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A Coalition of Non-motorized Trail Users
Creating Trails & Save Outdoor Spaces
As an organization we are concerned not only with building and maintaining sustainable trails, we are partners in creating safe outdoor spaces for our citizens and visitors to enjoy. As the municipalities grow, so does the traffic on our trail systems. YTA has a goal of increasing community awareness of trail etiquette, trail safety, user education, and continuing our practice of maintaining our trails at a sustainable standard.
You
Donate
As a very small entity with limited resources (but hard working volunteers) we need financial help in reaching these goals. So much of what needs to be done, requires marketing, publicity, and publications.
We Write
Grants
Our goal is to turn every dollar you donate into more funds by researching and writing grants for projects to continue the endless work to maintain and improve our trail systems.
Support
Trails
For example, in 2018, we received a grant for $12,824 for connectivity improvements to the Peavine Trail from Prescott to Chino Valley and $6,000 to provide a kiosk in the Dexter Neighborhood Community Garden.
Our major donors & supporters
We would like to thank these individuals and organizations for sharing our vision of protecting and preserving trails in our area.
Jill Anderson
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Barb Frank
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Susan Lucas
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Jan Mallon
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Bryon and Sally Prinzmetal
Proud Founders of
Prescott Circle Trail
The Prescott Circle Trail is a network of our best non-motorized trails that combine to make a 54 mile loop around Prescott. The PCT is jointly managed by the City of Prescott (25 miles) and Prescott National Forest (29 miles). The trail comes as close as three miles to downtown Prescott and is easily accessible with 15 trailheads along its length. A lap of the PCT has about 6000 feet of elevation gain and can be enjoyed as an adventurous one or two day trip or a multi-day trip over a period of days, weeks or months. Three of Prescott’s four seasons – spring, summer, and fall – offer superb conditions on the PCT.
Yavapai Trails Facebook
Current News & Events
Trail #347 has been posted to alert MTB users to "slow down" or lose the privilege of using this trail. This is a heavily used multi-purpose trail that has recently experienced user conflict. Severe brushing of blind corners has been mitigated. Let's all be more careful. This is a beautiful trail to be enjoyed by all. Let's respect the right of way. Happy trails.
So basically the people that don’t want mountain bikers can just complain about mountain bikers and get there way.
I recently moved 2 miles North of the WV trailhead for this trail and ride here a couple days a week, always mid-week and I've seen a grand total of TWO other bike riders and they were together....a guy who appeared to be teaching his beginner girlfriend how to ride. I run across multiple horse riders EVERY ride and always pull off the trail for them. Every single one of them has thanked me for pulling over and a few have added that they appreciate me having a bell. I'm guessing that if there is conflict it is usually on weekends. I think I counted 15-20 horse trailers out there last Saturday. Consequently, I don't ride there on weekends. It would be pretty simple to have it be "no bikes" on weekends to alleviate most of the issues.
Yavapai Trails Association thank you for your work on trails that many of us enjoy. I noticed the recent trail work on #347 when I rode it on January 7th. Most Prescott area trails users coexist peacefully on the trails while enjoying our particular hobbies. Like others, my trail use has consisted of hiking, equestrian, jogging, geocaching and mountain biking. It's great when we can get on the trail, enjoy our sport, and return back home safely. Mountain biking and hiking are my current passions. Over the past 4 years of mountain biking, most trail encounters with other users have been friendly. My close calls and one collision have been with other mountain bikers, one jogger and one hiker (both wearing earbuds). Yes, I use a TimberBell, practice trail etiquette, and prefer not cause pain nor be in pain. Is it possible to share links to the incident reports that have caused this trail to be considered restricted to mountain biking? It would be interesting to learn the exact nature of the situations that have caused this level of drama on trail #347. While speed and control is mentioned as a factor, it is completely subjective. Thank you.
If conflict is so ubiquitous that closure is truly being considered, I don’t get why U.S. Forest Service - Prescott National Forest just wouldn’t consider alternate day use on such a highly trafficked, popular flowy trail instead, particularly when it’s an essential part of a loop. Or build a parallel bike-only or horse-only trail to preserve the loop option for both user groups. I guarantee a complete ban would cause more problems than it would solve through poaching - that’s just reality, particularly when it abuts Wilderness area where bikes aren’t allowed anyway. It happens in CA all over the place when trails are completely and permanently closed to one user group. Complete bans are counterproductive, ineffective, and almost never enforceable long term due to lack of resources. There are more effective and more practical solutions.
Too bad..it’s probably just a few bad apples that ruin it for everyone..
Prescott Circle Trail Challenge™
Have you completed it yet?
Now why not get out and hike it, ride it or bike it yourself! www.yavapai-trails.org/prescott-circle-trail/
You asked. We listened. Chino Valley 4S parking lot now has equestrian boulders in place. Plenty of trailer parking. Please share, please enjoy!
Hello YTA Members with a CableOne.net email account from Sparklight.
We've heard: "Sparklight will discontinue offering residential email service in your area. As a result, your email accounts provided by Sparklight (name@cableone.net) will need to be transitioned to a new email provider ... . Customers with an existing Sparklight email address (name@cableone.net)" may be discontinued as early as December 9, 2020 but no later than end of 2021. support.sparklight.com/hc/en-us/articles/360053681314-Sparklight-Email-Retirement
YTA wants to continue to stay in touch with you, so please let us know if you have a different email address or as soon as you get a replacement email address. Just shoot us an email at yavapai.trails@gmail.com from your new account and tell us who you are and that this is from your new email account for membership contact purposes!
Thanks and good luck!
The Arizona Trail Association has a new Trail Skills Institute Video Series. The videos were produced in partnership with Flagline Trails, American Conservation Experience (ACE) and Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIil87zsEl0&feature=youtu.beClick is the first of three videos currently available: Why We Build Trails? The other two videos cover Desert Brushing Techniques and Evaluating Erosion.
A direct result of committed members of the community working collaboratively with the Forest Service and other government entities, the Prescott National Forest signed the final decision for the Greater Prescott Trails Plan (GPTP), Mid-Term Project #2 October 15, 2020. YTA is proud to have been part of the process.
The plan authorizes approximately 64 miles of motorized/multi-use trails. With the Seven Mile Gulch single track motorized trail system, the decision authorizes the removal of 40 miles of unauthorized/unsustainable trails while replacing them with a superior sustainable system. It also authorizes the construction of two new trailheads to improve trail system access, while decommissioning one unsustainable trailhead.Greater Prescott Trails Mid-Term #2 Decision Notice Signed; Authorizes ~64 miles of motorized/multi-use trails; Proposal and analysis funded by grant from AZ State Parks Off Highway Vehicle Sticker Fund: go.usa.gov/x794k #GPTP #SustainableRecreation
A load of boulders delivered to 4S parking lot of the Peavine in Chino Valley. These will be used as mounting blocks for equestrians. They will be moved into place soon by a volunteer with a front end loader.
Are these from the Drake Cement quarry?
New trail safety crossing signs installed by the Chino Valley Peavine. Thanks Chino Valley for improving trail use safety!
