Prescott LIVING Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Prescott LIVING Magazine - Click for Current Issue
  • Inside
    • Voices
    • Special Sections
      • 40 Under 40
      • Annual Photo Contest
        • People’s Choice Photo Winners
      • Best of Greater Prescott
      • Everyone Can Be a Hero
      • Holiday
      • Leadership
      • Medical, Health & Wellness
      • Men of Vision
      • Relocation
      • Wealth Management
      • Weddings & Events
      • Women in Business
    • Up Front
      • City Speak
    • BIZ
    • YOU
      • Out & About
      • Beauty & Style
      • Health, Happiness & Education
      • Education
      • Pets
      • Home
        • Home & Garden
    • FUN
      • Arts & Culture
      • Outdoor Adventure
      • Restaurants
        • Pizza
      • Travel & Tourism
    • The ROX Interview
    • Prescott Pioneer Local News
    • Q & A
  • Current Issue
  • Community Calendar
  • Past Issues
  • Subscribe
  • Inside
    • Voices
    • Special Sections
      • 40 Under 40
      • Annual Photo Contest
        • People’s Choice Photo Winners
      • Best of Greater Prescott
      • Everyone Can Be a Hero
      • Holiday
      • Leadership
      • Medical, Health & Wellness
      • Men of Vision
      • Relocation
      • Wealth Management
      • Weddings & Events
      • Women in Business
    • Up Front
      • City Speak
    • BIZ
    • YOU
      • Out & About
      • Beauty & Style
      • Health, Happiness & Education
      • Education
      • Pets
      • Home
        • Home & Garden
    • FUN
      • Arts & Culture
      • Outdoor Adventure
      • Restaurants
        • Pizza
      • Travel & Tourism
    • The ROX Interview
    • Prescott Pioneer Local News
    • Q & A
  • Current Issue
  • Community Calendar
  • Past Issues
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Prescott LIVING Magazine
Prescott LIVING Magazine - Click for Current Issue
Home Special Sections Outdoor Adventure

Greater Prescott is Greatest for Fall Hikes

October 12, 2020
0
325
SHARES
2.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Fall in Prescott was created for hikers. 
That’s probably not entirely true, but look around — the Bradshaw Mountains and the Sierra Prieta, the Granite Dells, Thumb Butte, Granite Mountain, Glassford Hill and Mingus Mountain beckon as they always do, and the temperatures are perfect for a good workout that won’t overwork your body. 
There are trails to be explored everywhere here, in the forests, the grasslands, and of course, in the Granite Dells where the two collide in spectacular fashion.  
Hiking is for all ages and can be done year-round. Devotees can be found trekking through the wilderness and urban landscape throughout the winter, though trudging through ice and snow should be left up to the experts. 
Autumn is ideal for brisk romps and witnessing the changes of the season up close. Every area unfolds a little bit differently, but here are some of the most reliable locations for seeing great fall color.  
Granite Basin Lake Trails — Found west of Prescott off Iron Springs Road, this lake in Prescott National Forest is teeming with high-color producers including fetid goosefoot and Virginia creepers (a tree-climbing vine that turns into a vibrant red). 
There are 33 miles of trails along and around the lake, a web of easy to moderate paths that gives users plenty of opportunities to observe and take photos of the brilliant hues all around them. The Mint Wash and Granite Basin Lake Loop form a 3-mile circuit through dense vegetation, though only a small portion runs along the lake itself. 
Many of autumn’s best and brightest are found throughout the national forest, which has plenty of evergreens but is dotted by pockets of ash, maple, oaks, cottonwoods, aspen, poplars and sycamore. Wolf Creek Loop, Goldwater and Lynx lakes and Copper Basin are some of the other excellent choices for colorful hiking. 
Greenways Trail System — Old-growth cottonwoods line much of this 2.5-mile line of paths along Granite and Miller creeks on the west edge of downtown from Mile High Middle School on the south to Granite Creek Park and over to the Rodeo Grounds in the north. Crowns of red and gold from people’s back yards contribute to the palette you’ll be treated to. 
These easy-rated paths are perfect for day-trippers who want to see the historic downtown and experience the crispness of fall. Nearby Courthouse Plaza is also a prime destination for leaf- and people-watching.  
Constellation Trails — A cluster of paths fanning out over boulders on the eastern edge of the Granite Dells, the trailhead sits just across Highway 89 from the Phippen Museum. 
This spot on the northern edge of the Dells, across Route 89 from the Phippen Museum, has something for every level of hiker, with more level ground than some of the nearby trails but plenty of rough patches to provide a challenge. The scrub oak trees around the trailhead do provide some fall color, and the relative lack of shade through the rest of the course isn’t the issue it can be during the summer. 
These trails incorporate packed dirt paths and slippery rock surfaces as they thread through the boulders for a combined 3.53 miles. The elevation ranges from 5,024 feet to 5,236 feet, with more noticeable inclines and declines on the south end.  
The outer loop of the trails, 2.7 miles, can be completed in about 1.5 hours. You can extend or shorten your stay by cutting across or doubling back on the loops, with names like Ham and Cheese, Hully Gully, North 40, Lost Wall and Hole in the Wall. 
Watson Lake Loop — Comprised of several trails of varying difficulty, this nearly 5-mile loop is a testament both to the extensive network of multiuse recreational trails here and the untamable shore of the lake itself. 
The Peavine and Lakeshore trails bracket the southern shores of the lake with readily accessible, comparatively easy paths, while the Northshore and Over the Hill trails can challenge even experienced hikers with slick granite surfaces, shoe’s-width path in spots and the overwhelming beauty of the place, with sky-high cottonwoods and aspens providing a colorful canopy in many spots. 
No matter where hikers are on the loop, they are rewarded with spectacular views of the lake and the Dells that surround it. Vistas also reveal views of the city and the autumnal hues slowly taking over. 
Photo of Granite Basin Lake by Blushing Cactus Photography

