Hankering for a hike? Prescott’s the right place, for sure. More new treks are being added to the total City of Prescott trails.
Moreover, it has been said the Prescott community has more established and developed trails — 100 plus miles — for the size of the community and population than any other community in Arizona.
City of Prescott Trails and Natural Parklands Coordinator Chris Hoskins said work currently is underway on trails in several new subdivisions and developments. Among them: Deep Well Ranch on the north edge of the city near the airport; The Dells on the eastern edge; and Walden Farms on the northeastern edge of SR 89.
The trails will be connected and will allow hikers, bikers and other nonmotorized users several alternatives, Hoskins said. Among features are these:
- Walden Farms — About 1.5 miles, the trail begins down the road east of Phippen Museum. Eventually, it will link into the AED property to be developed in The Dells. Ultimately, the hope is to connect between those and the Constellation and Peavine trails.
- Work is being completed on Saddlewood and Westwood in the Deep Well Ranch subdivision. The plan is to go under Willow Creek Road and possibly connect with Pioneer Park on the west side and Granite Dells on the east. The tentative length on those is about 15 miles.
- An extension of the Peavine Trail in The Dells near the Highway 89A bridge will tie to the Iron King Trail that leads to Prescott Valley. Mike Fann of Fann Contracting and developer of Granite Dells Estates said from the beginning his intention was to build new trails in cooperation with the city.
Community trails, said Prescott Recreation Services Director Joe Baynes, are the result of many years of proactive planning and budgeting. He views careful planning as a critical component to successful trails systems.
Named Trails Prominent in Prescott area
At this time, there are more than 31 named trails in and around the city. A popular one is Prescott Circuit Trail. The network of nonmotorized trails makes a 56-mile loop around the community. There are 15 different access trailheads for hiking and biking.
Trails within the city have been ranked in nine different categories ranging from “easy” “intermediate” to “difficult.”
The City of Prescott provides well-illustrated, detailed, color-coded trail maps. They can be accessed at www.avenzamaps.com/maps/91904/prescott-trails-and-recreation-map
