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HIGHER LEARNING-EXTRA CREDIT LOOP
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| Blowout Wash Trail System is well signed |
Situated in the foothills below Mingus Mountain a couple of miles south of the Town of Cottonwood, The Blowout Wash Recreation Area trail system offers an airier alternative to crowded Sedona-area hike destinations.
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| Yucca bloom on the Extra Credit Trail |
The 15+-mile system in Prescott National Forest is made up of flowing singletrack loops that are easy to customize for both challenging day hikes and easy strolls.
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| View of Mingus Mountain from Bullseye Trail |
The loops run through a scenic mix of high desert terrain.
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| Barestem larkspur bloom March - May |
The varied terrain and microclimates of water-scoured washes, a chiseled stone-walled canyon, edgy ridgelines and high desert grasslands are the backbone and soul of this always entertaining non-motorized maze. An excellent, moderate-rated introduction to the area links up four trails for a tour of some of the system’s sweet high point vistas.
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| Desert Four O'Clock bloom April - September |
Beginning at the main trailhead along Forest Road 493, the loop begins with a 0.2-mile walk on Blowout Canyon Trail.
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| Trail cut visible on knoll from Higher Learning |
Right out of the chute, the hike delivers amazing 360-degree vistas, dominated by 7,818-foot Mingus Mountain in the west and the sprawling Verde Valley to the north.
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| Thistle frame a view on Extra Credit Trail |
The route then veers right onto the Bullseye Trail where it begins a leisurely mile-long climb through a corrugated landscape dotted with junipers, common hop trees, velvet ash, yucca and cacti.
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| View of Sedona Red Rocks from Bullseye Trail |
At 1.2 miles, the circuit connects with the Higher Learning Trail.
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| Bear grass on the Higher Learning Trail |
This segment offers the best views of Sedona Red Rocks, the twisting, green channel of Oak Creek and the geometric layout of vineyards in the valley below.
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| Strawberry hedgehog cactus bloom March - May |
But the views are temporarily swallowed up where the trail slides into a minor canyon before swinging back uphill.
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| Silverleaf nightshade bloom April - November |
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| Higher Learning Trail ascends a ridgeline |
The hike encounters a breezy lookout point at the Extra Credit Trail junction-- a treeless ridgeline with a fringe of yucca and prickly pear cactus anchoring an expansive grassland flush with wildflowers like Barestem larkspur, sego lilies, Four O'Clock, antelope horns, tufted evening primrose, silverleaf nightshade, thistle, prickly poppies, Blackfoot daisies, scarlet beeblossom and miniature wool star--to name a few.
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| Range ratany shrubs bloom April - October |
At the junction, hikers may opt for a longer, 6.7-mile loop by continuing straight ahead, or a 4.9-mile-miler by turning left at the sign. Either way, Higher Leaning reconnects with the Extra Credit Trail that makes an easy, half-mile descent to reconnect with the Blowout Canyon Trail.
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| Scarlet beeblossom bloom April - September |
Along the Blowout Canyon segment, peeks at the steep-walled, eponymous canyon and an impressive community of ocotillo and blooming cactus enter the fray.
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| A short trail climbs Blowout Butte |
Over this half-mile leg, distant mountain peaks hover over the southern horizon while flowering shrubs like range ratany vie for attention underfoot. Back at the Bullseye Trail junction, the route doubles back to the trailhead where a colorful map kiosk shows the entire trails system layout and more ways to enjoy the quieter side of Verde Valley hiking.
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| Blowout Wash trailhead |
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| Wing-like seeds on a common hoptree |
LENGTH:
Short Loop: 4.9 miles
Long Loop: 6.7 miles
RATING:
Short Loop: moderate
Long Loop: moderate
ELEVATION:
Short Loop: 3,806 – 4,318 feet (926 feet of accumulated elevation change)
Long Loop: 3,806 - 4,675 feet. (1,129 feet of accumulated elevation change)
GETTING THERE:
From
Interstate 17 north of Camp Verde, take the Cornville Road/County Road 30 exit
293. Continue 17.7 miles west on Cornville Road, which will turn into Mingus
Avenue and then Forest Road 493, to the Blowout Wash Recreation Area trailhead
on the right. For reference, the trailhead is 1.5 miles south of the Cottonwood
airport. Roads are paved except for a short section of rough dirt that’s suitable
for all vehicles.There are no fees or facilities at the trailhead.
INFO:
Prescott National Forest
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/prescott/recreation/recarea/?recid=84363&actid=50
