Balancing Rock-Surprise Spring Loop

BALANCING ROCK-SURPRISE SPRING LOOP

Granite Basin Recreation Area, Prescott.

Balancing Rock teeters on its host boulder along trail 349

Situated in a pocket of pine-oak woodlands at the south edge of Granite Mountain Wilderness seven miles northwest of Downtown Prescott, Granite Mountain Recreation Area offers

over 40 miles of interconnected trails, camping, picnicking and boating.

Drainage area near Surprise Spring on Balancing Rock trail

Area trails feature incredible views of the craggy escarpments of 7,295-foot Granite Mountain and varied terrain that runs through boulder-strewn back country.

Manzanita bloom in sunny spots along the route

For a taste of why this easy-access recreation hub is so popular, take a hike on the Balancing Rock and Surprise Spring trails. The circuit uses 3 trails to make a 3.8-mile loop.

An oak thicket on Balancing Rock trail

Begin at the trail 350 sign behind the pay station, hike 0.1-mile and turn left at the West Lake Trail 351 junction. Hike 0.7 mile on trail 351 passing several pretty stands of cottonwoods growing near moist drainages and turn left at the Balancing Rock Trail 349 junction. This 1.7-mile leg of the loop passes among thick stands of Ponderosa pines, oaks, alderleaf mountain mahogany and junipers with occasional fringes of agave and cacti that cling to life where sun leaks through the forest canopy. The eponymous rock formation appears on the left roughly 0.2-mile from the junction.

San Francisco peaks seen from Balancing Rock trail

The lopsided stone perched precariously atop a massive granite boulder is secure for now, but even a minor tectonic hiccup could bump it off its host. While this stone oddity is the centerpiece of the trail’s geological sites, it  isn’t the only one. Look for a “turkey gobbler” rock, xenoliths (chunks of material like quartz crystals embedded in boulders) and knife-edge slabs that have flaked off walls of granite.

Cottonwoods thrive along the West Lake trail

 About halfway through trail 349, the drainage area surrounding Surprise Spring appears as scoured channels, trickling runoff and sand bars.

Agaves and cacti sprout in sunny spots on the trail

Some of the land around spring is private property, so be sure to stay on the trail. Beyond the spring, the trail swings north, making a mild ascent on the ledges above the spring drainage. Soon, views of the Williamson Valley, Verde Valley and mountain peaks of Flagstaff appear above acres of scrub.

Granite Mountain seen from Surprise Spring trail

Alderleaf mountain mahogany

The route is well-signed and maintained

One of many stone oddities on Balancing Rock trail

Granite Mountain stands out above West Lake trail

The forest thins out where the trail meets the Surprise Spring trail 350 junction.  The final leg of the hike on trail 350 was damaged by the September 2019 lightning-caused Surprise Fire. Ash, burnt trees and patches of scorched earth are just minor distractions on the still-beautiful path.

The easy-moderate hike has many ups-and-downs

The 2019 Surprise Fire scorched parts of the trails

The trail has been trimmed and swept and thickets of blooming manzanita shrubs soften the harsh plots of charred debris. More gorgeous vistas of Granite Mountain and sprawling valleys vie for attention before the route spirals off its sunny high ridge descending among mixed conifer woodlands on its way back to the trailhead.

LENGTH: 3.8-mile loop

RATING: easy-moderate

ELEVATION: 5,640 – 6,070 feet

GETTING THERE:

From downtown Prescott, go north on Montezuma Street (which turns into Whipple Street and then Iron Springs Road) and continue 4.5 miles to N. Granite Basin Road at milepost 3.

Turn right and continue 3.1 miles to the Wekuvde trailhead on the right.

 Roads are paved and there are restrooms, picnic tables and grills at the trailhead.

FEE: There’s a $5 daily fee per vehicle. Bring exact change for the self-serve pay station/ Free with a Golden Age/Access of Interagency Senior/Access Pass. Wednesdays are free to everyone.

HOURS: March-April hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hours vary by season.

INFO:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/prescott/recreation/recarea/?recid=67619

MINT WASH-WEST LAKE LOOP

MINT WASH-WEST LAKE LOOP

Granite Basin Recreation Area, Prescott

View of Granite Basin Lake from Mint Wash Trail

As a perennial bucket-lister, Granite Mountain Trail #261 lives up to its hype with a strenuous 1,400-foot ascent on a hulking mound of billion year old rock. It's one of Prescott's most glorious hikes, serving up a wilderness summit experience with a substantial side of sweat. Once you've got that one out of your system, there's plenty more to explore around the base of the mountain. In the shadow of the massif's intimidating brow, a maze of looping paths in Granite Basin Recreation Area offer more than 33 miles of easy and moderate rated hike alternatives. The site is cradled in a craggy, forested pocket lodged between a wilderness area and suburbia. Built out with creature comforts like restrooms, picnic tables and a tiny lake, the area's trail complex is family-friendly, well-signed and designed for either short strolls or day-long treks. Whichever trail or trails you select, you'll be walking through a bizarre landscape of volcanic rock outcroppings weathered smooth by eons of exposure. Water trickling though drainages nourishes a mash up of wild mint and cacti huddled beneath tall Ponderosa pines. Like sister trail #261, there are plenty of spots where views of the sprawling flatlands of Williamson Valley and the cloud-brushing peaks of Flagstaff are framed by  tunnels of arching oak.

A detailed map available for download on the forest service web site shows how the trails connect. Here's one circuit that includes a swing by Granite Basin Lake, lots of shade and a high saddle vista point. From the Cayuse Trailhead begin on West Lake Trail #351 and hike 1.2 miles then veer right onto Mint Wash Trail #345. This junction is located just before a road crossing and is signed but easy to miss. Hike 0.7 mile on #345 and turn left on Mint Wash Connector Trail #352. Continue 1.1 miles to the Chimbley Water Trail #348, turn left and hike 0.5 mile to Willow Trail #347, turn right and follow it 0.8 mile back to the trailhead.

LENGTH: 4.3-mile loop

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 5,400' – 5,770'

HOURS: day-use gate hours vary by season but are roughly sunrise to sunset daily

FACILITIES: restroom, picnic tables.

GETTING THERE:

Cayuse Trailhead:

From downtown Prescott, go north on Montezuma St. (turns into Whipple St.) to Iron Springs Road.

Go 3 miles on Iron Springs to Granite Basin Road (Forest Road 374), turn right and continue 2.4 miles to the Cayuse Equestrian Trailhead on the right. Parking is 0.1 mile up the road.

FEE: $5 daily per vehicle (free on Wednesdays). Bring exact change for the self-serve pay station.

INFO & MAPS: Bradshaw Ranger District, Prescott National Forest, 928-443-8000

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/prescott/recarea/?recid=75174

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