© 2010 by Jack D. Wilson Prescott Arizona is an outdoor adventurers paradise, an ideal location for hiking and mountain biking. This guide focuses on the many trails in Prescott. However, kayaking, rock climbing, camping and fishing opportunities abound. Many believe that Prescott is the best place to mountain bike in the entire country. Prescott is a pleasant two-hour drive 100 miles north of Phoenix. Our mile-high elevation means we are typically 15-20 cooler than Phoenix. Prescott is surrounded by the worlds largest Ponderosa Pine forest. The US Forest Service has over 450 miles of trails in the forest around Prescott! Prescott is working on completing the 50-mile Circle Trail. We have trails to satisfy users at any level, while being a "cool " place to hang out in the evenings with the opportunity to take  rest days and visit the museums/ theater, go kayaking on the lakes, play golf, rodeo, or even pan for gold! To give you a flavor of the exceptional trails in Prescott Arizona, here is a link to a blog post from the blog Diary of Scott Morris, sharing a mountain bikers perspective on some challenging riding on new trails in the picturesque Granite Dells area of Prescott: Play hard, get hurt.

Also see Scott’s follow-up article Prescott Monster Redemption and Scott’s precursor to these two, Strategy in Prescott. With those blog posts as an introduction, I think that most would agree that Prescott Arizona is truly a mountain bikers paradise! This is the premier mountain biking event in Prescott, check out the video:motorcycle helmet backpack amazon 2010 Whiskey Off Road Endurance Mountain Bike Event from Epic Rides, Inc. on Vimeo.custom motorcycle seats des moines iowa The 8th annual Whiskey Off Road will be held on April 30, 2011. vintage bristol motorcycle jacketRegistration opens on January 1, 2011 (see sponsor Epic Rides website The Whiskey Off-Road). suomy motorcycle helmet review

Event activities are scheduled for April 29-May 1, 2011, with the actual race on April 30, 2011. The race will have a guaranteed cash purse of $20,000 split equally between men and women racers. Besides the race there will be a bandshell with entertainment. Here is the opening song from last years lead entertainer, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers (video by Jack D. Wilson):price of bmw bike k1300 r City of Prescott Office of Tourism Trails Pagemotorcycle helmet review quietest City of Prescott trails page has a comprehensive listing of city trails. motorcycle wheel lock abusThese range from the easy, such as the Peavine trail (on a former Santa Fe railroad bed) to extremely difficult Willow Dells Slickrock Trail Loops See the Vimeo video Riding the Firebird Prototype in Prescott.

Are you an advanced mountain bike rider and want a technical challenge? Riding the Firebird Prototype in Prescott from Ken Bennett on Vimeo. Prescott Area trail maps by Derek Brownlee at Sharlot Hall Museum. Derek was on my Prescott Bicycle Advisory Committee when I was mayor and he has the reputation of having ridden every trail in the area. Bradshaw Ranger District Trails from US Forest Service. The author presents his personal trail journals for mountain hikes in the Central Highland region of Arizona. Trail descriptions include maps, trail specifications, elevation profiles, and Latitude/Longitude coordinates as convenience to GPS users. This is a guide for hikers, horseback riders, and bicyclists. Most trips can be completed in one day and average six to 12 miles in length. Ron Smith is semi-retired, after a 30-year career as wildlife biologist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. This career has taken him throughout Arizona’s diverse biological regions.

His skills as keen observer, writer, and back country traveler have helped to make this guide more than just a technical reference. It also reflects a long cultivated sensitivity to the value of wild places and the need to protect them for ourselves and those who follow us. Prescott Mountain Bike Alliance (PMBA) Yavapai Trails Association is dedicated to protecting, preserving, and developing recreational, non-motorized trails.  They are an all-volunteer group that represents the interests of hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians. They publish a quarterly newsletter, Trail Tracks, which you can view on their web site. The Prescott Outings Club was founded in 1975 and sponsors three hikes each week from September through May. See their website for details. The Prescott Hiking Club is a Prescott-based hiking club. See their website for details on the club, how to join, contacts, etc. Treks around the Prescott area are held year-round. The club meets every Tuesday from 8 to 9 a.m. and Thursday from 8 to 10 a.m. during the summer months and vary in length and difficulty.

Walks are graded on a scale of 1-4 (with 4 being the most difficult). Hikes are lead by staff and volunteers from the Prescott Recreation Department, YMCA, and Yavapai County Health Department. For information call Prescott Parks and Recreation Dept. at 777-1122 or the YMCA at 445-7221. Membership is $12 a year and includes 2 weekly guided hikes and monthly calendar. Hiking boots required, carry water, dogs must be on a leash. Click for PDF application. Perhaps you would like an expert guide to take you on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Need something to do on a rest day? Prescott has several interesting museums, details at Spotlight on Prescott Arizona Museums. There are lots of interesting shops downtown, including antique shops, details on these at Antique Capital of Arizona. There are lots of hotel, motels and bed and breakfast establishments in Prescott. I have listed a few that are outstanding. The first two were statewide winners in their categories is the Arizona Republic’s Best Hotel reader poll.

Prescott Motor Lodge, 503 S. Montezuma St., Prescott, AZ 86303 928-717-0157. See Arizona Republic story Best Arizona Bargain Hotel. Some say this might be the coolest budget hotel in Arizona. In addition to their website they have a blog and a Facebook page. Hassayampa Inn, 122 E. Gurley, Prescott, AZ  86301 – See Arizona Republic story Hassayampa Inn, Prescott: Best historic hotel. The Peacock Dining room has great food and I have eaten there many times. Residence Inn Prescott, 3599 Lee Circle Prescott, Arizona 86301 USA 928-775-2232. The Residence Inn is right across from the Prescott Gateway Mall. If you are partial to Four Seasons, you will like the Residence Inn. It is the best business destination in Prescott. Do you like Bed and Breakfast accommodations? Then click on over to the  Prescott Bed and Breakfast Association. All photographs by Jack D. Wilson unless otherwise noted. Unauthorized use prohibited without prior permission. I hope that you found this guide helpful, if you did please leave a comment or forward to a friend.