Flume Trail - Watson Lake • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Nov 10 2023
		mt98dew • Triplogs 2,387

Hiking	2.90 Miles	397 AEG

Hiking	2.90 Miles	1 Hour	2.90 mph
	397 ft AEG

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Second hike of the day. This one was unplanned and only happened because the first hike didn’t turn out as expected. I needed something close by, that was short and that I could “claim”. This turned out to be the perfect trail!!

There are very few trails that I feel NEED to be shared with others. Trails that are so unique and/or breathtaking that they epitomize the joy that hiking brings and the reason that we go out to find the next “great hike.” For me, there are two things that go into making a great hike: A trail that is engaging and interacts creatively with the landscape. And vistas, near or far, that can only be appreciated from that trail. This trail I feel is deserving of that recognition.

I got to the TH a little before 7am. The TH parking is pretty cramped; maybe enough room for 8 vehicles. Today, I had the place to myself. There is a rather confusing map at the beginning of the trail with the name “Flume trail” and “Watson Dam trail” with a bunch of white lines that seem to go everywhere. That being said the Flume trail is well signed and it begins to make sense as you hike in on the trail. Every juncture is marked and has a map. And because the trails are so “bouldery” there are white dots everywhere. The Flume trail is the outside, (eastern trail). Rock boulders and outcroppings dominate the trail and the surrounding views. Opportunities abound to scramble across the rock landscape. A younger me would have been hard pressed to stay on trail. As it was, there was enough bouldering to feel like I was doing a little climbing. As an added bonus, about .4 miles in, a stream starts to border the trail. There are a couple of bridges near the end, not so much for the water, but for the rocky terrain. They provide a decent view of the stream and the surrounding Dells. At first, you can only hear the water, but as you near the end you get better views. I always love the sound of running water. What really makes this stream special is the foliage that comes with it and the Fall colors. The Granite Dells are fantastic in their own right, but you throw in the Fall colors and it rises to a new level. Very few trails have impacted me so strongly. The one shortcoming is that the trail is over so quickly. The trail ends when it reaches the dam. Luckily, there are additional trails in the area that one can follow to continue to enjoy the Dells. The hike (one-way) was a little over .5 miles long. This was fine for me today, because I needed to be on the road by 8am. I did do a couple of side trails on the way back. (My mileage for todays hike is a little higher than it should be. I visited this area a couple months back with my wife. We explored the area a little, but not enough where I felt I could write about it. I added that mileage to todays hike. You can probably hike all the trails seen on the TH map and be around 2 miles total).

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Jul 03 2021

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Jul 03 2021
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	4.80 Miles	856 AEG

Hiking	4.80 Miles	1 Hour 30 Mns	3.20 mph
	856 ft AEG

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7 am start from Granite Dells Road trailhead. Crazy humidity had me pouring sweat the whole hike. Followed Flume Trail, which had been slightly re-routed since my last visit, bypassing a little bit of the creek section. Went to the bottom of the dam, then east on Over The Hill Trail. Continued on Lakeshore, Peavine, and Big Piney trails. Completed my loop with some additional Peavine, and then returned via Over The Hill and Flume trails. A number of folks were biking and hiking Peavine, but I only saw a few groups on the connecting trails. The Flume Trail and its network of Granite Dells trails are always enjoyable to me, and close to Prescott, too.

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"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan

Jun 25 2021

Yoder

Guides 8
Routes 70
Photos 3,208
Triplogs 273

59 male

Joined Oct 07 2017
Chandler, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Jun 25 2021
		Yoder • Triplogs 273

Hiking	6.70 Miles	1,200 AEG

Hiking	6.70 Miles	3 Hrs 13 Mns		2.36 mph
	1,200 ft AEG	23 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

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A little cool snap, and the wife said we could go hiking somewhere North this weekend. We Wanted a place that might have some birds, so we selected the Watson Lake.
We decided to start at the Flume and Watson Dam Trailhead, a no fee area and hike into the Watson Lake Loop and then hike out the Dam Trail. Glad we did, the Flume hike is probably the nicest part of the hike. It's short, but secluded, and we spotted a Porcupine near the flume.
Initially, I was planning on doing this hike in a clock-wise manner, but the trail was narrow at the flume area, and Mr. Porcupine was going clockwise, so we decided we would alter our plans. This turned out probably the better way to go anyhow.

