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| Santa Fe #709 from Iron Springs TH, AZ | |
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| | Santa Fe #709 from Iron Springs TH, AZ | | | |
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Santa Fe #709 from Iron Springs TH, AZ
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| Hiking | 10.04 Miles |
834 AEG |
| | Hiking | 10.04 Miles | 3 Hrs 34 Mns | | 2.81 mph |
| 834 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | | The Santa Fe Trail #709 provides the furthest vistas of any of the trails accessible from the Iron Springs Trailhead west of Prescott, AZ. This hike doesn't include the western end of Santa Fe Trail to keep the entire hike at about 10 miles and because the scenery doesn't change much as you head further west and gradually descend. Except for the eastern-most mile, the Santa Fe Trail follows the Iron Springs railroad right-of-way that slopes down east-to-west, roughly parallel to and separated from Iron Springs Road by a ridge. If you prefer that kind of hiking and want to hike uphill on the return trip, you can start where Santa Fe Trail crosses Skyline Road. Along this stretch are views of juniper-covered, gently eroded West Spruce Mountain, and Sugarloaf Mountain with more distant peaks beyond (see photo). The eastern-most mile of the Santa Fe Trail, east of Skyline Road slopes down west-to-east and has views of Granite Mountain, Thumb Butte and Chino Valley with the San Francisco Peaks in the distance (see photos). By starting at the Iron Springs Trailhead, the first and last mile and a half are through the Ponderosa pine forest of Spence Springs basin on West Side Story Trail #725 and (briefly) Skyline Trail #712. |
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