Mountain Biking On The Mogollon Rim

While researching the Arizona Trail (AZT) last week, I came across a story in the Payson Roundup about the Fred Haught Trail. Developed in the early 1900's as part of the Cabin Loop Trail System (a series of cabins used formerly by the Forest Service to spot fires), the trail passes through picturesque forest atop the Mogollon Rim (a dramatic escarpment that towers 1000's of feet over the desert floor in spots & is over 200 miles long).

Since long sections of the AZT travel through hot desert country, the idea of focusing my AZT ride on trails through the Rim's forests sounded appealing. I contacted the editor of the Roundup to see if enough trails existed on the Rim for a mountain biker to spend a few days bicycling there. In reply, both the newspaper's editor and the writer of the Fred Haught Trail story contacted me. This is what they wrote:

"From experience, I can tell you that the 260 trail, which is part of the Highline Trail is one of the best single tracks around. The Highline is a 50 mile trail, so I'm sure you could make a weekend out of it."

Autumn Phillips, Editor, Payson Roundup

"There are any number of trails around the area where the Fred Haught Trail is that are accessible by mountain bike. I wrote one up in a earlier edition of the paper at Willow Springs Lake, which is farther south on the Rim from the Haught Trail. There is an excellent campground (Sinkhole) near the lake that is part of the Forest Service system of campgrounds located in this part of Coconino/Tonto Forests. There are also a number of campgrounds along Forest Service Road 300 (known locally as the Rim Road), which runs along the west face of the rim. Cabins and motels are readily available in Payson, Pine, and Strawberry, all of which are nearby the Rim. The Forest Service has a District Ranger's office for Tonto Forest located just outside of Payson and it has a great deal of information about trails in the area.

I can reccomend two books that may be of help. One is available at the Payson Ranger's office. It is "Day Hikes & Trail Rides In Payson's Rim Country", by Roger and Ethel Freeman. The other is the "Official Guide to the Arizona Trail" by Tom Lorang Jones, which can be found at any local bookstore. I also found one that is out of print and somewhat outdated, but still useful online through Barnes and Nobel. It is "Rim Country Mountain Biking" by Jeffer L. Stevenson. It was published in 1995. There were several copies available through various bookstores affiliated with Barnes & Nobel. I hope this helps you."

Monte McCord

Following are some links based on the comments from Autumn & Monte:
- Monte's Story On The Fred Haught Trail
- Highline Trail
- Willow Springs Lake: Cool water on the Rim
- Campgrounds In Coconino National Forest
- US Gov't Trail/Forest Service Maps for Arizona