but a new system of hiking trails now tempt travelers to park and stay awhile.

View of Wet Beaver Creek from Well Vista Overlook

The Wickiup Mesa Trail System, which sits on 700 acres of Coconino National Forest at the far southeast edge of the towns’ suburbs, is the result of years of effort by the Beaver Creek Trails Coalition--a volunteer organization dedicated to creating and sustaining trails in the Beaver Creek area-- in cooperation with the forest service. The tentacular network of 7 trails tethers the communities to Forest Road 618, filling a void between the splashy recreational hot spots in Wet Beaver Creek Wilderness (think: Bell Trail) and the Montezuma Castle-Montezuma Well National Monuments that preserve the legacy of the area’s ancient inhabitants.  

A classic high-desert scene on Sunset Loop.

MacDougal's biscuitroot bloom through June.

Situated in a landscape of striking contrasts, the trails meander in a place of sprawling flatlands, fractured cliffs and mountain vistas.  A strong undertow of earthiness guides visitors through spotty juniper-cedar forests, cactus-dotted grasslands, moist drainages and roughed-up washes on the highlands above the creek’s leafy riparian ecosystem. 

Mountain vistas surround the Wickiup Mesa Trails.

Anchoring the 6.5-mile network is the Sunset Loop Trail. A hike on this easy-rated circuit is a good way to get to know the area. From the roomy Forestglen trailhead, pass the gate and use the excellent map signs posted at every junction to navigate. Almost immediately, views of Sedona’s red rock formations and Flagstaff’s San Francisco Peaks appear on the northwest horizon.

Sunset Loop overlooks Wet Beaver Creek Wilderness

Hazy silhouettes of mountain peaks near Prescott and Jerome bolster the south and western skylines. 

View of snow-capped peaks seen from Sunset Loop.

Roughly halfway through the loop, the Well Vista Trail leads to a scenic ledge overlooking Montezuma Well and the floodplains of Wet Beaver Creek.  

A side trip to Montezuma Well complements the hike.

Although only the rim of the massive limestone sinkhole that holds over 15 million gallons of water is visible from the ledge, the site is only a short drive away on the road you came in on and makes for a fascinating post-hike side trip. Beyond the overlook, the loop swings west on a ridge overlooking the mesas and canyons of the wilderness area and V Bar V heritage site  along Forest Road 618---another point of interest just a short drive away. 

The rustic Forestglen trailhead.

 Whether hiked alone or in conjunction with visits to the nearby attractions, the Wickiup Mesa Trail System is a sweet addition to the Verde Valley-area recreational menu.

Yucca dot the grasslands on the Wickiup Mesa Trail system.

LENGTH: 6.5 miles total for 7 trails. (4 miles for Sunset Loop-Well Vista circuit)

RATING: easy to moderate
ELEVATION: 3646 – 3791 feet (for the loop)

GETTING THERE:

From Interstate 17 north of Camp Verde, take the McGuireville exit 293 and veer east (right) onto Beaver Creek Road (County Road 77). Continue 1.8 miles and veer right onto Montezuma Ave. Go 1.3 miles to Cliffside Trail, turn left and follow the winding road 0.9 mile to Geronimo Road, turn right and drive 0.4 mile to Forestglen Road. Turn right and continue 0.3 mile to the trailhead at the intersection of Redrock Road. No fees or facilities.

Beaver Creek Trails Coalition

http://www.beavercreektrails.org/

V Bar V Heritage Site

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=55424

Montezuma Castle-Montezuma Well

https://www.nps.gov/moca/planyourvisit/exploring-montezuma-well.htm