Posts
Town of Prescott Valley
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| Inside the volcano |
There’s a little volcano in
Prescott Valley that despite its lack of climate-altering fireworks a la
Krakatoa or a festering apocalypse like the one under Yellowstone National Park, still managed
to create a big enough impression on the landscape to warrant a hiking trail to
its summit.
With its out-of-nowhere character,
the new route walks out of the suburbs into the spent inferno of an extinct volcano culminating
on a scenic highpoint in Arizona’s Central Highlands. Dedicated in May 2016, the Glassford Hill Summit
Trail makes a moderately difficult climb among the crumbling lava flows and
eroding slopes of a Miocene-epoch volcano situated at the edge of State Route
69.
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| Prescott Valley with San Francisco Peaks on horizon |
When viewed from the highway,
the rounded form of Glassford Hill doesn’t look that special. With a smattering
of subdivisions and shopping centers lapping at its base, the grassy mound humbles
in comparison to cloud-brushing Bradshaw Mountain Peaks visible across the
valley. However, the hill’s back side is
quite a different scene. A gaping gash severs the mountain’s north face. Between 10 and 14
million years ago, this area was a cauldron of bubbling magma, fiery cinders
and molten lava bombs that broke the surface and froze into bizarre pillars and
rivers of basalt.
Layers of ocher and russet stone are evidence of multiple
volcanic events that built the hill and eventually caused it to spill its
guts. The first mile is a moderate
stroll through sparse grasslands, weather-beaten junipers and hardy shrubs
where resident pronghorn graze. Interpretive signs along this section provide
information on local wildlife and geological features.
Beyond the 1-mile point, the wide, dirt path
heads upwards, ascending more than 900 feet by way of tight switchbacks. At
each turn, the trail becomes steeper but picnic tables placed at each juncture and
mileposts located every quarter mile make it easy to take a break and decide if
you want to press on or turn back.
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| Grazing pronghorn |
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| Bradshaw Mountain views |
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| Entering the collapsed volcano |
Those who reach the summit
are rewarded with unobstructed, 360 degree vistas, a display of historic
heliograph equipment and more picnic tables. The bald zenith rises over a
sprawling valley ringed by mountains. On clear days, the peaks of Flagstaff,
Williams and Prescott National Forest gleam on the horizon while homes and
business roll out in neat grids below the hill’s fractured slopes.
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| Summit of Glassford Hill |
LENGTH: 2.1 mile (4.2 miles
roundtrip)
RATING: more difficult
ELEVATION: 5183’-6123’
GETTING THERE:
From Phoenix, go north on
Interstate 17 to exit 263 for State Route 69. Follow SR 69 26.5 miles to
Prescott East Highway (located just past mile post 289), turn right and
continue 0.6 mile to Sunset Lane. Turn left and go 0.1 mile to Castle Drive,
turn right and continue 0.3 mile to the parking lot on the left. From the map sign, head right and hike 0.1
mile on the dirt road to the bridge and the beginning of the trail. Roads are
100% paved and there’s a portable restroom at the trailhead.
INFO & MAP:
http://www.pvaz.net/DocumentCenter/View/3172
