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| Hiking | 4.88 Miles |
523 AEG |
| | Hiking | 4.88 Miles | 2 Hrs 12 Mns | | 2.22 mph |
| 523 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Belated post. Last day in Camp Verde and looking for something close to home that wouldn’t take too long. Years ago I hiked in this area with Velva’s father Cliff. This was long before Copper Canyon became a legitimate trailhead. I hadn’t been back since so I was kind of curious to see what the “new digs” looked like. Pretty nice surprise, though maybe not as clear and obvious as I would hope. The trailhead is huge with a bathroom, a somewhat bullet ridden trail map and three gates for what I assumed were for three trails. The most obvious was the northeastern trail gate for the Camp Verde Trail #545. The trail map and carsonite markers lined up nicely. This is an OHV trail (for off road vehicles, as well as hikers, bikers and horses) so it is very wide and easy to follow. The next trail gate was also on the north and just to the west of #545. This was numbered #504 at the trail gate though I couldn’t see a corresponding number on the trail map (probably because of bullet holes). That being said, it did seem to line up with a trail called Copper Falls. The third trail gate was on the south west sign. There were no trail markers at the gate and to be honest the trail map was indeterminate. Based on HAZ trail maps, I’m guessing this would lead to the General Cook Trail. Since this was all new to me, I settled on the middle trail, #504. It looked to be the most concise and shortest of trails.
Got started around 7am. It was pretty chilly out, but the rising sun warmed things right up. I took the middle trail, #504 for about .15 miles where it seemed to split into three different trails. (Side note: after the hike I looked at the map again and I’m fairly certain that 504 and Copper Falls (CF) are the same thing). Oddly, only 1 of the three splits were named. That was the most eastern one, which was a #545 connector. I followed it just to make sure and within .4 miles it connected to the Camp Verde Trail. The connector was wide enough for OHV, but overgrown with catclaw. Returning to the split, I proceeded up the middle trail. This turned out to be a fantastic trail. It had several gradual switchbacks as it made its way to the top of the hill. At the top of the hill you got a nice look at the valley below, a rather sharp shelf which was just below the hill and rimmed the valley and then off to the north you got a glimpse of the I-17 coming down into Camp Verde. The trail dropped down on the north side of hill and then went along the edge of the shelf. Eventually, the trail began to work its way down the slope of the shelf. As the trail reached the bottom it crossed a nicely flowing stream which was an unexpected surprise and a nice bonus. I’m guessing this is a seasonal stream, but it would be nice if it was year round. There is no signage, but I think crossing the stream puts you in the General Cook Trail. The trail is going east-west at this point. I followed the trail east, back towards the TH. Initially, the trail seemed to be a single track, but as I progressed it became more of a road. Somewhat confusing, as the trail changed from a single track to a road I saw another marker with the #504. With the marker being at that spot it makes me wonder whether Copper Falls ends at the stream crossing or at this transition. Little confusing. It would seem simpler to keep the track going up the canyon one trail. The General Cook Trail. As I neared the TH, there were a few splits in the trail, most not named. Little more exploring next time might clear things up a bit.
Real awesome trail. It was short, easy to get to, offered some nice views, had a water feature and played nicely with the landscape. Prescott NF and Camp Verde did a real nice job when designing this trail. No wildlife, (except cows) and didn’t encounter anyone on the trail, though I saw quite a few people in the distance. A neat little accessible gem! |
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