VERDE VISTA
LOOPView from the Verde Vista Loop
It’s only a
little over a 500-foot climb to the zenith of the Verde Vista Loop. But getting there is trickier than it
looks. The green corridor of the Verde River
The trail, which was completed in
2021, is tethered to the still under construction Camp Verde Sports Complex and
crosses into Coconino National Forest east of the Verde River and Beaver Creek . Verde Vista Loop crosses into Coconino NF
The 5.5-mile non-motorized trail, in the
hills southeast of Montezuma Castle National Monument, is a joint effort between
the Town of Camp Verde Urban Upland Trail System and Coconino National Forest. Verde Vista Loop passes below limestone cliffs
The route departs from the easy-rated , Perimeter
Loop that circles the Sports Complex with a level, gravel surface that’s
welcoming to hikers, dog walkers and stroller-pushing families. The route is well signed throughout
The Verde Vista Loop begins innocently enough
with a walk-through open desert and grassy slopes. The first mile makes an effortless ascent on
a mix of two-track and singletrack dirt. Mountain views stand out all around as
the path winds through clumpy forbs, yucca and a green sea of creosote shrubs.
Grasses and a sea of creosote on the lower leg
As the route moves toward the imposing crescent of buff-colored cliffs and a large
mesa-like mound to the northeast, views of the emerald band of the Verde River glows
in the valley to the west. After passing
into Coconino National Forest, the trail meets a sign warning equestrians that
conditions ahead can be hazardous for horse travel. There are some steep and slippery sections
Bikers and hikers should take heed too,
because beyond the sign, the trail goes full-tilt crazy. Abrupt twists, loose rock and
close-to-the-edge traverses on a base of crumbling limestone characterize the
roughly mile-and-a-half ascent to the trail’s high point in the White Hills. The Perimeter Loop is level and easy
Narrow and slippery in places, it’s smart to pay
attention to footing and not be distracted by the ever-expanding mountain and
valley panoramas rolling out below. Yucca decorate the Verde Vista Loop
After
huffing, puffing and scrambling over chalky ledges, the trail delivers a punch
of in-your-face eye candy as a reward. Verde Vista Loop climbs to the top of the White Hills
While
easier than the ascent, the return leg the loop still has its challenges. It
clings to cliffs, sweeps over ridgetop flatlands and hits one last spiral of
switchbacks before landing hikers back in the creosote sea.
LENGTH:
Verde Vista Loop: 5.5 miles
Perimeter Loop: 1.6 miles
RATING:
Verde Vista Loop: difficult
Perimeter Loop: easy
ELEVATION:
Verde Vista Loop: 3,136 – 3,688 feet (1,190 feet of accumulated elevation change)
Perimeter Loop: 3,100 – 3,160 feet
GETTING THERE:
From Interstate 17 in Camp Verde, go 4 miles east (toward Payson) on State Route 260 to McCracken Lane on the left. Follow McCracken 0.1-mile to the Camp Verde Sports Complex entrance on the right. The gate may be locked during ongoing Sports Complex construction. To use the pedestrian walk-thru, park at the corner of SR260 and McCracken. The Verde Vista Loop trailhead is located 0.6-mile east from the gate on Champion Trail—the park main road.