Not the Jail and Deer Creek Trails

I LOVE water hikes, especially new water hikes. I also love hiking clubs because they help me find the new water hikes. So here are two new-to-me water hikes with two different hiking clubs.

First is the Not the Jail Trail in Cottonwood, with the town’s Skyliners Hiking Club. Naturalist Chris Jensen led this hike, and he showed us three diversion dams.

You’ll pass by and cross a section of the Verde River during the Not the Jail hike, as these dams divert water from the Verde to the lagoons at Deadhorse State Park. One of the dams is not far from where you can cross the Verde to find your way into Tuzigoot. The Verde flows pretty strong in this section, and eating lunch while sitting on big rocks watching the water cascade is mesmerizing.

The Not the Jail Trail is an in-and-out hike of about five miles round-trip, and features varying foliage with little elevation change. Hikes don’t get much flatter or easier than this. There are several small footbridges that cross the water. One is so small you can hardly stand on it to cross it.

The hike begins at the Jail Trail head in Old Town Cottonwood. You’ll walk a short distance to a wooden footbridge, cross and go another 20 yards to a sign that points to the Jail Trail on the right. There is also a well established trail that takes off to the  left as the Not the Jail Trail begins. Jensen estimates that he’s hiked this trail 500 times. I’m not planning to challenge that record, but it’s a fun trail that I wouldn’t mind returning to. Any trip to the Verde is worthwhile.

Deer Creek Trail

Deer Creek was flowing strong, not deep but certainly wide, with a lot of cascading water. This hike was with the Arizona Trailblazers, Vickie Johnson leading the way.

The Deer Creek Trail is about 20 miles south of Payson, a bit more than a two-hour ride from Prescott. It’s part of the Arizona Trail. This is a moderate hike of eight miles.

The trail offers an approach from the east side of the Mazatzal Mountains. It crosses rangeland to Deer Creek, then follows it upstream for about four miles. There are many places to stop and cool off in the creek or enjoy a snack.

Starting a few miles south of the Barnhardt Trail off Highway 87, the Deer Creek scenery features desert cactus varieties mixed with high-desert scrub. Like the Not the Jail Trail, there are plenty of cottonwood and sycamore trees along the gurgling creek, replete with boulders.

After less than quarter mile Johnson pointed out a variety of colorful rocks in deep purple, red, blue, gray and orange, evidence of nearby mining activity.

For those looking for more miles, the hike passes trail #47 (Gold Ridge) and #46 (South Fork) before it is introduced as Trail #45 (Deer Creek) about a mile in, offering some shade. Following the contours of a little canyon, the trail winds back and forth between the creek and canyon walls, with ups and downs of between 50 and 100 feet. 

On the last leg out, when the temperature was about 70 degrees, we came across a single orange poppy. Who finds a blooming poppy in January?

Another highlight of the trail is a bit more than 2.5 miles in you’ll come to the Davey Cowan headstone. He was buried there in 1926.

Book note

I hope you’re reading my new novel Falling Into Congo, and you’ll come to a reading and book-signing, scheduled for 2pm March 7 at Peregrine Books on north Cortez Street downtown.