Wickiup Mesa Trail System

Wickiup Mesa Trails

High desert vegetation on the Cedar Knoll Trail

Just a few miles north of Camp Verde, Wet Beaver Creek cuts a meandering course through  high desert plains and sparse mesas on its way to the Verde River. For thousands of years, the perennially-flowing stream has been the life blood for peoples who settled near its green corridor.  

Excellent signage on the Wickiup Mesa Trails

The communities of Rimrock and Montezuma Lake are the most recent to evolve around the reliable water source. The tiny towns are a quaint mix of ranch homes, antique shops, cafes and honey stands that sit at the hub of several important heritage sites off Interstate 17.

Montezuma Well (center far right) seen from the overlook.

Montezuma Well seen from the Well Vista trail.

The trail system crosses rugged washes.

Gordon's bladderpod bloom along the trails.

A scenic spot on the Cedar Knoll Trail.

Up until last year, out-of-town visitors had few reasons to do anything but drive through the creekside hamlets on their way to somewhere else, but a new system of hiking trails now tempt travelers to park and stay awhile.

View of Wet Beaver Creek from Well Vista Overlook

The Wickiup Mesa Trail System, which sits on 700 acres of Coconino National Forest at the far southeast edge of the towns’ suburbs, is the result of years of effort by the Beaver Creek Trails Coalition--a volunteer organization dedicated to creating and sustaining trails in the Beaver Creek area-- in cooperation with the forest service. The tentacular network of 7 trails tethers the communities to Forest Road 618, filling a void between the splashy recreational hot spots in Wet Beaver Creek Wilderness (think: Bell Trail) and the Montezuma Castle-Montezuma Well National Monuments that preserve the legacy of the area’s ancient inhabitants.  

A classic high-desert scene on Sunset Loop.

MacDougal's biscuitroot bloom through June.

Situated in a landscape of striking contrasts, the trails meander in a place of sprawling flatlands, fractured cliffs and mountain vistas.  A strong undertow of earthiness guides visitors through spotty juniper-cedar forests, cactus-dotted grasslands, moist drainages and roughed-up washes on the highlands above the creek’s leafy riparian ecosystem. 

Mountain vistas surround the Wickiup Mesa Trails.

Anchoring the 6.5-mile network is the Sunset Loop Trail. A hike on this easy-rated circuit is a good way to get to know the area. From the roomy Forestglen trailhead, pass the gate and use the excellent map signs posted at every junction to navigate. Almost immediately, views of Sedona’s red rock formations and Flagstaff’s San Francisco Peaks appear on the northwest horizon.

Sunset Loop overlooks Wet Beaver Creek Wilderness

Hazy silhouettes of mountain peaks near Prescott and Jerome bolster the south and western skylines. 

View of snow-capped peaks seen from Sunset Loop.

Roughly halfway through the loop, the Well Vista Trail leads to a scenic ledge overlooking Montezuma Well and the floodplains of Wet Beaver Creek.  

A side trip to Montezuma Well complements the hike.

Although only the rim of the massive limestone sinkhole that holds over 15 million gallons of water is visible from the ledge, the site is only a short drive away on the road you came in on and makes for a fascinating post-hike side trip. Beyond the overlook, the loop swings west on a ridge overlooking the mesas and canyons of the wilderness area and V Bar V heritage site  along Forest Road 618---another point of interest just a short drive away. 

The rustic Forestglen trailhead.

 Whether hiked alone or in conjunction with visits to the nearby attractions, the Wickiup Mesa Trail System is a sweet addition to the Verde Valley-area recreational menu.

Yucca dot the grasslands on the Wickiup Mesa Trail system.

LENGTH: 6.5 miles total for 7 trails. (4 miles for Sunset Loop-Well Vista circuit)

RATING: easy to moderate
ELEVATION: 3646 – 3791 feet (for the loop)

GETTING THERE:

From Interstate 17 north of Camp Verde, take the McGuireville exit 293 and veer east (right) onto Beaver Creek Road (County Road 77). Continue 1.8 miles and veer right onto Montezuma Ave. Go 1.3 miles to Cliffside Trail, turn left and follow the winding road 0.9 mile to Geronimo Road, turn right and drive 0.4 mile to Forestglen Road. Turn right and continue 0.3 mile to the trailhead at the intersection of Redrock Road. No fees or facilities.

