Clear Creek Pines Loop

Trail Overview

This is a well-maintained loop that you can access from Highway 3, Saint Mary's Road. Two private neighborhoods on this trail are packed full of adorable cabins. Signs are posted to drive slowly to minimize dust through the neighborhood. The posted speed is 10 miles an hour. The rest of this trail is a beautiful drive through the pines. Multiple open campsites in the trees have easy access for larger groups with RVs and trailers. The Eden trail connects to this and has access to a variety of other trails, including the Lost Trail. There are several larger wildlife watering areas on the trail as well. Keep your eye out for all the things Mother Nature has to offer. Plenty of deer, elk, and wild turkeys are in the area. There is 5G cell service close to the main highway on either trail's end. It fades to very little in the middle.

Photos of Clear Creek Pines Loop

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Difficulty

This is a wide, well-maintained dirt trail with ample room for two vehicles to pass. This area can get quite dusty.

History

The Mogollon Rim is a rugged escarpment that forms the southern limit of the Colorado Plateau. It extends across the entire forest, approximately 200 miles in total, and provides excellent views within plateau country and desert canyon country as well. Dropping as much as 2,000 feet in some areas, the Rim offers some of the most far-reaching scenery in Arizona. Views stretch from its rocky precipice to Four Peaks of the Mazatzals northeast of Phoenix. Sightseeing is a favorite activity along the Rim. Still, this forest area also boasts a historic system of hiking and horseback trails, a couple of picturesque lakes for boating and fishing, and backcountry skiing for wilderness adventurers. The Mogollon Rim is a topographical and geological feature cutting across the northern half of Arizona. It extends diagonally approximately 200 miles, starting in northern Yavapai County and running eastward, ending near the New Mexico border. It forms the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau in Arizona. The Rim is an escarpment defining the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau. Its central and most spectacular portions are characterized by high cliffs of limestone and sand, namely the Kaibab limestone and Coconino sandstone cliffs. This escarpment was created by erosion, faulting, and cutting dramatic canyons into it, including the Fossil Creek Canyon and Pine Canyon. The name Mogollon comes from Don Juan Ignacio Flores Mogollon, the Spanish governor of New Mexico from 1712 to 1715. The Mogollon Rim's limestones and sandstones were formed from sediments deposited in the Carboniferous and Permian Periods. Several of the Rim's rock formations are also seen on the walls of the Grand Canyon. The extensive basaltic lava flows cap or even bury the Rim in many places. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the endangered Mexican spotted owl. Other wildlife present on the Rim will be herds of elk and deer. You may see black bears, mountain lions, and even the occasional red-tailed hawk or peregrine falcon. There are also coyotes, horned toads, and rattlesnakes. This area frequently has fire restrictions early in the season. Be sure to contact the local ranger station for information about the current campfire restrictions. Or, at the minimum, check the Coconino Fire webpage. https://www.coconino.az.gov/2595/Fire-Restriction-Information

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