I have mixed fillings in this hike, there is a little bit of everything, The flume hike goes over some rock formations, then along a streambed to the flume, after that its back over the rocks. Eventually you start hitting the common use areas, There are lots of spin-off loops along the main trail, and ALL trails are marked with white dots, so if you are trying to stay on the official route, good luck with that. You can tell this is a highly used area, and there are plenty of signs with maps on them, so you shouldn't get lost.
At the south end of the lake you will be going parallel to the freeway for a while on a road, not a real nice experience. Next, on the South-West side you will be on a "trail" that appears to be converted from an old train track. This is more like a dirt road, and seems to be popular for bikers.
Eventually you leave the road-trail and you are back at scrambling amongst the rocks, generally away from people.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] House Finch Porcupine Rock Wren

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J. Yoder

Apr 28 2020

JustAroundTheCorne

Triplogs 2

49 male

Joined Oct 06 2015
Prescott, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Apr 28 2020
		JustAroundTheCorne • Triplogs 2

Hiking	6.60 Miles

Hiking	6.60 Miles
		2 Hrs 49 Mns Break	12 LBS Pack

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Sep 22 2019

adenium

Guides 4
Routes 93
Photos 302
Triplogs 697

51 male

Joined Jul 05 2008
Gilbert, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Sep 22 2019
		adenium • Triplogs 697

Hiking	1.56 Miles	120 AEG

Hiking	1.56 Miles	51 Mns	1.84 mph
	120 ft AEG

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Feb 21 2018

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Feb 21 2018
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	3.00 Miles	800 AEG

Hiking	3.00 Miles
	800 ft AEG

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I took it upon myself to organize my company’s Prescott retreat hike, and Flume Trail sounded like a winner to all involved. Our group of five hiked from Granite Dells Road to the base of Watson Dam, where we climbed up to the top on a fun little boulder scramble route. Came back down and then continued on to Watson Lake. With a group photo taken, we made the short hike back to the work truck and back to Camp Pinerock.

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"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan

Dec 28 2017

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Dec 28 2017
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	4.00 Miles	366 AEG

Hiking	4.00 Miles
	366 ft AEG

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Did Flume Trail on an unseasonably warm afternoon from Granite Dells Road to the base of Watson Dam, and then back out to Watson Lake’s west shore to enjoy the view. Some little girl was captivating her parents by throwing a tantrum and whining on the trail, so I booked it out of there and took a few new side loops back. Always a great hike among the Dells, and heartened back to my Prescott days.

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"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan

Nov 25 2017

DbleDutch

Photos 250
Triplogs 74

male

Joined Dec 10 2009
Tempe, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Nov 25 2017
		DbleDutch • Triplogs 74

Hiking	3.00 Miles

Hiking	3.00 Miles	3 Hrs 20 Mns		1.29 mph
		1 Hour Break	15 LBS Pack

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Wondered the white spot trails north of Watson Lake from the Granite Dells TH. So many trails and could not name them all. Enjoyed the base of the dam and the cooling mist from the discharge. Too warm for the elevation and this late in Nov. Oh well helped burn some Tday calories.

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate

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Apr 16 2016

rayhuston

Guides 1
Routes 447
Photos 4,407
Triplogs 938

68 male

Joined Mar 09 2012
Gilbert, AZ

Constellation Willow Watson Lake Loop, AZ

Hiking		Apr 16 2016
		rayhuston • Triplogs 938

Hiking	16.05 Miles	1,747 AEG

Hiking	16.05 Miles	7 Hrs 40 Mns	2.60 mph
	1,747 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break

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Prescott Constellation Trails

Willow Lake Loop Trail

Cottonwood Spur - Willow Lake

Prescott Constellation Trails

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partners

joebartels

The_Eagle

The more I hike around Prescott, the more I like it. Joe tossed out a starting point (the Constellation trails) for this hike and Bruce filled out the rest. The result is a gem. A beautiful granite landscape dominates a big chunk of the hike while giant cottonwoods add variety and splendor along the way. The weather, while a bit windy at times, was perfect otherwise. We did have to improvise to connect the dots, but it worked out well. Lots of large swarming gnats chased us around the east side of Willow Lake on the return, but that was a minor inconvenience for a few minutes on an otherwise great hike.

