SUBMARINE ROCK TRAIL
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| Hog Wash Trail |
Hikers of a
certain age will remember the 1960s TV submarine series Voyage to the Bottom of
the Sea. Each week kids across the nation could vicariously board the Seaview with Admiral Nelson for a new
nail-biting peril, a new monster and an old predictable plot as seen through the
sub’s massive control room windows.
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| Broken Arrow Trail |
For me, the wonder of it all lasted up until a
class trip to a naval base in Groton, CT where I got to walk through the tin-can
corridor of a real-life docked sub. We kids lurched single file past walls of
gauges, dials and buttons in sync with a baseline of parental “don’t touch,
stay back, keep quiet”. But, unlike on the Seaview, there were no windows-- which
dashed my hopes of a beastly freak festival. For those of us who had toed the line,
the tour culminated with a consolation prize: a trip to a local ice cream
parlor. It wasn’t exactly the one-eyed squid from outer space finale I had
hoped for, but the tour fueled my life-long fascination with underwater suspense books
and films. (Yes, I have really watched U-571 three
dozen times).
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| Submarine Rock (center) floats in a sea of green |
While there may not be any deep-sea-creature-themed sub tours here in land-locked Arizona, we do have the next best thing to
a mutant flying beluga whale encounter: Sedona.
Given my childhood
experience, I was naturally intrigued when I came across the Submarine Rock Trail
while hiking Sedona’s Broken Arrow Trail a few seasons ago. That path wasn’t on
the day’s agenda, so it took a slot on my hike to-do list. The trail is situated just outside of the
Munds Mountain Wilderness on the east edge of the Twin Buttes cluster of trails
near the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Several trails and trailheads offer dozens of
ways to build your own route to get to it. On my bucket list return visit,
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| A juniper frames Wilson Mountain |
I started at the lesser-known Mystic Trailhead and used the Hog Wash and
Broken Arrow Trails. The trek wraps around vertical sandstone pillars for
constantly changing views of Red Rock Country landforms including Capitol Butte, Wilson Mountain and the massive profiles of Lee and Munds Mountain.
The route also
has an optional short side trip to Devil’s Dining Room, a bat-inhabited
sinkhole off the Broken Arrow Trail. Once
through a corridor of cypress, yucca and slick rock, views open for a first
look at Submarine Rock. The torpedo-shaped red rock outcropping looks
remarkably like a submersible ship cruising the surface of an other-worldly
ocean.
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| Capitol Butte (left) seen from the Mystic Trail |
The terrestrial vessel rests at
the edge of the wilderness overlooking a wide valley painted in
shades of emerald and moss bolstered by stony walls that soar to over 6000
feet.
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| Submarine Rock (right) |
At various times in geological history, this landscape was at the bottom of the sea.
The surrounding escarpments and gullies are relics of ancient oceans, inland lakes and wind
swept sand. Although it’s moored on terra firma, this fantastical ship provides
a launch point for a journey of spirituality, imagination and science that
rivals those featured in sci-fi films. Plus, this ship has one heck of a window. If after taking this incredible voyage, you still have a have a hankering for a bigger serotonin rush; then squeeze yourself into How Sweet It Is, a sub-cabin-sized
candy shop in Sedona’s Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village for a well deserved ice cream
treat.
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| Devils Dining Room |
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| Red rocks of Munds Mountain Wilderness |
HIKE PLAN:
From the Mystic
trailhead, hike 0.4 mile north to the Hog Wash Trail junction. Go right and
follow Hog Wash 1.6 miles and veer right onto Broken Arrow Trail. Continue 0.5
mile to the Submarine Rock junction and follow the trail 0.6 mile to the rock. Return
the way you can or use the map posts to plan a loop.
LENGTH: 6.2-miles
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION: 4360 - 4600 feet
GETTING THERE:
Mystic
Trailhead:
From the Sedona
exit 298 on Interstate 17, turn left onto State Route 179 and go 11.5 miles to
Chapel Road located past milepost 310. Turn right and continue 0.3 mile to the
trailhead. A Red Rock Pass in not needed at this trailhead.
Coconino National Forest:
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