Hike of the Week 2023Hike of the Week: Cabin Loop
Mare CzinarAugust 23, 2023
One of the best long-distance hikes on the Mogollon Rim is the Cabin Loop System.
More a stroll than a hike, the trail that circles amenity-rich Woods Canyon Lake hugs the water’s edge passing through deep woods, swampy finger coves and rocky dells.
Hike of the Week 2023Hike of the Week: Escudilla National Recreation Trail near Springerville
Mare CzinarAugust 8, 2023
Topping out at just under 10,900-feet of elevation, Escudilla Mountain Trail is Arizona’s third highest path.
Raised as an active Midwestern farm boy, Jim Jensen didn’t let the challenges of a demanding job and a health scare derail his love of the outdoors. “I accepted a job promotion with my company and moved to Arizona in 2006,” says the co-founder of the San Tan Shredders mountain bike club. “As a ‘traveling salesman,’ my job created a perfect storm of bad eating habits, and almost no opportunity to exercise. It took a...
Hike of the Week 2023Hike of the Week: Panorama Trail near Pinetop-Lakeside
Mare CzinarJuly 27, 2023
At every bend in its undulating course, the Panorama Trail lives up to its name with see-forever vistas of emerald forests, crystalline lakes and majestic White Mountain massifs dotting prairies that stretch into New Mexico.
A network of shared-use trails connect Arizona’s plateau lakes region with the community of Munds Park.
The 5.4-mile Rogers Trail tethers the event-centric, party atmosphere of Fort Tuthill County Park with the subdued wilds of Rogers Lake Natural Area.
Hike of the Week 2023Hike of the Week: Priest Draw-Howard Draw near Flagstaff
Mare CzinarJuly 7, 2023
Well known as a world-class destination for the sport of bouldering, Howard and Priest Draws are side-by-side shallow canyons with a yawning meadow in the middle that also make for scenic hiking.
A glimpse into a time in the late 19th and early 20th century when homesteaders ran sheep and cattle in the forests and meadow on the Mogollon Rim.
The Buck Mountain fire lookout is one of only a few surviving CT-2-type towers in American forests.
The road is also part of the General Crook Trail No.130, that was built in 1870s and stretched between Fort Whipple and Fort Apache.
In addition to vertigo-inducing views, this trail offers a lot of variety in terms of bio-diversity and interesting side trips.
The crater-like depression of the lake takes your breath away.
Near the summit, a one-room cabin, erected in 1911 to accommodate fire lookout workers, still stands.
