Barbershop Trail

Barbershop Trail #91 on the Mogollon Rim offers historic cabins, a mini-dam, ferns, flowers and a decent amount of shade.

This is a great summer hike, rising from 7,665 to 7,811 feet in elevation. This may not sound like much, but there are several ups and downs as the trail winds through about six canyons, including Dane Canyon and its scenic boulders. It may be even better in the fall as the maples, aspens and oaks put on their fall colors.

Barbershop Trail is nine or ten miles long, depending on whose GPS you’re using and how often you wander off-trail. It’s among the easier trails to get lost on, so keep your eyes on the trail and watch for cairns.

This is an in-and-out hike, so you can return at any point, and it’s also part of the 18-mile Cabin Loop Trail, so you can also make it as long as you like. We saw the remains of a couple of recent campfires along the way.

The hike quickly descends into a fern forest, with wildflowers making it very photogenic. The ferns grow to about four feet tall, not like the seven-foot thickets along Kachina Trail, but still a beauty to behold.

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The trail continues with some rocky slopes to navigate. Toward the end you cross a large, pretty meadow, but again, follow the trail and signage to stay on track.

The Barbershop Trail turnaround is the Buck Springs Fire Guard Station, consisting of two cabins, the smaller one built in 1932 and the other in 1946, and signs alert the hiker to their historical nature. The cabins are still used sometimes in summer to house fire crews. An old barbecue grill sits outside one of them.

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Oddly there is no sign pointing out the mini-dam about a quarter mile behind the cabins. The dam creates a nice riparian area with rocks large enough to sit on, making it perfect for lunch or a snack as blue dragonflies dance around the stream. I imagine some of the firefighters built the dam.

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The trail’s catchy name apparently refers to a local sheepherder who sheared sheep and cut the hair of his fellow shepherds as well. The local wildlife includes wild turkey, mule deer, elk and black bear.

Barbershop Trail ranks among the Arizona Highways top 52 day hikes, yet on the Saturday we were there no one else was on the trail. The magazine rates the trail as moderate, but that’s only if you don’t get lost — and watch your footing.

There are no restrooms; dogs are allowed only on leash. You’ll prefer a high-clearance vehicle for the road to the trailhead. More information is available from the Mogollon Rim Ranger District at (928) 477-2225 or fs.usda.gov/coconino.

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Directions: From Payson drive north on State Rt. 87 for 28.5 miles to Forest Road 300. Turn right and continue 16.6 miles to FR 139, and continue 1.9 miles to the trailhead on right.

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