This Arizona hike has iconic mountain views and summer wildflowers. Here's how to do it
At its core, the Honey Bucket Loop is a mashup of old forest roads and adopted social paths tied into a hiking trail.
At its heart, it's one of the prettiest little strolls in Prescott National Forest.
The route delivers generous servings of mountain vistas, shady forests, interesting geology and late summer wildflowers. It’s a true sweet spot among the dozens of trails that weave through the woodlands around Prescott’s Thumb Butte.
The loop is a perennial offering on the Highlands Center for Natural History's annual Hiking Spree event. The Hiking Spree challenges participants to complete eight out of 10 selected treks over the course of three months for a chance to win prizes and purchase a commemorative medallion upon completion.
On display: Check out best-loved mountain views in Prescott on this hike
How to hike Prescott's Honey Bucket Loop
From a slightly out-there trailhead off Thumb Butte Loop Road 6 miles west of downtown Prescott, the circuit begins with a 1-mile walk on the Honey Bucket Trail #333.
Weaving among granite outcroppings and stands of ponderosa pines, this warmup section is ablaze in late summer wildflower color.
Fleabane, goldenrod, tansyleaf aster, western dayflowers, brickellbush, yarrow, thistle and groundsel add sprinkles of yellow, blue, purple and white in sunny spots.
First peeks at iconic Granite Mountain (7,295 feet) emerge at about the half-mile point where the trail bends northward picking its way through thick scrub and massive alligator juniper trees.
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Views of Thumb Butte, Granite Mountain
The loop portion of the circuit departs from the Thumb Butte Bypass Trail #326 junction. From the junction, continue hiking on Thumb Butte Bypass Trail as it makes a mild descent toward Butte Creek through more open terrain with see-forever views of the Sierra Prieta mountain range.
The trail traverses green gullies and drainages before meeting up with the Prescott Circle Trail Connector Trail #322. Go left at the junction and follow this 0.7-mile segment while watching for fleeting glimpses of Thumb Butte (6,514 feet) and the Williamson Valley that peer out between breaks in tree cover.
The last arc of the loop starts at a major intersection where the circuit heads left on the Thumb Butte Bypass Trail #326.
This 0.6-mile segment follows an old dirt two-track that makes a gradual climb beneath a pine-oak-juniper canopy with fields of hip-high grasses tangled with blooming shrubs lapping at the ankles.
More peeks at Granite Mountain and Thumb Butte punctuate the skyline before the trail reconnects with the Honey Bucket Trail for a rewind back to the trailhead.
While it’s short and just moderate in its physical demands, the Honey Bucket loop never scrimps on visual richness, making it a fine choice for appreciating the flora and mountain terrain of Prescott forests.
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Prescott hike: Honey Bucket loop
Length: 4.6-mile loop.
Rating: Moderate.
Elevation: 6,094-6,400 feet (703 feet of accumulated elevation change).
Getting there: From Courthouse Plaza in downtown Prescott, go west on Gurley Street, which turns into Thumb Butte Road. Continue 5.2 miles, passing the Thumb Butte and White Rock trailheads, to Thumb Butte Loop Road (Forest Road 373) on the left. Follow Forest Road 373 for 1.6 miles to the turnoff for Forest Road 51 on the left where there’s a dirt parking apron at a Trail #333 sign. Thumb Butte Loop Road is washboard rough with some potholes but is passible by carefully driven vehicles. The road is not maintained in winter.
Details: https://highlandscenter.org/hiking-spree, https://highlandscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/Honeybucket.pdf.
Read more of Mare Czinar's hikes at http://arizonahiking.blogspot.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Prescott National Forest hike has Thumb Butte, Granite Mountain
