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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