This Arizona hike has see-forever views and lots of ways to customize
Largely shadeless and hemmed in by a gray sea of prickly catclaw, Johnson Wash Road reads like a not very interesting dirt two-track.
At first glance, it lacks the “Three Ws” of hiker catnip: woodlands, water and wildflowers. But what there is plenty of is air. Big, restless eddies unobscured by trees, landforms and botanical distractions propel ravens, turkey vultures and hawks skyward to glide in loose, lazy loops. A walk on this dusty back road earns its hike-worthy credentials on big sky vistas alone.
Johnson Wash Road, also known as Forest Road 96, is part of the Great Western Trail, a 4,455-mile route that runs from Mexico to Canada. Built for vehicles outfitted for rough conditions, long stretches of nothingness and rutted dirt far removed from the nearest service station, the road runs through Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.
The Arizona section wanders over 800 miles of spectacular deserts, mountains, forests, canyons, creeks, grasslands, heritage sites, defunct mining camps and historic town sites.
Open to motorized vehicles, hiking, biking and equestrian use, the Great Western Trail is at its heart an off-highway vehicle destination. Motorized users typically venture out with several spare tires, tool kit, a few days’ worth of food, fuel and water and a convoy of similarly equipped companions, lest they find themselves up the wilds without a winch.
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Hikers, on the other hand need only pack the essentials, park and walk. And this stark slice of Arizona is well worth a closer look on foot.
Just a few miles west of Interstate 17 in Prescott National Forest, the hike begins at a dirt turnout along Old Cherry Creek Road. The easy-to-follow route heads west on a rocky course that unwinds in a roller coaster style that dips and rises over the scoured channels of Sour Water, Racetrack and Johnson washes. All told, the “flat” hike accumulates over 600 feet of elevation change.
With nothing but scrub, catclaw, cactus and spotty stands of juniper and cottonwood, there’s nothing to obstruct the viewscape spectacle. The muted silhouettes of the Bradshaw Mountains and Pine Mountain Wilderness rise on the far horizons while nearby knolls, bluffs and granite outcroppings interrupt sprawling high desert grasslands and yawning valleys.
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At the 2.2-mile point, the road comes to a major intersection. The Great Western Trail veers southeast, while FR 9604S spins off to the northeast, brushing the base of 5,725-foot Onion Mountain before fading away. The junction makes for a good turnaround point, but several unsigned offshoots may be used to extend the hike. One to try is Hance Spring Road, also known as FR 9011D.
Among the scrub oak and manzanita shrubs, skulking coyotes, rodents and lizards scurry under shadows cast by turkey vultures and ravens circling overhead in search of a meal. The dead quiet and open-to-the-elements flavor of this place can be either joyful or frightening — sometimes both simultaneously.
The unsigned junction is on the north side of Johnson Spring Road, 0.2 miles before the FR 9604S junction. It’s a primitive road with many unmarked spurs that weave around Johnson Spring Wash as it climbs uphill about 3 miles toward Cherry Creek.
With a Prescott National Forest map and compass, hikers can enjoy an unscripted trek up the wilds without a worry.
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Johnson Wash Road hike
Length: 4.4 miles round trip.
Rating: Moderate.
Elevation: 4,703-4,859 feet (650 feet of elevation change).
Getting there: From Interstate 17 about 8 miles south of Camp Verde, take Exit 278 (Dewey-Humboldt) for State Route 169. Go 5.5 miles west (left) on SR 169 to Cherry Creek Road just past milepost 10 on the right. Follow Cherry Creek Road 1.3 miles to the Great Western Trail sign at Forest Road 96 (Johnson Wash Road) on the right. Park in the dirt turnouts. Roads are paved up to the trailhead.
Details: https://www.azbackroads.com.
Read more of Mare Czinar's hikes at http://arizonahiking.blogspot.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona hike: Great Western Trail in Prescott National Forest
