This new Arizona hike will be golden when the aspens turn. Here's how to try it

By: Mare Czinar

The Quaky Trail connects with other popular routes routes in Prescott National Forest just outside of downtown Prescott AZ.

It’s only a mile long, but the new Quaky Trail No. 741 in Prescott National Forest is a handy addition to the Bradshaw Ranger District routes in the Copper Basin Area. 

Opened last summer, the new single-track path is just a few miles from downtown Prescott and provides connectivity with several popular forest trails like Wolverton Mountain as well as the 51-mile Prescott Circle Trail. 

The fresh-cut Quaky Trail may be accessed from the Aspen Creek Trailhead or the nearby new Copper Basin Trailhead which has room for equestrian trailers. Reached either way, the trail is a beautiful work of construction.

How to hike the Quaky Trail in Prescott

From the Aspen Creek Trailhead, the hike begins with a 0.2-mile walk on Aspen Creek Trail No. 48. Then Trail No. 741 heads right, following the course of the creek. 

The entire route is shaded by ponderosa pines and creekside stands of boxelders, locust and oaks with an understory of brambles and wildflowers.