Mount Baldy 2026

TWENTY-TWO CAMPERS and hikers, most from the Prescott area, spent four days camping at Winn Campground near Mount Baldy to enjoy hikes and cool weather in mid-July. This gave me a chance to hike West Baldy, Sheep’s Crossing and Lee Valley Reservoir.

Winn Campground is the highest-elevation campground in the state at about 9,300 feet. It is also the oldest campground in the state, so has the most primitive toilets. Eeew.

Jenny Cobb, a Prescott resident and active member in the Great Old Broads for Wilderness, coordinated the gathering. She also served as chef and caterer, meaning she supplied low-cost breakfasts and dinners so hikers only had to plan for lunch and snacks.

Cobb has been camping here for more than four decades, and made it into a group gathering about twelve years ago. Those attending made a who’s-who of Prescott-area environmentalists, including Gary Beverly, Steven Cook and Russ Pilcher of the Sierra Club, and Greg Murray, president of the Central Arizona Wildlife Association. There were talks about Mexican gray wolves, bats and pronghorns.

Now, about the hikes.

West Baldy Trail

West Baldy Trail starts at an elevation of 9,287 feet and rises to 11,000. It’s rated a moderate trail, but many will either feel the altitude or the amount of mileage you’re walking. 

Baldy is Arizona’s second-highest peak, but unlike on the tallest, Humphrey Peak (12,637ft), and third-tallest, Escudilla Peak, the Baldy Peak trails have water running along them.

The West Fork of the Colorado River runs alongside most of West Baldy Trail before it starts climbing.

The stream is both beautiful and managed for the endangered Wild Apache Trout. Brook, rainbow and cutthroat trout help make this a fisherman’s destination.

Turning every corner brings another beautiful view of the stream — the cascading water, the seemingly endless flowers whose colors jump out at the hiker, sneezeweed, penstemons and lupines in abundance. As if the stream and flowers would not be enough, the trees are plush green, making another great photographic backdrop. Spruce, aspen and fir are most abundant.

For a bit more than three miles you’re walking the trail along the West Fork, then the trail starts to climb, the switchbacks making it pleasant.

The further you go along the trail, the more boulders you see, reminiscent of the Dells. A little later the trail crosses the stream. Most of my fellow hikers rock-hopped across, but I purposely walked through it, as the cold water felt great on my feet.

This is one of the most dense areas in the state for black bear. Mexican grey wolves inhabit the area, along with mountain lions, mule deer, elk and coyotes.

There are plenty of fallen logs along the trail making perfect benches for snacks or lunch.

Mount Baldy Wilderness is one of 90 wilderness areas in Arizona, and at 7,079 acres it’s among the smallest. 

You can’t get to the top of the trail without a permit, because it’s part of the White Mountain Apache Reservation. Please don’t try to do this, this land is sacred and should be respected. If caught you can be fined and your backpack confiscated. There are good signs so you know not to trespass on the reservation.

Sheep’s Crossing

Nearby is the beautiful Sheep’s Crossing Trail, which comes out in Greer. This also takes you along the Little Colorado.

Although it’s shorter and only rises a few hundred feet in elevation, at least some parts are more challenging, because it’s rockier and at times you’re crossing over large rocks and boulders to get back to the trail.

The highlight of the Sheep’s Crossing Trail are two manmade waterfalls. There are also wild raspberries for the picking.

Lee Valley Reservoir

It’s become one of my personal traditions to walk from Winn Campground to Lee Valley Reservoir on the morning that I’m leaving. It’s a five-mile round trip, with no change in elevation or tough boulders to walk over, and it gives me a last glimpse of the serene lake.

The drive

The drive from Prescott to Winn Campground takes about five hours, with many trails, lakes and fun places to stop along the way. For more information phone the Springerville Ranger District at 925-333-6200.

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