Beaver Creek Trails Coalition

http://www.beavercreektrails.org/

V Bar V Heritage Site

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=55424

Montezuma Castle-Montezuma Well

https://www.nps.gov/moca/planyourvisit/exploring-montezuma-well.htm

Badger Brawl-Cliff-Walk-Esplanade Loop

Badger Brawl-Cliff-Walk-Esplanade Loop

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve

Mountain views on the Esplanade Trail

If the human brain has a “dangerous things archive”, an image of a roaring desert wash ought to be seared into it. 

This hike exposes the power of running water.

For Arizonans especially, the fear of running water should rank right up there with snakes and heights.  Although storm water raging through usually-dry channels solicits choirs of oohs and ahhs, the flows are definitely not something to mess with.

Creosote smells wonderful after rains.

They can go from trickle to torrent in minutes.  Driving, riding or hiking through them is extremely risky and potentially deadly. Need more evidence? Next time you’re hiking by a creek or wash, look up into the trees. Those wads of debris dangling high above mark where the water was.

Wash and creek bed crossings are key features of the hike.

That’s why it’s always smart to steer clear of trails that cross waterways until the swells subside. It only takes a day or two for the trails and crossings to dry out enough to pass through safely. Also, not using trails when they are wet and soggy helps prevent the kind of damage that ruins drainage systems, creates dangerous conditions and encourages the blazing of “work around” paths that destroy native vegetation.  

Skull Mesa framed by greenery around Apache Wash

A good place to observe the force of water in a desert landscape is in the north sector of the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve. Hedged between the Carefree Highway and Sonoran Desert Drive east of Interstate 17 in north Phoenix, the chunk of pristine desert holds many surprises.

The trails here offer a diverse menu of options including moderate ridgeline rambles, barrier-free strolls and easy explorations of the wily water alleys that permeate the area. 

A healthy saguaro on Badger Brawl Trail.

A hike on the easy-rated Badger Brawl-Cliff Walk-Esplanade loop on the preserve’s far east end is one of the best ways to explore the transformative powers of water.

Using trails when they are wet causes damage like this.

The circuit begins with a short walk on the Apache Wash Trail which traces a ragged drainage fringed with greenery.  Soon, the trail dips into the first of several wash crossings where signs warn not to attempt when water is running. 

Ironwood trees dot the desert plains.

The circuit is flat and easy.

Above the washes, sunny stretches of classic desert are dotted with saguaros, cholla and isolated patches of mesquite and Palo Verde trees that throw bits of shade on a flatland littered with basalt lava blobs and milky quartz.

Filaree or Stork's Bill grows along the trails.

Where the route wanders through open desert, mountain views--dominated by Skull Mesa and Black Mountain to the north--bolster the horizons.  

Heed this warning.

The  2.9-mile Cliff Walk Trail tethers the three legs of the loop with a traverse of the banks above the Cave Creek river channel. Scattered boulders, plant dregs and frazzled edges of the waterway document the ferocity of flash floods.

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve Trails are well-signed.

The return leg of the trip follows the level grade of the Esplanade Trail--an unfettered space of quiet beauty safe from the sporadic deluges of creeks and washes.

Black Mountain (right) seen from Apache Wash Trail.

LENGTH:  8.56 miles

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 1720 - 1910 feet

GETTING THERE:

Apache Wash Trailhead, 1600 E. Sonoran Desert Drive, Phoenix.

From Loop 101 in north Phoenix, take Cave Creek Road exit 28 and go 4.5 miles north to Sonoran Desert Drive. Turn left (west) and continue 3.5 miles to the trailhead on the right. The preserve is open daily from sunrise to sunset. There are restrooms but no water at the trailhead.

HIKE DIRECTIONS:

From the trailhead, follow Apache Wash Trail (AW) 0.5-mile to Badger Brawl Trail (BB). Continue 1.55 miles on BB to Cliff Walk (CW) and hike it 2.9 miles to where you’ll swing back on the Esplanade Trail (E).  There’s a shortcut roughly halfway up CW that cuts 2.25 miles off the big loop. Follow Esplanade 3.4 miles back to AW, veer left and hike 0.73 mile back to the trailhead.

INFO & MAPS:

https://www.phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/sonoran-preserve/trails

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Fay Canyon

Fay Canyon

An impressive rock formation at the end of Fay Canyon Trl.

Loosen the vice grip on your brain’s imagination center and the russet stone escarpments embracing Sedona’s Fay Canyon Trail transform into dragon scales, crouching gremlins and other-worldly beasts.  

