Well Overlook 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 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 Well Overlook 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 0.68 miles to reach the north end of the Sunset Loop Trail. Then hike an additional 0.8 miles along what is confusingly labeled as the “Sunset Loop North” on trail maps and as “Well Vista” on trail signs. At about 1.5 miles you will reach the juncture with the Well Overlook Trail.The Well Overlook is a short single-track trail that takes you to a minor precipice overlooking the Beaver Creek riparian valley as well as Montezuma’s Well. The trail starts off by passing through a gate, before beginning a short, twisty descent (about 90 feet) down a pinion peppered slope. The trail is well defined and easy to follow but is one of the rockier trails in the system. Still not bad since most of the other trails are silky smooth. The trail starts out heading north but will veer slightly to the east as it progresses. At around 0.35 miles you start to see a drop off to the east and then shortly after that you’ll get that same feeling to the west, giving you the impression that you are walking onto a peninsula. At 0.46 miles the trail ends when it reaches a rocky mesa looking down upon a tree enshrouded river that flows at the bottom of the valley. Just to the north of the green-lined valley, you’ll see a crater-like depression that is Montezuma’s Well. You are still at least .5 miles away from the Well so the views are not great (you can actually visit the Well and for a small fee walk the park. The America the Beautiful card would work at this location). This does however, offer an interesting perspective of the Well. There is also a bench and a dog watering dish (water not included) for you and your companion. This is a dead-end trail, so returning to the Sunset Loop is your only option. But upon returning to the Sunset Loop you can either return the way you came for a 4-mile hike or continue around the loop for a 4.5-mile hike.

Synopsis
The Well Overlook Trail is one of the more isolated trails in the system but is still very easy to access. It offers a unique perspective of Montezuma’s Well, but falls short in making it a compelling draw. If you are hiking the system, this trail might be worth 30 minutes of your time.

2024-06-17 mt98dew