In honor of National Trails Day, June 1, crews began work on the new Williams Peak Trail #738
By Amanda Lane, owner, The Hike Shack
Early this spring, in honor of National Trails Day, volunteers from all over came to Prescott to lend a hand and play in the dirt—and to begin the construction of the new Williams Peak Trail (738). The event—a celebration of trails that begins with trail work and ends with lunch—was headquartered at the White Rock parking lot, about three miles up Thumb Butte Road.
First, we gathered to hear Jason Williams, of the Prescott National Forest (PNF), provide a safety briefing on proper tool use and instructions on the day’s work. People of all ages and capabilities grabbed hard hats and tools provided by the PNF and the City of Prescott and headed off the west side of the parking lot to begin construction.
It was amazing to see so many people jump in and get to work, including everyday hikers of all ages, The Over the Hill Gang, The Yavapai Trails Association, The Prescott Trail Riders crew, members of the Prescott Mountain Biking Association, and the folks from the Backcounty Horsemen of Central Arizona.
Jason had previously laid out approximately one mile of trail that was ready for construction. He uses simple orange flags to create a route to best navigate the area, prevent erosion, develop a moderate grade, and highlight the best views and most entertaining adventure on the trail itself.
There are about five steps to building a trail, and a lot of hours go into each one. It was so amazing to see this incredible group of people spread out across the forest, trimming bushes, digging in the dirt, moving rocks, raking, and compacting what was nothing more than a few orange flags in the ground just the day before. For now, the Williams Peak Trail is a great little out and back that will eventually cross Dearing Road and head on up to the West Spruce Trail. If you cross Dearing Park Road you will continue to see progress of the trail for months to come. We did not fully complete the one-mile section of trail that day, but we did make some incredible progress.
Partway through the day, Jason noticed a bunch of his flags had been removed near the top end of the trail. A few of us spent some time trying to help him find and reflag the original route he had spent so much time laying out only a few days before. If you decide to take this hike or any hike farther than the completed construction, please leave the flags where they are so you can come back and enjoy a finished trail ASAP.
In the late afternoon, we called it a day and headed back to the trailhead parking lot for lunch, which was a combination of donated efforts from about every outdoor adventure group that joined us, as well as the City of Prescott, the PNF, and The Hike Shack.
If you have not had the chance to participate in this annual event, I highly recommend it. Not only is it a great way to get involved in our community, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity to give back a little. We are very lucky to live in a place filled with people who works together so well, and so often, to take care of our amazing trail system.
In honor of National Trails Day, June 1, crews began work on the new Williams Peak Trail #738
By Amanda Lane, owner, The Hike Shack
Early this spring, in honor of National Trails Day, volunteers from all over came to Prescott to lend a hand and play in the dirt—and to begin the construction of the new Williams Peak Trail (738). The event—a celebration of trails that begins with trail work and ends with lunch—was headquartered at the White Rock parking lot, about three miles up Thumb Butte Road.
First, we gathered to hear Jason Williams, of the Prescott National Forest (PNF), provide a safety briefing on proper tool use and instructions on the day’s work. People of all ages and capabilities grabbed hard hats and tools provided by the PNF and the City of Prescott and headed off the west side of the parking lot to begin construction.
It was amazing to see so many people jump in and get to work, including everyday hikers of all ages, The Over the Hill Gang, The Yavapai Trails Association, The Prescott Trail Riders crew, members of the Prescott Mountain Biking Association, and the folks from the Backcounty Horsemen of Central Arizona.
Jason had previously laid out approximately one mile of trail that was ready for construction. He uses simple orange flags to create a route to best navigate the area, prevent erosion, develop a moderate grade, and highlight the best views and most entertaining adventure on the trail itself.
There are about five steps to building a trail, and a lot of hours go into each one. It was so amazing to see this incredible group of people spread out across the forest, trimming bushes, digging in the dirt, moving rocks, raking, and compacting what was nothing more than a few orange flags in the ground just the day before. For now, the Williams Peak Trail is a great little out and back that will eventually cross Dearing Road and head on up to the West Spruce Trail. If you cross Dearing Park Road you will continue to see progress of the trail for months to come. We did not fully complete the one-mile section of trail that day, but we did make some incredible progress.
Partway through the day, Jason noticed a bunch of his flags had been removed near the top end of the trail. A few of us spent some time trying to help him find and reflag the original route he had spent so much time laying out only a few days before. If you decide to take this hike or any hike farther than the completed construction, please leave the flags where they are so you can come back and enjoy a finished trail ASAP.
In the late afternoon, we called it a day and headed back to the trailhead parking lot for lunch, which was a combination of donated efforts from about every outdoor adventure group that joined us, as well as the City of Prescott, the PNF, and The Hike Shack.
If you have not had the chance to participate in this annual event, I highly recommend it. Not only is it a great way to get involved in our community, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity to give back a little. We are very lucky to live in a place filled with people who works together so well, and so often, to take care of our amazing trail system.
The Williams Peak Trail will be a great fall hike when the colors start to change as this area is not only full of pines and manzanita but gamble oaks as well. It is an easy stroll, but, wow! The views are epic, the wildlife is abundant, and the quick adventure is good for your soul. I cannot wait to see where the rest of the trail goes, as the PNF has some pretty cool plans in store.The Williams Peak Trail will be a great fall hike when the colors start to change as this area is not only full of pines and manzanita but gamble oaks as well. It is an easy stroll, but, wow! The views are epic, the wildlife is abundant, and the quick adventure is good for your soul. I cannot wait to see where the rest of the trail goes, as the PNF has some pretty cool plans in store.