Yuccas line the beginning of Fay Canyon Trail

Of course, rousing this kind of magical point-of-view needs some help. A willingness to tap into your inner child, or better yet, hiking with an actual pack of vociferous kids should do the trick.

Yuccas are plentiful in sunny spots on the trail.

Is it a steamboat or castle? Ask a kid. 

When approached without prejudice, expectation or mind-muddling electronic devises, whimsical forms hiding among the trail’s sandstone cliffs seem to pounce from their precipitous perches. 

Sandstone buttes along Fay Canyon Trail.

Letting go of what we know to be true and logical frees the mind to train a playful lens on Sedona’s Secret Canyon Wilderness Area.  

Oaks, pinion pines and junipers close in on the trail.

It’s the “wild” in wilderness areas that sets them apart from forests, parks and other public lands. The 1964 Wilderness Act set a global precedence for protecting unspoiled lands from development and destruction. Undisturbed lands benefit wildlife habitat, watersheds and offer opportunities for responsible recreational use. You can’t drive a motorized vehicle, fly a drone, build a structure or even ride a bike in these special places.  Of Arizona’s 90 protected areas, Sedona’s Red Rock Secret Canyon Wilderness is one of the most attainable and imagination-stoking destinations in the state.  It’s a satisfying trip for expert backpackers and casual day-trippers alike.  Seldom-seen sections (Bear Sign and Secret Canyon Trails) of the a 43,950-acre wilderness are reached by hiking miles into remote back country, while milder excursions are just a few steps from paved roads and plush resorts.  Whether you enter this enchanted zone through a groomed front door or a rickety back gate, you’ll soon understand how the simple act of walking a primal path is as much a privilege as it is a wonder behold.  

Russet cliffs weathered into fantastic forms.

The trail is in Red Rock Secret Canyon Wilderness.

A front-door favorite, the Fay Canyon trailhead on Boynton Pass Road is outfitted with a restroom and plenty of parking.  Just yards from a heavily-travelled byway, the effortless out-and-back trail immediately enters the wilderness, passing through sandy drainages and sunny fields dotted with yucca and twisted manzanita shrubs. As the path narrows, the animated cliffs close in revealing an outdoor art gallery of nature-sculpted shapes. Weathered pinnacles resemble golf tees, hammers, dancers and birds. If you’re hiking with or near kids (a given on this family-friendly trail), listen to some of the names they assign to the rocks. Sponge Bob, Bart Simpson, Pokemon. 

A primitive side trails leads to Fay Canyon Arch.

A half-mile in, a faint path on the right leads to an emerging natural arch. Barely visible from the trail, the true scale of the overhang isn’t apparent until you’re standing beneath it. The optional, quarter-mile diversion requires scrambling on loose rock with some minor exposure but pays off with fly-over vistas and interesting nooks to explore. 

Washes and tangled roots near the end of the trail.

Forests of oak, cypress and pinion pines thicken as the root-and-vine-tangled route dives deeper into the canyon culminating at a boulder-choked wash below a magnificent red rock formation. The sculptural piece de resistance, which stands several stories high, has no name. But its imposing presence and place in the landscape bumps creative thinking into over drive.  Is it a shark fin? An anvil? An alien landing platform? Who can say? The whole point of this excursion is to let your imagination roam wild. If you’re stuck for a name, just follow the kids.

There's easy access to Fay Canyon Trail.

What will you see in Fay Canyon's red rocks?

LENGTH: 1.2 miles one-way

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 4500- 4800 feet

GETTING THERE:

From the State Route 179/89A traffic circle in Sedona, veer left and go 3.2 miles on SR 89A to Dry Creek Road (Forest Road 152C). Turn right and continue 4.5 miles on Dry Creek Road to the Boynton Canyon Road intersection, turn left

 onto Boynton Pass Road and go 0.5-mile to the trailhead on the left. There’s a restroom at the trailhead. A Red Rock Pass is not required.

INFO:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=54974

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Copper Falls Trail

Copper Falls Trail

Copper Falls cascade over stony shelves.

Chasing winter waterfalls is sort of an unofficial rite of passage for Arizona hikers.

With a few blaring exceptions (hello, Havasupai) most of our state’s waterfalls don’t flow continually.  Experienced hikers know that dark-stained cliffs and jumbled drainages visible along trails hold the potential for spectacular waterworks following episodes of rain and snow melt. Some trekkers even adjust their agendas to sync with the rhythm of the rains.

A rustic corral on the Camp Verde Trail section of the hike.

The spur trail to the falls is a bit of a scramble.

