Potato Lake Rim Road

Trail Overview

This trail picks up off Highway 87 and runs all the way down to connect with the Rim Road. The beginning of the trail, which is close to the highway, has several nice large open dispersed campsites and easy access for large groups with trailers and RVs. This trail passes a few main trail intersections and continues heading out towards the rim. The route follows along a creek for a little while and heads uphill. The trail narrows on the hill section and becomes a two-star rating. It's a one-lane road for the most part, so keep an eye out for oncoming traffic. There is little to no cellular service out here. Download your offline maps before you come out to ensure you don't get lost.

Photos of Potato Lake Rim Road

Want to see more?

Login

Difficulty

The trail rating is for the narrower section later; you may have to reverse to allow oncoming traffic to pass. Otherwise, it's a relatively nice 1 rating closer to the highway with easy access for RVs and travel trailers to come in and find camp.

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

Technical Rating