Prescott, Arizona

It was a little bit hard to leave the summery weather and cool water of the Colorado River, but wanted to give our air conditioner a break :) so we packed up and headed further east. The drive to Prescott, Arizona, was a real workout for Gigantor, especially the last of the four hours. We started at under 500' above sea level, and over the course of the drive climbed up to over 6200 feet before coming down into Prescott which sits at just under a mile high. A bad fuel economy day for sure. (I am often asked about our fuel economy. We average 11.5mpg under tow, and 16 otherwise) On the way up the steep switchbacks I had my eye on the transmission temperature. On the way down the exhaust brake once again proved its worth, keeping gravity at bay.


Point of Rocks campground, in Prescott, is in an area called Granite Dells, which has beautiful rock formations in pink granite. Its great to be able to walk out of the campground onto trails through such amazing landscapes.



The Prescott area has an amazing collection of trail systems. Most are multi-use (hike/bike/horse), and all are extremely well documented. The town wants to become a mountain biking destination, and definitely has the quantity and diversity of trails to draw crowds. I rode an excellent system of trails in the Granite Basin Recreational Area. The trails I rode were betwen 5500 and 5900', so I was definitely feeling the elevation, but the trails were so much fun, and scenery outstanding.


Just downhill from the campground is Watson Lake, where the rock formations surround, and are surrounded by water. Great trails wind around the rocks and shoreline.


I donned by pads and took the bike into the dells for some slickrock and boulder riding that was crazy fun:


And then Nancy and I rode an easier trail down around nearby Willow Lake:


So, lots of hiking and biking, and we just scratched the surface of what this town has to offer. We're moving tomorrow, but not far: just up the road towards Sedona, which also boasts a host of outdoor recreational opportunities. This is a great part of the country, and we're loving it!