Riding on the Rim in Arizona

Article by Jaimie Hall
Photos by WIlliam Hall

Standing on the edge of the Arizona’s Mogollon Rim, it is easy to think you are standing on the edge of time. To the south and north lie millions of acres of forest. In fact, from Baker Butte at 8,034 feet on a clear day you can see as far south as the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson and north to the Hopi mesas. Though now broken by a few ribbons of highway and dots of civilization, most of it looks as unsettled as it was in the 1800s when this was an Apache stronghold and General Crook and his men rode the land, making it safe for miners and ranchers.

During the first decades of the 1900s, author Zane Grey lived off and on right below the rim at the headwaters of Tonto Creek, churning out western novels, movie scripts and short stories. This was true cowboy and Indian country, with plenty of massacres, lynchings, range wars and feuds to provide Grey with story ideas.
Today this section of the Mogollon Rim (pronounced “muggy-own”) is a summer recreational paradise for hikers, campers and RVers.

Summer in Arizona?

Many people think of Arizona as entirely desert—strictly a winter destination. In fact, the Mogollon Rim, that sharply defined edge of the four-state Colorado Plateau, runs at high elevation from northwest Arizona across the entire state and into New Mexico. In these mountains and highlands are thousands of forested acres.

“Arizona Rim Country” has come to mean the pine-covered highlands of east-central Arizona, loosely bounded by Payson on the south, Chevelon Crossing on the north, with Strawberry on the west and just beyond Heber and Overgaard on the east. This land is mostly administered by three national forests: Coconino, Apache-Sitgreaves, and Tonto.

No matter what your interests are, there is plenty to do in Rim Country.

On the Rim

Start with a visit to one of the ranger stations in the area. A map is essential. The Mogollon Rim Illustrated Camping/Hiking Guide Map, available for purchase at ranger stations, includes 20 popular hikes for all abilities, and a list of developed and undeveloped Forest Service campgrounds. It is wise to check on conditions on any roads before you drive since downed trees can sometimes block access.

Drive the Rim Road (Forest Road 300) to see impressive views and drop-away cliffs. Suitable for most vehicles, it runs about 50 miles along the entire rim between highways 87 and 260 and takes several hours with stops. It is usually closed in winter. Several pullouts provide grand views. The east entrance off Highway 260 is the better section for doing only part of the drive. An information center is located at the turnoff. Many roads lead north off FR 300, some requiring four-wheel-drive or high-clearance vehicles. A nice all-day trip is to drive the loop from Payson north on Highway 87 to FR 300 and then back to Payson on Highway 260.

On foot or horseback you can travel through forests, meadows, rugged canyons and to historic sites and scenic views. Hike or ride along the Rim on portions of the General Crook Trail, paralleling FR 300 and marked by blazes and chevrons. One rather strenuous hike on the Rim takes you down to the Mineral Belt Railroad Tunnel. The tunnel was part of a plan to connect Arizona north to south. The big obstacle was the Rim, but James W. Eddy had a scheme to bore through it. Seventy feet were drilled in 1883 before Eddy ran out of money and work stopped.

An easy 1.5-mile round-trip hike off FR 123 takes you to the monument and site of the 1882 Battle of Big Dry Wash, the last big battle between substantial numbers of Apaches and U.S. troops.

A nice family hike loops around Woods Canyon Lake. Woods Canyon is one of several stocked lakes on the Rim and is the most developed, with boat rentals, a store, picnic area and five campgrounds.

Most of the campgrounds on the top of the Rim are open from April or May through September or October. Check at a ranger station. Reservations are required for some and recommended for others. You can also dry camp off forest roads in lovely, secluded clearings.

Hundreds of miles of forest roads and trails give mountain bikers and riders of ATVs ample opportunity to explore. On certain Forest Service roads, ATVs must be street-legal to operate. Some hiking trails, such as the Highline Trail below the Rim, are suitable for mountain bikers.

Below the Rim

You can find a campground with hookups at Payson, which is about 45 minutes from the Rim, and you will also find the Rim Country Museum there. You can pick up visitor information at the Chamber of Commerce and the Payson ranger station.

Heading north on Highway 87 takes you through the hamlets of Pine and Strawberry. Pine has a museum and a number of arts and crafts shops, while Strawberry features the historic one-room Strawberry School House, which was built in the 1880s. On the way to Pine, visit Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, which has the largest travertine bridge in the world. Hikes lead to the bottom. It’s a good place to picnic too.

Summers in the mountains of Arizona create wonderful memories: hiking through wilderness areas or camping by a mountain lake, inhaling the scent of the butterscotch-scented trunks of huge Ponderosa pine, or feasting your eyes on extended views. Whether you are looking for rest and relaxation, active exploring or fishing, you’ll find it in Arizona Rim Country.

Jaimie Hall is a travel writer who live in Arizona.