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WALKER BASIN TRAIL #81
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| Wide-ranging vistas on the Walker Basin Trail |
From the high point of the Walker Basin Trail, echoes of the area’s ranching history linger in bits of barbed wire, stock tanks and weedy livestock tracks.
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| Mesas, buttes and ravines define the trail |
Creative minds might conjure images of cattle trains or sheep drovers, only to be jolted back to the 21st century by the appearance of contemporary cattle or sheep.
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| Forest Road 9201C leads to the upper trailhead |
It’s not unusual for domestic livestock grazing among junipers and cacti to deliver jump scares to distracted trail users in this corrugated back country.
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| Red rock outcrop over Walker Creek |
Situated between the Wet Beaver Creek and West Clear Creek Wilderness areas, Walker Basin Trail No. 81 winds through a riffled terrain of high desert plateaus and water-carved canyons.
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| Limestone ledges overlooking the Verde Valley |
The former livestock trail in Coconino National Forest located roughly 40 miles south of Flagstaff and 20 miles southeast of Sedona offers up spectacular glimpses of both the mountains of northern Arizona and Red Rock Country’s iconic geologic formations.
Moderate but difficult to follow in spots, the entire trail is just over 8 miles long.
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| The upper trail parallels a barbed wire fence |
However, the best scenic ogling opportunities happen in the first 2.5 miles from the north terminus along Forest Road 618 near the community of Lake Montezuma.
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| View from the trail's high point |
One of the perks of this under-the-radar trail is that it’s largely ignored, no doubt because it has some serious competition with the nearby Bell Trail that leads to the iconic swimming hole known as The Crack on Wet Beaver Creek. The pleasantly uncluttered route may be hiked as an out-and-back or car shuttle, but for a moderately demanding day hike, a 5-mile up-and-back trek starting at the north trailhead makes for a satisfying outing in the wilds.
The north trailhead proper is located 0.8-mile east of Forest Road 618 (Beaver Creek Road) at the end of FR 9201C, which is open to motorized travel and requires at least a high-clearance vehicle.
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| Sacred Mountain (center) seen from Walker Basin Trail |
Those with less robust cars may opt to park in the dirt turnouts and walk the road to the trailhead, veering left at the 0.4-mile point to stay on the main road.
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| The north trailhead on FR618 |
The upper trailhead is marked only by a post-and-wire gate.
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| Primitive cairn (left) on the limestone ledges |
A crumbling forest service logo sticker and unintelligible letters cling to a post giving no indication that it indicated the beginning of the Walker Basin Trail. Beyond the gate (close it behind you) the route becomes a dusty single track.
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| Basket cairns mark part of the lower trail |
It’s easy to follow for about the first mile. Basket cairns (native stones wired into barrel-shaped posts) placed at random intervals help with navigation, but some have toppled over and after a while, they disappear completely. Sometimes, hand-made rock piles serve as guides where the trail passes through sandy washes and limestone scree.
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| The upper trailhead on FR9201C |
Where the route begins its uphill crawl, it turns feral, dodging among junipers, cacti and cow pies. At places, the trail is completely obliterated by scrub and loose rock, but hikers can stay on track by tracing a barbed wire fence that roughly parallels the path. All the way, massive views of Sedona, the Black Hills, Mogollon Rim and Sacred Mountain rise above seamless stretches of high desert rangeland.
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| An old juniper frames high desert views |
At the 2.2-mile point, the route encounters a series of limestone ledges near the trail’s highpoint that lead to a rocky bench overlooking the Verde Valley. Beyond the ledges, route-finding becomes more challenging, making the scenic overlook a good turnaround point for a day hike.
LENGTH:
Full trail: 8 miles one way
Up to the ledges: 2.4 miles one way
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION:
Full trail: 3,851 – 5,972 feet
Up to the ledges: 3,851 – 4,368 feet
GETTING THERE:
NORTH TRAILHEAD (as described here):
From Interstate 17 north of Camp Verde, take the Sedona/Oak Creek State Route 179 exit 298 and veer right (east) onto Forest Road 618. Continue 4.5 miles on FR618 (Beaver Creek Road) to the signed Walker Basin Trail sign on the left at Forest Road 9201C. This is directly across from the Wickiup Mesa Trail System Elmore Wash trailhead. Low clearance vehicles should park here. The trailhead proper is located 1 mile east at the end of FR9201C.
Road up to the trailhead are maintained dirt suitable for most vehicles.
SOUTH TRAILHEAD:
From Interstate 17 north of Camp Verde, take the Sedona/Oak Creek State Route 179 exit 298 and veer right (east) onto Forest Road 618. Continue 9 miles on FR618and turn left (east) onto FR214 (Cedar Flat Road) and go 7.3 miles to the trailhead on FR214B. A high clearance vehicle is required.
INFO:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=55426
