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| Hiking | 10.99 Miles |
1,279 AEG |
| | Hiking | 10.99 Miles | 4 Hrs 3 Mns | | 2.71 mph |
| 1,279 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | On Monday, the Coconino National Forest and Kaibab Forest closed due to extreme wildfire threat. I was planning on hiking around Knoll Lake, on the Mogollon Rim, which is on the border of the Coconino National Forest and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. I began looking for something else to do.
On Tuesday, the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest closed. On Wednesday, the Tonto National Forest closed. I checked the Prescott National Forest site, and they were still open. So, I looked over there. On Thursday, the Prescott National Forest closed. (As well as all BLM and Arizona State Trust land.) The Coronado National Forest, if it is still open, is 4+ hours away. Basically, there’s nowhere to hike in Arizona this summer that is under 100℉, unless it is a city park in Flagstaff or Prescott.
I had planned on hiking the Sundog Trail and Badger Mountain Trail portions of the Prescott Circle Trail (PCT) a month ago. I double-checked the route, and it is all outside Prescott National Forest land. I messaged my hiking buddy Paul (aka @prescottstyle ), and it was on.
We started hiking from the Pow Wow Trailhead at 8:30 a.m. It was immediately obvious that Watson Lake was very low. So low, I seriously think I could have walked across it.
After a mile, Sundog Trail crosses a pedestrian bridge over Granite Creek. Just past the bridge, turn right before you get on the Peavine Trail. At 1½ miles, Sundog Trail passes under Prescott Lakes Pkwy. At two miles, make a quick left-right to get on the old rail bed. Cross Sundog Ranch Rd. a few hundred yards later, to get on proper single track trail.
The Prescott Circle Trail is optimized for mountain bikes, so there are plenty of switchbacks as Sundog Trail makes three 200 ft. climbs in the next four grassy miles, winding past the old city dump, the juvenile jail, Prescott Lakes Pkwy., and an odd checkerboard area near the Lowe’s Home Improvement, to AZ-69. 
Thankfully, clouds had rolled in, as it was toasty and the only real shade on Sundog Trail was the tunnel under AZ-69.
Badger Mountain Trail starts on the south side of the AZ-69 tunnel. It immediately climbs 100 ft. before levelling out for a ½ mile. That is followed by a steady, and of course switchbacked, 400 ft. climb over the next two miles. Like Sundog Trail, it’s still a great trail surface, but the ground cover has changed from grass to shrubbery, like scrub oak, manzanita and the occasional juniper.
Due to the increased elevation, and lack of overhead cover, Badger Mountain Trail has some of the best views in Prescott. At its high point there is a rest bench. Just past the bench, there is a MTB rollover gate that marks no government boundary I can determine. Certainly not closed Prescott National Forest land. 
From the gate, the route is all downhill to Turley Trailhead. In 150 yds., Badger Mountain Trail crosses the summit access road. (It is a ½ mile and 300 AEG to the top.) Two thirds of a mile past that, split right onto the Turley / Badger Connector. (Left stays on Badger Mountain Trail.) Turley Trail is in another ⅓ of a mile: Turn right towards Turley Trailhead — which actually has better views of the white stone “P” than back up on Badger Mountain Trail.
After we finished, Paul and I repaired to La Casa Prescottstyle for rehydration. 
Hike Video: https://vimeo.com/568182065 |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
The majority of the flowers on this segment of the Prescott Circle Trail were on Sundog Trail, and most of those between Watson Lake and the old city dump, where I saw beautiful deeply purple thistle. The most common flowers were field bindweed, followed by buffalo gourd, sacred datura, and southwestern prickly poppy. |
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