Previous Post

Changing Face of Recreation; Adapting to Pandemic Demands

Next Post

Day Trips from Prescott

Next Post

Day Trips from Prescott

Join our Newsletter

Prescott LIVING eNewsletter Subscription

No Result
View All Result
Cover for Prescott Living Magazine
11,438
Prescott Living Magazine

Prescott Living Magazine

Come & enjoy the local scene in Prescott Arizona!

Prescott Living Magazine

1 day ago

Prescott Living Magazine
LIVE — 2022 Prescott Frontier Days Parade ... See MoreSee Less

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Prescott Living Magazine

3 days ago

Prescott Living Magazine
This spectacular shot by Blushing Cactus Photography was taken during last night's rodeo performance. Wow! Look for their rodeo photo on the cover of the Summer 2022 issue of Prescott LIVING Magazine. Free copies are available at Safeway, Fry's, and Sprouts stores and many other locations throughout the Greater Prescott area.What are the odds?! The lightning, the perfect sunset, the horse, the cowboys. This is proof that sometimes we only see what’s right in front of us. Such a crazy surprise to discover we had captured the storm in the background, creating a once in a lifetime moment in our photos from last night’s Prescott Frontier Days, Inc. - World's Oldest Rodeo! (This image is copyright protected, please DM for prints)😮 #rightplacerighttime#nofilter #wor135 #prescottaz #rodeophotography #notphotoshopped ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

It’s About LOCAL – ADVERTISE WITH US

© 2022 ROX Media •  Privacy Policy
info@roxco.com • 130 N. Granite St. • Prescott, AZ 86301 • 928.350.8006
CORPORATE OFFICE: 1919 N. Trekell Rd.,  Suite C •  Casa Grande, AZ 85122 • 520.426.2074 • 844.729.9769

No Result
View All Result
  • Inside
    • Voices
    • Special Sections
      • 40 Under 40
      • Annual Photo Contest
      • Best of Greater Prescott
      • Everyone Can Be a Hero
      • Holiday
      • Leadership
      • Medical, Health & Wellness
      • Men of Vision
      • Relocation
      • Wealth Management
      • Weddings & Events
      • Women in Business
    • Up Front
      • City Speak
    • BIZ
    • YOU
      • Out & About
      • Beauty & Style
      • Health, Happiness & Education
      • Education
      • Pets
      • Home
    • FUN
      • Arts & Culture
      • Outdoor Adventure
      • Restaurants
      • Travel & Tourism
    • The ROX Interview
    • Prescott Pioneer Local News
    • Q & A
  • Current Issue
  • Community Calendar
  • Past Issues
  • Subscribe

© 2022 ROX Media Group.