The Outsider
Mogollon Rim Trail takes you to the edge of magnificence
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At the top of the Mogollon Rim, stop at the visitor information center on the southern side of state Route260 across from the turnoff to Woods Canyon Lake. The center has loads of information on the area's geology and wildlife, the view is terrific, and a sign will help you identify many mountains you see in the distance.
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When a trail includes the word "vista" in its name, you expect a lot. The Rim Lakes Vista Trail, northeast of Payson, delivers the goods, offering outstanding views of the Mogollon Rim and points south.
Much of the trail parallels state Route 260, so you're often aware of the growl of traffic in the background, even though the road is 50 feet or so below the trail. The superb views more than make up for the noise.
Begin the hike at the Rimtop Trailhead, between Woods Canyon Lake and Willow Springs Lake. Follow the trail markers (blue diamonds at first, then gray) to the southwest. Not long after crossing Forest Road 300, the trail approaches the edge of the rim, which it skirts all the way to the Military Sinkhole/Vista parking area. Return to the trailhead the way you came.
Where: Take I-10 to Phoenix. Take Loop 202 east, then state Route 87 (Beeline Highway) north to Payson and Route 260 east to Woods Canyon Lake Road, at the top of the Mogollon Rim. Turn north (left) on the road and proceed a couple of hundred yards to the Rimtop Trailhead, at a large parking area on the right. The Rim Lakes Vista Trail leads southwest out of the parking area.
When: Spring, summer and fall are best
Admission: Free
Facilities: Toilet
Length: 4-mile round trip
Difficulty: Fairly easy. For the most part, the trail is wide and easy to follow. Watch your footing along the rim.
Elevation change: Less than 100 feet
Highlights: For much of the hike, you're only yards from the edge of the rim, where rock outcrops provide plenty of places to sit and drink in the amazing views. Carpets of pine trees stretch to the south, with range after range of mountains silhouetted on the horizon. The Four Peaks are foreshortened to two in the south, and the great hump of Mount Ord is prominent in the southwest.
Details: (928) 535-4481.
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