Mallard 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. Two trailheads and two access points allow entry to the trail system. The main TH, at the end of Forestglen Rd., 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.


The Mallard Trail is one of the access points to this system and has parking for about 2 vehicles on the shoulder of Forestglen Rd. Though parking is available at this entry point, this trail is primarily used by residents who want to enjoy the other trails. Most non-residential hikers will access Mallard from the Cedar Knoll TH. However, this description will be written as if the Mallard Trail was your intended starting point.Hike
The Mallard Trail is more of an access trail for the community, but limited parking is available. There will be a trail sign, as well as a map of the trail system at the start of the trail. The trail will pass through an open gate and curve gently to the east. The trail is a solid single track and will have a few intersecting use trails. Though these use trails are unsigned the Mallard Trail always maintains an eastward direction and its route should be self-evident. The flat sections of the trail are smooth, but there is a brief descent that will have embedded rocks. A nice series of stepping stones for hikers, but maybe a little problematic for your less experienced bikers.

At 0.15 the trail will reach a mesa-like edge. The views are about as good as they are going to get for this trail. There are homes behind you (to the west), but in front of you can see the beginning of the Golden Gulch ravine and beyond, the inundating hills of the Wickiup grassland. To the northeast, you can just catch a glimpse of the Sedona red rocks. From the mesa, the trail will switchback down losing about 20 feet among a series of embedded rocks. The trail then proceeds for about 0.08 miles ending at the Golden Gulch juncture. That’s it! You’ve completed the Mallard Trail.

The trail ends at 0.31 miles. Most hikers will use this trail as a starting point and enjoy one of several trails that are readily accessible from this junction. There are maps at every juncture showing the trails and their mileage, so a loop or an in-and-out can be easily created.

Synopsis
The trail is a nice entry point for nearby homeowners and it does provide access to most of the other trails. However, this TH is not designed for parking and the Cedar Knoll Trail (which can easily accommodate more parking) is not that much longer. The trail is so short you don’t get a chance to get a feel for it in its brevity. If you are looking for a short trail or quick access this trail might be worth your time.

2024-06-26 mt98dew