Bruce and Joe, thanks for inviting me along. As always, I had a tremendous time!

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Granite Creek Granite Dells

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1 archive

Apr 16 2016

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,760

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Constellation Willow-Watson Loop, AZ

Hiking		Apr 16 2016
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	16.19 Miles	1,756 AEG

Hiking	16.19 Miles	7 Hrs 38 Mns		2.54 mph
	1,756 ft AEG	1 Hour 15 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

Linked

17 linked trail guides

Phippen Recon - Constellation

North 40 - Constellation

Lost Wall - Constellation

Ron James Approach - Prescott

Willow Dells Loop

Willow Lake Loop Trail

Willow Creek Reservoir

Rock Wall - Constellation

Cottonwood Spur - Willow Lake

Partners

partners

joebartels

rayhuston

Joe through a dart at the Constellation Trail system and said, come up with something. I didn't know anything about this "Little Gem" so I started downloading stuff. There are 11 trails in the Constellation Trail system, totaling less than 5 miles. So that wasn't going to make the drive to Prescott worth it. I'd looped Watson lake before and enjoyed the heck out of it. I'd always wanted to loop Willow Lake also, so it was on.

The Constellation Trail System is a wonderful group of of short trails through a boulder wonderland. Officially it's a self-enclosed system. But as we found on the way back, there is a trail that connects this with the Willow Dells system and Willow Lake. The Ron James Approach Trail does not show to connect on the maps, but it does. There is no signage and it's not obvious though.

All but the east side of Willow Lake looked like just a means to connect the loop, but then we stumbled on the Cottonwood Spur. Some of the biggest Cottonwood stands I've seen. `

Willow Lake Video https://youtube.com ... YbKg
Back on the Jan Alfano Trail and then we jumped over to Watson Lake, to do the loop there.

Watson Lake Video https://youtube.com ... CTBU

The highlight on this loop is the Lakeshore Trail and the Over The Hill Trail, taking you to the Granite Creek Dam.

Granite Creek Dam, Watson Lake Video https://youtube.com ... nVp0
A little road walk got us back over to the Willow Dells Trails.

Once again the hiking was great, except for 1/2 hour bug storm we ran through.

I really enjoyed looping these two Granite infested lakes, and the weather was perfect!

A great time out with the Squad.

On the day....A Gopher snake, Squirrels, Cottontail rabbits, Cormorants, all sorts of Ducks, Bluejays, Blue Herons, A hawk diving out of the sky right in front of us snagging a bird.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Granite Creek Dam Granite Dells Granite Mountain Watson Lake Willow Creek Reservoir Willow Lake Park

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

Watson Lake

51-75% full

Willow Creek

Pools to trickle

Willow Creek Reservoir

51-75% full

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

1 archive

Oct 07 2015

mazatzal

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Watson & Willow, AZ

Hiking		Oct 07 2015
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	12.00 Miles	1,100 AEG

Hiking	12.00 Miles	5 Hrs 5 Mns	2.53 mph
	1,100 ft AEG	20 Mns Break

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14 linked trail guides

Discovery Trail - Watson Lake

Embry-Riddle & Jan Alfano Trails - PCT

Willow Lake Loop Trail

Willow Dells Loop

Willow Creek Reservoir

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Watson Lake Circle Trail should be renamed “Links (not Lynx) Lake Circle Trail” :lol:

I did Watson clockwise and Willow counterclockwise. These loops are okay but in both cases the part in the Granite Dells is very cool while the rest is a bit monotonous. I saw very few people on either loop. Weather was great, a bit cool at the beginning but very pleasant later.

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated

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3 archives

Aug 01 2015

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 840
Photos 22,055
Triplogs 1,993

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Aug 01 2015
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	5.66 Miles	681 AEG

Hiking	5.66 Miles	2 Hrs 33 Mns	2.46 mph
	681 ft AEG	15 Mns Break

Linked

[ checklist ] Dam - Rock Trail Signs and Markings Wooden Dwelling

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clairebear

John9L

Culture can only be bookended with adventure, and Watson Lake fit the bill.

