MOGOLLON RIM INTERPRETIVE TRAIL
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
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| Mogollon Rim overlook |
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| paved part of the trail |
This trail has been languishing on my to-do list for
decades. Each time I've sped by
the trailhead on my way to other White Mountain hikes, I'd give it a
well-intended "some day" nod.
As a single trail, it's not long enough to justify a drive from the
Valley, so this past week, I added it
to my Country Club Trail-Woodland Lake agenda for a single day, three-fer hike. Visitors are greeted at the trailhead
by an information kiosk featuring a map and lots of "didjaknow"
historical facts. The first
half-mile of the trail is paved, barrier-free and winds through a shady
Ponderosa pine forest and over the first of four wood bridges spanning an
irrigation canal. Fourteen signed "stops" line the route,
comprising the interpretive part of the trek. Although some of the plaques are missing, the ones still
intact describe the forestry, geology and human history of the area. The paved portion of the trail ends at
a scenic sandstone ledge overlooking the Mogollon Rim. It's not as magnificent as say the Rim
Vista Trail near Payson, but it's still impressive. Beyond the ledge, the hike is an easy stroll on sandy paths
with willows, flowering shrubs and Alligator junipers. I'd recommend this hike for
families with kids, those with
mobility challenges----and also, as an add-on destination for other
Pinetop-Lakeside area trails.
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| bridge over irrigation ditch |
LENGTH: 1-mile loop
RATING: easy, partially barrier-free
ELEVATION: 6,800'
GETTING THERE:
From Show Low, head east on AZ 260 (a.k.a. White Mountain Blvd) and immediately after entering the Pinetop-Lakeside town limits and just past Camp Grace, turn right at the big masonry "Pinetop-Lakeside sign between mileposts 347 and 348. The trailhead is at the end of the parking area near some power lines.
INFO: Lakeside Ranger District, 928-368-2100
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