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Mingus Mountain Loop hike

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Mingus mountain loop hike
Hikers on the Mingus mountain loop hike
Views from the Mingus mountain loop hike
Mingus mountain loop hiking trail
Glider launching spot on the Mingus Mountain loop hike
map: Mingus mountain loop hike
Elevation plot: Mingus mountain loop hike

Location

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

To get to the trailhead: from the Phoenix area, take I-17 North toward Flagstaff. At Cordes Junction, take HWY-69 towards Prescott. To short cut the distance, take Fain Road North to bypass Prescott and head directly to HWY-89A. Take HWY-89A East towards Jerome. At the summit of Mingus mountain, turn right on the signed junction for the Methodist Camp (FR104). Take the well graded dirt road FR104 for 2.6 miles into the Mingus Mountain campground. At the first stop sign, go straight and park at the trailhead.
city
Prescott
state
AZ
country
USA
Region
Prescott Area

Hike details

Distance
4.30 [Miles] Total
Hike Distance- Details
The loop hike described is 4.3 miles.
Time
3.00 [Hours]
Time-details
It took us a leisurely 3.0 hours of hiking
Elevation Change
1,100 Total gain/loss [Feet]
Elevation Details
about 1100 ft loss and gain.
Hike Trail Type
Loop

Season

Best Season
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
Season Details
Summer, Fall (I suspect the Fall would be particularly scenic)
Date Hike completed
July 04, 2010

Solitude

Solitude
High
Solitude Details
Excellent solitude on this hike. Despite a full campground and a fourth of July weekend, we were the only hikers on this trail.

Difficulty

Difficulty Rating
Moderate
difficulty detail
I really enjoyed this hike in the forest. It reminded me of the Katchina trail in the San Francisco peaks. This is a Moderate difficulty hike.

Permits

Be Aware of
$5 day fee to park (self pay).

Hike through the pine forests of Mingus Mountain near Prescott, Arizona.

We were attempting to escape the hot July summer weather in the Phoenix area and decided to try a loop hike atop the 7000 ft Mingus mountain. After completing this loop hike, we were very glad we did. The hike we decided on was a loop, made up of the View point trail 106 and the North Mingus trail 105.

We had a tricky time finding the trailhead to the View Point Trail 106 (no surprise, considering my challenges in route finding for Yeager Canyon and Gaddes Spring, which are also in this area). The trailhead is signed and there is a day use parking area next to it. After paying the $5 fee, start heading down the View Point Trail.   

The trail is easy to follow and you are quickly treated to views of the Verde Valley, with the town of Cottonwood and Sedona in the distance. Unfortunately for us, it was a hazy day, due to wildfires in the Flagstaff area. The trail switchbacks down Mingus mountain for about 900 ft. Luckily, there is some shade to start, but eventually the pine trees thin out and are replaced by chaparral. After about a quarter of a mile, the trail grade levels out, although it always goes down. The trail hugs the side of Mingus mountain, providing constant and enjoyable views of the Verde valley.

After about 1.5 miles of hiking on the View Point trail, you'll reach a signed trail junction with the 105A connector trail. To do the loop hike, turn left at this junction (marked as Jct 1L on the map) to hike on the 105A connector trail. The connector trail continues to hug the contour of Mingus mountain, providing better views of Jerome and the Sedona canyons in the distance.

After 0.4 miles on this connector trail, you'll reach the signed junction with North Mingus trail #105 (marked as Jct 2L on the map). Turn left here and start climbing back up Mingus mountain. The climbing is steady, but not overly steep. You'll know you are near the top when the pine trees come back to shade you and you pass a few small groves of Aspen trees.  From the junction to the top is about 0.8 miles.

At the top, the trail flattens out and heads back towards the campground. You'll hike about 0.3 flat miles when you reach a hang gliding launch area. It's an interesting place and is certain to start daydreams about hang gliding. There is also a series of TV and radio towers here. Follow the dirt road 0.7 miles back to your car.

Map

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