Sunset Loop Trail - Wickiup Mesa, AZ

Overview
The Wickiup Mesa Trail System is a group of trails located on the southeast edge of the community of Rimrock. Its creation was through the efforts of the Beaver Creek Trail Coalition, the Forest Service, and Yavapai County. The trail system covers 700 acres and ties into the Wet Beaver Creek Wilderness. It currently only has 6.5 miles of trails composed of 7 different routes. There are two trailheads and two access points that allow entry to the trail system. The main TH, at the end of Glenforest Dr., is an oddly shaped oval with room for about 10 cars. This is also an entry point for vehicles that want to use the forest service roads, so keep that in mind when parking. There are no bathrooms or water at the TH so come prepared. The TH does have a nice info board with a brief history of the area, wildlife, and foliage. All trails are well-signed and all junctures have trail maps that allow you to see how the trails interact.


Hike
The Sunset Loop is one of seven trails that make up the Wickiup Mesa Trail System. It is an interior trail so some additional hiking is required. The best way to access the trail is from the Cedar Knoll TH. Hike in along the Cedar Knoll Trail for 0.66 miles to reach the south end of the Sunset Loop Trail, (you’ll need to hike in about 0.68 miles to reach the beginning of the north end).The Sunset Loop is an odd trail for a couple of reasons. One, it is not a complete loop. As indicated above, about 100yds of its western border is part of the Cedar Knoll Trail. The other oddity is that the trail maps break this loop into 3 sections - south, east, and north, but the trail sign for the north leg that is posted directly above the map has a different name than what the map says for this section. Otherwise, the Sunset Loop trail is a solid single track that is easy to follow. It is composed primarily of compact dirt with at times a powdery top layer. There is one small stretch on the northern section, just past the hill, that is somewhat rocky, but it is noteworthy only because the rest of the trail is so smooth. Vegetation is typical for your high desert. Ranging from stunted juniper and pinions to ankle-high grass with prickly pear, Mormon tea, catclaw, and Christmas cholla thrown into the mix.

This write-up describes hiking Sunset Loop in a counterclockwise manner, though either direction works, and the enjoyment and difficulty would be about the same. There are a couple of trails that take off from this juncture, one of them being Sunset Loop “south”. The trail starts off heading east towards an unimpressive hill in the near distance. The trail holds a fairly straight course with only a few mild sweeping curves. As the trail reaches the hill it plays with the slope only minimally, gaining only a few feet in elevation. The feeling is a little more intimate than the initial stretch as the hill rises up on the north side. At .8 miles the trail connects to the Elmore Wash Trail. There is also a decent-sized juniper with a plaqued bench thanking the forest service and Rimrock volunteers for the trail system. This is also where the “east” section of the loop begins. The trail turns to the north and the slopes buffering the trail become much more prevalent. However, the trail itself holds its elevation nicely during this stretch so there is very little elevation change for the hiker. This offers some nice, more distant views to the east and also provides your first glimpse of I-17 as you come around the hill.

The other noteworthy feature about this stretch is the amount of vegetation. This area has thicker and healthier growth being dominated by juniper and pinion with a couple of legit pine trees as well. At about 1.2 miles the trail junctures with Well Vista Trail, a trail that provides an overlook to Montezuma’s Well. This is also where the “north” section of the loop begins. Unlike the other two segments, the trail swings well away from the hill that it hugs on the other two sides. There is still a slope from the hill but it becomes less noticeable as does the vegetation as you travel west. There is an impressive pocket (of what I believe are) Mormon Tea shrubs. Good size! There are several signs along the trail reminding people to stay on trail... that reforestation is in progress. This seems to be working where the signs are posted, but I noted 4 user trails elsewhere in the loop. The Sunset Loop ends at 2 miles when it junctures with the Cedar Knoll/Golden Gulch Trails. A few yards to the southwest one can see signage for the Sunset Loop “south”, where the loop originated.

Synopsis
The Wickiup Mesa Trail System is a rather remote system of trails that has little drawing power compared to the picturesque trails of Sedona just down the road. Its 6.5 miles of trails can easily be done in a day and through the Elmore Wash Trail provides access to the Wet Beaver Creek Wilderness. The Sunset Loop Trail is one of the longer trails in the system and provides a nice mesa experience and some good views of the surrounding area. This loop also provides immediate access to all the other trails in the system, so expanding your hike is an easy option.

2024-03-26 mt98dew