The first time I visited “Preskitt”, I left unimpressed of the one day spent on the bike. Granted the next days were spent in scenic Sedona, and nearby Flagstaff provides top billing riding as well. Although I don’t usually follow suggested routes in tour books, we picked Lynx Loop in Cosmic Ray’s book as a warm-up for the weekend. The 305 trail winds its way through a forest of trees, past Lynx Lake, as it gradually climbs over 6.8 miles. But at the halfway mark, the return route turned into a frustrating navigational exercise, second guessing moto trails, and dodging through an active timber cutting area. The 305 remains a great out & back for nearly all riders, but Ray needs to revamp this ride as it is no longer a premier loop.
Yet my second visit to Prescott had me right back climbing on the 305 on the first ride. This time I would be the one to blame if the route didn’t live up to expectations. Barely a 1.5 miles in, we opted for a side trip to Lynx Creek pueblo ruins.
The ruins aren’t nearly as dramatic as nearby Tuzigoot National Monument, but you can make out the foundation of the small pueblo. We also tacked on an additional loop of Salida Gulch Trail 94.
On the way there, you may see folks panning for gold along the creek bed.
The loop is best done in a clockwise direction. We kept watch for some petroglyphs but managed to miss them on the climb.
Granite Basin can be seen to the west at the top of the loop.
Back on 305 we head to Lynx Lake for a snack break.
As the trail winds its way past the Lynx and Hilltop campgrounds, the flow picks up as does the elevation gain.
Reaching the end of 305 at Bannie Mine Rd, the real climbing begins on 297.
With a fire some years prior, views of the surrounding terrain and Prescott Valley come into view.
Smith Ravine trail has two fun short descents and even throws some brief sections of hike-a-bike at you.
Once at the forest road, it just under a 1.5 mi to Spruce Mtn
The lookout tower was closed, but still offers great views of Prescott Valley.
Lynx Lake can seen below and the western edge of Sedona in the distance.
The trail home consisted of a bit of forest road and a series of ridgeline trails.
Trail 62 provides some good descent if you don’t mind occasional ruts and loose rock. Chasing the remaining day’s remaining light, shadows are casted over the valley.
Maybe it was the side trips, the altitude, or that my legs hadn’t climbed nearly 4,000’ in a while, but allow yourself plenty of time if doing this loop. The route took about 2 hours longer than I budgeted, but has all the makings of an epic ride to include some of the highest terrain in the area. This time Prescott was finally revealing itself with it’s true potential and only made me hungry for more. After filling our stomachs at Red Robin on the east side of town, it was off to bed to dream of the next day’s singletrack.
As a note, most of Prescott’s popular trailheads have a resident care taker, a daily fee, and gates close at 7pm. It’s good for keeping trail & vehicle vandalism within check, but not so good if you’re running late as many places have signed towing. An alternate parking location would be Costco just as you turn onto Walker Rd. Additionally, all National Forest campgrounds around Prescott are available on a first-come, first-served basis. However Lynx Lake and Hilltop campgrounds can fill quickly on weekends.
Lynx Lake-Spruce Mtn
Distance: 26.5 mi
Acesent: 3,792’
Start Elevation: 5,627’
Highest Elevation: 7,614’
