Deep In the heart of Arizona there is a special place where our planet’s granite reaches up from under the waters of Watson Lake to the blue skies above in the form of weathered spires that define the horizon. At one time over a hundred years ago the Santa Fe Prescott & Phoenix railroad built a line through this wonderland of rock to haul ore extracted from the mines south of here in the Bradshaw Mountains to the east/west mainline north around Seligman, AZ. After the railroad went broke and the rails were removed the roadbed remained and in 1998 was repurposed into one of our nation’s premiere rail trails.
The trial begins about 6.6 miles northeast of Prescott, AZ. at 1624 Sundog Ranch Road. There is a $3 fee to park that can be paid online or at the kiosk in the parking lot. The Peavine Trail heads northeast from its beginning for the next 5 plus miles into the Granite Dells passing Watson Lake several times along the way. It is a 10.4 mile out & back trail with a gradual 459 foot elevation gain that takes about 3.5-4 hours to complete.
Shortly after beginning the journey, the trail makes its first pass by Watson Lake yielding awe inspiring views of the granite utopia ahead as it rolls through pastures along both sides. As the lake views pass by on the left side of the trail, the huge rocks increase in number and grow larger ahead as the path enters the start of the dells.
Near the halfway out point there is a rest spot with a bench where the lake has once again chosen to make its presence known with a small bay of incredible beauty yielding a long distance view across the lake and into the distant mountains. The evening I chose to ride the trail there was a native American Pow-Wow across the lake creating a background of songs & chants carried by the breeze across the water.
Arizona is a state of rocks, rocks that form the backbone of the earth laid bare for all to see. Granite Dells and the Peavine Trail through it create a land of inspiring spires connecting us with our home planet as well us the other creatures we share it with. The Peavine Trail is an invitation to rejoin the source from which we were created, it is essentially the door to our creation story. A story that can be heard on the breeze as it floats across Watson Lake.
