Prescott to Jerome
 AZ Traverse:7 | |
| Trail in Google Maps | |
|---|---|
| creator: | Jeremy Edgar (edgear) |
| Dates: | June 19-20, 2009 |
| Distance: | 45 miles |
| Trail time: | 10 hours |
| Difficulty (1-5): | 3.0 |
| Vehicle classes: | High-clearance 4WD Small dualsport moto |
Contents |
Location details
Southwestern United States, Arizona, Northern Arizona, Yavapai County, Prescott, Cherry, Jerome, Mingus Mountain, Smiley Rock
Summary
Dirt roads connecting Prescott & Jerome, incorporating the difficult Smiley Rock trail on Mingus Mountain.
Detailed description
The majority of this route is very mellow driving on well maintained dirt roads. It begins west of Prescott on Highway 169 (Cherry Rd.) on the turnoff to the town of Cherry. Although the route does not go through Cherry, it is only about 1 mile out of the way. Cherry is a quaint town with a Bed & Breakfast. North of Cherry it is a very scenic drive up into the foothills of Mingus Mountain until reaching Highway 89A. The trailhead to Smiley Rock trail is just a few miles north of 89A, which is by far the most difficult section of this route. It mainly follows a wash bottom, and is very slow driving over rocks & boulders in 4LO. Some stacking may be required for stock vehicles with tires smaller than 31".
Terrain type / brush factor
Graded dirt road, rocky wash bottom, 10-15 feet wide, low brush factor.
Permits? Fees? Seasonal closures?
Must have a street legal vehicle. I believe that sections of the road are not maintained in the winter time, so there could be deep snow at times. No known fees at the current time for dispersed camping in established campgrounds.
Attendees (vehicles/people)
Land Rover Discovery II / Brian McVickers (mcvickoffroad); Jeremy Edgar (edgear)
Toyota Tacoma / Chris Marzonie (BajaTaco)
Land Rover Defender 110 / Scott Brady (expeditionswest)
Jeep Cherokee / Bobby Curtis (Purple People Eater); Caitlin
History, geology, etc.
General considerations
There did not appear to be any services in Cherry aside from the B&B, so plan on no services between Prescott & Jerome. Smiley Rock trail should only be driven by skilled 4WD drivers with 31" or larger tires, as body damage can occur. Jerome can be quite crowded on weekends, making it hard to find parking.
Resources/links
GPS units/laptops used for tracking/navigation: Garmin eTrex Vista C; DeLorme PN-40; HP laptop w/ Overland Navigator; MacBook running WindowsXP;
Navigation software used for planning/navigation: Overland Navigator; National Geographic TOPO!; Garmin MapSource Topo
Books/maps used for planning: Arizona Gazetteer
History of Prescott
History of Cherry
History of Jerome
Important waypoints as coordinates
Prescott trailhead: N34.52560 W112.08299
Important turns:
N34.58579 W112.05784
N34.69805 W112.13888
N34.71565 W112.16918
N34.71507 W112.17798
N34.72260 W112.17858
N34.74747 W112.21637
N34.76339 W112.23120
Jerome trailhead: N34.74900 W112.11375