Timing is key to catch the transient desert founts at their best. Pick a day after a storm but pay attention to weather reports and road closures as torrential downpours come with a real threat of potentially deadly flooding.

The tiered flow of Copper Falls.

The fugitive waterworks aren’t hard to find.  

Copper Falls Trail traces a ridge above an ancient lake bed. 

A few famous ones like Encinoso Falls in Sedona’s Oak Creek Canyon, Massacre Falls in the Superstition Wilderness, Grand Falls north of Flagstaff, Bridal Wreath Falls in Tucson and the miles of cascades in Barnhardt Canyon flow reliably along established trails during peak conditions. Others though, reside where you’d least expect them.

One such cascade is the crux of Copper Falls Trail No. 504.  Tucked into a pocket of colorfully-layered sediments that separate the Verde River from Interstate 17, this non-motorized route is the result of grass-roots efforts driven by the residents of nearby Camp Verde.

Following years of working together with Prescott National Forest, the Copper Canyon trailhead project came to fruition with the support of donated materials and volunteer labor.  The roomy, well-outfitted recreation hub officially opened in February 2012.

The new site anchors a popular recreation area south of State Route 260 that’s known for its ATV routes and river-access for fishing and paddling.  Trail No. 504 explores above and within a bowl-like depression of an ancient lake bed where limestone and siltstone deposits disrupted by faults and other geological events have eroded into oddly-sculpted buttes, ridges and gullies.

The trailhead & Verde Valley seen from the switchbacks.

Storm clouds obscure views of Sedona to the northwest.

The 4.1-mile, moderate loop hike begins at a gate in the northwest corner of the trailhead.  Hike a few yards then veer left at a pair of generic trail signs where the route begins a mild 300-foot climb to a crest of a ridge. This scenic segment ascends through a bone-dry landscape dominated by Crucifixion-thorn bushes and acres of cacti.

Crucifixtion-thorn shrubs are common along the trail.

Views of the gaping Verde Valley and the emerald river course backed by the hills surrounding West Clear Creek Wilderness roll out to the north and east. A mile in, the trail tops out on a grassy mesa littered with chalky white stones, a fringe of yuccas and patchy forests of junipers, scrub oaks and pinion pines. 

Water from Copper Falls trickles beside the trail.

The muffled rumble of vehicles traveling on Interstate 17 and views of Sedona’s red rocks mark the beginning of an edgy traverse of the oblong mesa above a deeply furrowed basin.  The airy walk ends with a swift descent on long switchbacks that end at a drainage area where a slim footpath heads into a secluded, stonewalled gorge that hides Copper Falls.

Arizona sycamores thrive in the runoff from Copper Falls.

The 0.2-mile one-way path follows an ephemeral creek cluttered with sycamores, willows, log jams and boulders. Some minor route-finding and scrambling are needed to work your way through to the head of the dead-end canyon where tiered cascades tumble over blocky shelves into shallow drop pools.  

A sycamore leaf floats in a drop pool near Copper Falls.

This leafy oasis stands in stark contrast to the arid high desert that surrounds it.

The return leg of the loop passes through mesquite rangeland

The trailhead officially opened in Feb. 2012.

The trail then briefly traces the fall’s trickling issue before meeting the Camp Verde Trail No. 545. 

Water at the base of Copper Falls.

At the junction that’s marked with only a “504” sign, continue straight ahead passing some old native stone foundations. Soon, the terrain transitions into mesquite-covered rangeland with a rickety corral bolstered by ashen limestone embankments.  Just beyond the corral at the 3.9-mile point, another junction marks the final decision point of the hike.

A plaque at the trailhead recognizes contributors.

Head left for a slightly longer return trip to the trailhead or veer right onto the Saloon Trail No. 9833 (not signed) for a shortcut.

MacDougal's Biscuitroot bloom near the trail.

LENGTH: 4.1-mile loop

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 3190 – 3533 feet

GETTING THERE:

From Interstate 17 in Camp Verde, take the State Route 260 exit 287. Go 1.6 miles east (toward Payson) on SR 260 to Oasis Drive, turn right (south) and continue 0.3-mile to Forest Road 136, turn right again and go 0.8-mile to the trailhead on the right. FR 136 is washboard-rough dirt but is passable by passenger vehicles.

There are picnic ramadas with grills and a restroom at the trailhead.

The trailhead is open year round from dawn to dusk for day-use only. No fees.

INFO:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/prescott/recarea/?recid=80069

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