WET BEAVER CREEK – BELL TRAIL
by Nigel Reynolds

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This hike is an hour’s drive from Prescott, but the scenery makes it well worthwhile. Take AZ 69 to Dewey, Cherry Road (AZ 169) to I-17, then north to the Sedona exit, #298. At the bottom of the exit ramp, turn right onto FR 218 (NOT left to Sedona). This narrow road is blacktop, but with some potholes. Continue for 2.0 miles, then turn left (north) onto a short section of dirt road (FR 218A) -- the Ranger Station is the first right off this dirt road – keep straight on to the trailhead parking (elevation 3800 feet).

Allow about two hours each way for the 3.3 miles hike to Bell Crossing at 4200 feet, including time to savor the scenery along the way. This beautiful spot is where the Bell Trail crosses Wet Beaver Creek and starts its real ascent to the higher plateau – we went no farther. One signboard [photo1] along the trail gives you information about the history of the Bell Trail. It was constructed in 1932 by Charles Bell to move cattle in summer up to the cooler grazing on top of the Mogollon Rim at 6300 feet plus. Another signboard shows a map of the extensive trails in this area [photo2], mostly longer, steeper and more challenging – my description is just of the Bell Trail. Along the creek you will find riparian trees such as sycamore [photo10] and alder, but farther from the water desert plants, such as prickly pear, ocotillo [photo5] and crucifixion thorn [photo3], flourish.

The start of the Bell Trail is a continuation of the road into the trailhead parking, but a locked gate, to the left of the restrooms, bars vehicles. The trail continues on this old road for almost two miles – an easy walk. At the beginning, the valley is quite broad, with red sandstone jutting out of the slopes in places, and lava forming the cliff below the rim. Wet Beaver Creek is off to your right, mostly out of sight. If you have a keen eye, you may notice an aqueduct below the road – sometimes an open ditch, other times a large white pipe. At a couple of points, you will see some black plastic corrugated half-pipe abandoned at the side of the road, which was intended for use in improving this aqueduct.

Twenty minutes from the trailhead, look for a huge isolated boulder of lava on the left of the road. There are some faded petroglyphs on the east face of this rock, best seen looking back down the trail. There are more petroglyphs on the same side of the trail on another rock, ten minutes later. You will reach the end of the road about an hour from the trailhead. At this point, the trail branches and becomes single track. Left is the Bell Trail and the right is the Weir Trail.

Take the left branch, which starts to climb almost immediately, eventually leaving the creek about 200 feet below. You will soon reach some narrow stretches, with steep drop-offs on the right – the cattle must have been well behaved along here, keeping to single file! Now the valley has become a canyon, and you are walking along next to red sandstone cliffs [photo3]. About 20 minutes from the Y, look on the left for an alcove in the red rock where there are some fascinating fins, or open boxes, of sandstone [photo4]. This is just before the trail does a sharp right bend and climbs steeply. At the top of this rise, a short spur to the right gives great views back down the canyon [photo5], as well as to the creek below. [see also photo6, past this viewpoint]

About 40 minutes from the Y (excluding stops), there is another junction. Go right to drop down to Bell Crossing where, if you are nimble, you may be able to step-stone across the creek dry-footed [photo7]. Despite the drought, there was a good flow this February. The Bell Trail continues on the far side of the creek, climbing up to the high pastures. If you go left at the previous junction, labeled Rim Trail, you can soon scramble down to reach the creek by some large swimming holes, with flat sandstone surfaces above the water [photo8]. You can also reach this area from Bell Crossing by easy bushwhacking along the creek, going upstream.

This is the most scenic spot on the hike [photo12], [photo13]. It is a wonderful place to relax and explore: taking the challenge of finding ways to climb up and down between the sandstone layers, descending to the water in some places [photo9], hopping over the boulders in the creek bed upstream [photo11], looking for photo opportunities.

Return to the trailhead by the same route as you hiked in. If you have time, turn left onto the Weir Trail when you reach the Y – you can see the weir if you look down from the trail about 5 minutes before reaching the Y [photo14]. This trail leads down to the creek where there is a modern gauging station and an old concrete weir [photo15] (under ¼ mile from the Y) [see also photo16, pool below the weir].