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Buena Vista Trail

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Hiking along the Buena Vista Trail
Hiking along the Buena Vista Trail
Hiking along the Buena Vista Trail
Hiking along the Buena Vista Trail
Buena Vista Trail: Map
Hiking along the Buena Vista Trail
Buena Vista Trail: Elevation Profile

Location

How to Get There
This hike is located near Showlow, AZ.

To the Trailhead: From the Heber-Overgaard area, head south-east on HWY-260 towards Show Low. At the intersection with US-60, turn right. Take US-60 for 3 miles and turn left onto the signed Rim Road (also signed for the Buena Vista trailhead. Take this well graded dirt road about 0.2 miles to the parking area and signed trailhead on the left.
addressone
Rim Road
city
Show Low
state
AZ
country
USA
Region
White Mountains and Eastern Arizona

Hike details

Distance
9.60 [Miles] Total
Hike Distance- Details
9.6 miles for the lollypop loop
Time
5.00 [Hours]
Time-details
This hike took us 5 hours with about a 20 minute stop for lunch
Elevation Change
1,100 Total gain/loss [Feet]
Elevation Details
about 1100 feet of up and down climbing over the course of the hike.
Hike Trail Type
Lollypop Loop

Season

Best Season
  • June
  • July
  • August
Worst Season
  • January
  • February
  • December
Season Details
Summer
Date Hike completed
July 31, 2021

Solitude

Solitude
Medium
Solitude Details
Not bad. We shared this trail with only one other hiking group, but we did see five bicyclists and an ATV.

Difficulty

Difficulty Rating
Moderately Strenuous
difficulty detail
It's a long hike with constant route finding, so this hike is rated Moderately Strenuous.

Permits

Be Aware of
route finding, mountain bikers, ATVs

Hike along the Buena Vista trail near Show Low in Eastern Arizona.

From the signed trailhead, walk along the dirt road generally east through the pine forest. The trail has many dirt roads and game trails that intersect it, so you'll need to stay alert to stay on the trail. The trail is marked periodically with white diamonds. You'll be sharing this trail with mountain bikers and possibly ATVs, so yield when appropriate.

Details of each trail junction follows:

From the trailhead, you'll walk 0.4 miles to the first trail junction (JCT_1L on the map). Turn left here.
Continue 0.3 miles to the next trail junction (JCT_2R on the map). Turn right here.
Continue 0.2 miles to the next trail junction (JCT_3L on the map). You can take the hike in either direction. We arbitrarily chose clockwise and turned left here.
Continue 0.5 miles as the trail goes over a hill for some nice views. At the base of the hill you'll reach the next trail junction (JCT_4R on the map). Turn right here.
Continue 0.2 miles to the next trail junction (JCT_5ST on the map). Go straight here.
Continue 0.1 miles to the signed junction with the Chihuahua trail (JCT_6R on the map). Go right here and stay on the signed Buena Vista trail.
Continue 0.7 miles to the next trail junction (JCT_7R on the map). Go right here.
Continue 1.1 miles to the next trail junction (JCT_8R on the map). Go right here.
Continue 0.5 miles over a small hill, dropping down into a wash where you'll reach the next trail junction (JCT_9R on the map). Turn right here.
Continue 0.3 miles to the next trail junction (JCT_10L on the map). Go left here.
Continue 0.3 miles to the next trail junction (JCT_11L on the map). Go left here.
Continue 0.2 miles to the next trail junction (JCT_12R on the map). Go right here.
Continue 0.2 miles to the next trail junction (JCT_13R on the map). Go right here.
Continue 0.2 miles to the next trail junction (JCT_14L on the map). Go left here.
Continue 1.1 miles to the next trail junction (JCT_15R on the map). Go right here.
Continue 0.1 miles to the next trail junction (JCT_16L on the map). Go left here.
Continue 0.1 miles to the next trail junction (JCT_17L on the map). Go left here.
After a short distance, you'll reach the next trail junction (JCT_18R on the map). Go right here.
Continue 0.8 miles to the next trail junction (JCT_19R on the map). Go right here.
Continue 0.2 miles to the start of the loop (JCT_3L on the map). Stay left here.
You'll continue the final 1 mile to reach the trailhead and parking area (stay left at JCT_2R and stay right at JCT_1L).

Map

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