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Cerbat Foothills
Recreation Area, Kingman
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| View of the Monolith Garden area from Camp Beale Loop |
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| A wash of volcanic black sand below the trail |
The Cerbat Hills
Recreation Area in northwest Kingman has four interconnected routes, each with unique attractions. Camp Beale Trail, which sits at the heart of the
system, offers a moderate day hike that links to the area’s more than 17 miles
of trails. For newbies, it’s a good place to start. At just over 3 miles in length, the Camp
Beale Loop gives a scenic overview of the system with less than 500 feet of
climbing. From the trailhead, head
right, following the well-defined path as it begins its ascent. Almost immediately, you'll be treated to epic views of the Hualapai
Mountains to the southeast that rise to over 8000 feet at the edge of the
Mojave Desert.
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| Camp Beale Trail |
These pine-capped
volcanic sky islands jut 4000 feet above dusty creosote-populated plains. Sometimes,
snow lingers on the high peaks through spring. As the hike progresses uphill, huge panoramic vistas of the Grand Wash Cliffs and Hualapai Valley unwind with every few feet of elevation
gained. Next, the route ducks into a
gorge where soft black sand scoured from ebony-colored lava flows lines a wash that
wiggles though grasslands and stands of sharp yucca.
The short canyon segment morphs into another
uphill trudge that ends at roughly the half-way point where benches mark the
highpoint and the junction for the 4.45-mile Castle Rock Trail that heads
north to a regal, turreted rock formation. Here, first glimpses of the Monolith
Garden area appear to the south. The vertical silhouettes of the granite
“monoliths” that stand like dominos (or Legos as I overheard a kid on the trail
describe them) are the signature attractions of the Monolith Garden Loop that
can be accessed via a junction farther down the Beale trail or a dedicated
trailhead across U.S. 93.
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| Grand Wash Cliffs and Hualapai Valley |
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| Hualapai Mountains |
The return leg
of the loop bends around basalt outcroppings, deep gullies and cacti-blanketed
slopes as it makes an easy decent. Keep an eye out for tiny quartz crystals
blooming from lumps of russet lava scattered along this final section. You’ll cross the black sand wash one last
time before coming full circle. But, the adventure has one more stop.
On the
way out on Camp Beale Drive, look for the Camp Beale Spring historic site on the
right. A permit is required to walk within the property, however,
an historic marker and a monument outside of the grounds give special insight to the area’s rich and
sometimes tragic past.
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| Cerbat Foothills |
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| Monolith Garden area seen from Camp Beale Trail |
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| Camp Beale Springs Historic Site |
LENGTH: 3.26-mile
loop
Other Linking
Trails:
Badger Trail - 3.20 miles
Castle Rock Trail - 4.45 miles
Monolith Garden Loop—7 miles
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION: 3640 –
4100 feet
GETTING THERE:
From the Interstate
40/U.S. 93 In Kingman take exit 40. Continue 0.5-mile to Fort Beale Drive,
turn right and go 1.3 mile to the signed trailhead access road on the left and
continue 0.2 mile to the parking area.
INFO & MAPS