9L wanted to get as many links in the shortest hike possible, so he went to HAZmasterB for research -- and Bruce's hiking history directed us to this gem of link heaven :y:

(Richard, I expect to see you up here in the next two weeks

)

There was some kind of car show in the Watson Lake Park, so we had to fight traffic to get in, but once there it was quite a peaceful hike. Only saw a couple of people on the circumference until the Peavine Trail. Below the dam is the most "strenuous" part of the hike and nobody goes there. It was stupid humid out and we were all soaked and ready for a swim. Too bad I wouldn't touch this water in a HAZmat suit!

Clouds made for some nice lighting though. South end of the lake is rather boring, Claire got to ogle some firefighters in action so that was good I guess. :roll:

We had a quick snack before continuing our adventure trifecta.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Black-necked Garter Snake

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Granite Creek Granite Creek Dam Watson Lake

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I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

Aug 01 2015

clairebear

Photos 188
Triplogs 163

43 female

Joined Oct 26 2011
Tempe, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Aug 01 2015
		clairebear • Triplogs 163

Hiking	5.66 Miles	681 AEG

Hiking	5.66 Miles	2 Hrs 33 Mns	2.46 mph
	681 ft AEG	15 Mns Break

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chumley

John9L

I know two guys who were a bit tired after a weekend of more miles than normal so it was a nice occasion to get in a chill day on the water. Before we enjoyed a relaxing lake paddle, we opted to hike the circumference trail.

Weird day, since none of us expected to have to fight our way through a car show in order to get to lake parking. After that we hit the trails which were pretty quiet for an urban hike. The first couple of miles were through the Dells and very rocky and followed some stupid white dots every couple of feet to stay on trail. Eventually the trail goes beyond where the lake is dammed and it becomes very lush and green. We walked over to as close to the dam as we could get to check it out. The water from the dam pools into quiet little ponds that are home to some very large frogs. Afterwards we checked out some coves where Chumley found a bum house and also a tree house. Eventually we picked up the Peavine trail and were able to walk very quickly back to the car. The Peavine trail
has nice views of the lake on one side, and eventually takes an interesting turn on the opposite side.
Interesting views- a police training facility and a firefighter
training facility where we watched the fire men in action. Neat.

So, basically our quiet lake hike turned into, avoiding a car show, chumley almost walking into a bums house, exploring a questionable tree house and then watching some firefighters put out a mock fire.

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Aug 01 2015

John9L

Guides 6
Routes 183
Photos 5,612
Triplogs 1,647

male

Joined Mar 12 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Aug 01 2015
		John9L • Triplogs 1,647

Hiking	5.66 Miles	681 AEG

Hiking	5.66 Miles	2 Hrs 33 Mns	2.46 mph
	681 ft AEG	15 Mns Break

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chumley

clairebear

This was a nice and easy loop before our planned kayaking trip. We made a clockwise loop around the lake. The hiking is okay but the views are nice. Some sections are a little rugged but easy overall. The dam was really cool and that area is very lush.

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Dec 29 2014

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Dec 29 2014
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	3.00 Miles	700 AEG

Hiking	3.00 Miles
	700 ft AEG

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Granite Dells Road to Watson Lake and back to watch the sunset. Cold and beautiful!

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"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan

Sep 24 2013

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Sep 24 2013
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	1.50 Miles	280 AEG

Hiking	1.50 Miles
	280 ft AEG

no routes

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"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan

Sep 04 2013

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Sep 04 2013
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	1.50 Miles	280 AEG

Hiking	1.50 Miles
	280 ft AEG

no routes

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_____________________

"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan

Jul 04 2013

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Jul 04 2013
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	3.30 Miles	860 AEG

Hiking	3.30 Miles
	860 ft AEG

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Hiked from Granite Dells Road to Watson Lake boat ramp and back, with a side trip to the dam. Climbed up the side of the dam through the rocks, finishing with a short chimney move, and surprising a duck slumber party on the way. Sat on top of the dam in the shade for a bit, cooling off in the breeze, and watching kayakers. Fun afternoon shorty hike.

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"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan

May 28 2013

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		May 28 2013
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	1.50 Miles	280 AEG

Hiking	1.50 Miles
	280 ft AEG

no routes

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After work hike. New trail construction is afoot...

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"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan

Apr 12 2013

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