Two trails in one, this is a hike for everyone. Offering a close-up look at some of the most spectacular scenery in all of Yavapai County, a lush riparian community of willows, sycamore and cottonwoods within the Watson Woods Preserve borders the southern end of the trail. As Watson Lake comes into view, watch for bald eagles, waterfowl and shorebirds. Once past the lake, the trail cuts through a dramatic landscape of rocky granite spires before finally heading out into open rangelands to the north.

This trail is open to hikers, bicyclists and equestrians. The name of the trail refers to an older section of the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix rail line that lies in ruins west of a later alignment called the Hell Canyon cut-off. This cutoff alignment to Prescott from Ashfork, completed in 1901, was constructed to reduce maintenance costs and to better serve agricultural interests in the Salt River Valley. The abandoned section to the west was affectionately known as the “Peavine Railway” because of the torturously curving route’s resemblance to a pea vine.

Trailhead sign at Glassford Hill Rd.

Still later, the railroad built a bypass alignment that doomed passenger service to Prescott. That alignment, completed in 1961, went from Ash Fork to Drake, then west and south through Chino Valley, Williamson Valley and south to Skull Valley and Kirkland. Though this eliminated Prescott passenger service, a spur line of 28 miles remained that connected Drake to Prescott and carried freight until October 1983, when rain seriously damaged a bridge north of Prescott. It was too costly to justify rebuilding, so the railroad company abandoned this line in March 1984. The Prescott Peavine and the Chino Valley Peavine Trails lie along that section of rail right-of-way, which was part of the Hell Canyon cut-off.

To get there, drive east on Gurley Street from downtown Prescott to the Hwy. 89/Hwy. 69 intersection. Turn north on Hwy. 89 to the Prescott Lakes Parkway. Turn right at the traffic signal and after crossing over Granite Creek turn left onto Sundog Ranch Road. Continue north for about 0.5 miles to the trailhead parking area just opposite the Animal Control headquarters. This is the main trailhead for the Prescott Peavine Trail.

This spring I plan to take my grandson on a bike trip on the trail. If you want to make it particularly easy, start at the Peavine trailhead and go north. You will likely have wind at your back the entire way. Then talk a friend or family into picking up you and your bikes on Glassford Hill Road at the Prescott Valley trailhead.

The City of Prescott developed the first 3.4 miles of the Peavine Trail. At 0.5 miles the trail passes the City of Prescott refuse transfer station, and just beyond that a fire training area, and then a police shooting range. A sign in this vicinity on the west side of the trail marks an access point and trail to the Watson Woods Preserve.

At 1.1 miles, watch for a sign identifying a spur trail to the west. It goes to a quiet lake-view picnic table. It is a scenic spot, sheltered from the noise of traffic on Highway 89. A second side trail, at 1.45 miles, drops off the main trail to the west and follows a narrow canyon to a delightful cove rest and picnic area.

At 3.2 miles, the trail passes an abandoned handgun shooting range that lies under a canopy of large cottonwood trees. The backstop for this spot is the spectacular “Point of Rocks,” a series of granite spires that resemble the vertical pipes of a mammoth pipe organ.

Spring flowers on Peavine Trail at Point of Rocks

At 3.4 miles, you will reach the historic “Entro” junction and the Iron King Trail. It was here that the Prescott and Eastern Railway headed east and then south, serving Mayer, Dewey, Humboldt and the several spur lines that supplied mines in the southern Bradshaw Mountains. This section of trail, developed by the Town of Prescott Valley, travels through spectacular rocky spires on a wide path for about another 4.5 miles to its trailhead adjacent to Glassford Hill Road in Prescott Valley. (Ed. Note: Prescott Valley has lined its section of trail with old railroad equipment; the bridges over washes are actually “recycled” railroad flatcars.) You can either return the way you came with the wind in your face, or look for your friends and a faster ride home.

Rail maintenance car on Iron King Trail