We had wanted to visit Prescott for quite some time. Last fall, we had cancelled our reservations for Point of the Rocks Campground and decided to give it another try. A hiking path connected Watson Lake hiking trails and the campground. The Granite Dells around Watson Lake and Willow Lake are enchanting whether we were hiking biking or kayaking.
Prescott Peavine and Iron King trails were rails to trails that get plenty of use by the locals. We rode out from the campground to these trails without a problem other that the huge sticker patch we ended up in on our first ride. Fortunately, the no tubes in our tires did their job pretty well.
The 5.2-mile Peavine Trail begins just south of Watson Lake at the gravel parking lot by the lush Watson Woods Riparian Preserve.
All along this route, water leaches from cracks in the rock walls and hearty flowers—red and yellow—pop from the crevasses.
There was plenty of water fowl and turtles as we rounded the preserve.
The trail follows the former Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix Railway corridor that fed into Prescott, once the territorial capital of Arizona and famous for its copper mining. Wooden decking and railroad ties lie scattered along the trail. At Mile 3 and the "Point of Rocks," is the railroad's ghost . Here the trail passes through a cut made for trains in a tall, sheer rock cluster. A trailside historical marker shows the identical view, some 100 years prior. In the photo a hulking engine chugs through the same pass. It's a humbling reminder of how, in some places, time does stand still.
A visit to the historical old town section was up next. After walking around the town, we stopped in The Palace Saloon which is basically a museum. While waiting for our snack, we took some time to check out the place. Not much had changed from the old pictures on the walls.
This looks just like Watson Lake but is Willow Lake across the road from us.
Prescott Pow Wow and Gourd Dance were happening in the park. We passed on the Fry Bread this time.
