How to hike Prescott landmark P Mountain
From its northern terminus at State Route 69 to where it meets the Ranch Trail in Prescott National Forest, the Badger Mountain Trail delivers a continual joyride through changing vistas and ecozones.
The 6.77-mile route winds around the undulating edges and gullies of what is better known as P Mountain — a high-visibility hill inscribed with a big white “P” that stands out over a sea of shopping centers, hotels and casinos.
Located just over a mile from historic downtown Prescott, the Badger Mountain Trail links the Prescott Mile-High Trail System, Prescott Circle Trail and forest service paths.
The route is accessible via connecting trails at either end. However, neither terminus has parking, so the best way to get into the heart of the trail is to use the Turley Trailhead that’s tucked into a suburban neighborhood. This access point puts hikers smack in the middle of the trail.
Map signs posted at junctions make following the trail simple. From the trailhead, begin by hiking 0.6 mile on the Turley/Badger Connector to the signed turnoff for Badger Mountain. For the best views and most variety, head right at the signpost and into the core of the uphill trek.
Initially, the sparsely shaded trail unpacks great views of iconic Prescott geological formations Granite Mountain and Thumb Butte. As the trail makes its gradual ascent up the mountain’s west flanks, views of sprawling Prescott Valley and the distant peaks of Flagstaff dominate the skyline.
At a little past the 1-mile point from the trailhead, the route makes an abrupt bend into the first of several drainage areas it will traverse where the vegetation changes from high-desert scrub to oak-conifer woodlands.
The trail makes long, easy curves in and around these leafy corridors providing dappled shade and breaks from the sun-exposed slopes. Vistas also alternate among big valleys, green ravines and the pine-covered peaks of the Sierra Prieta Mountains to the west.
Near the 2-mile point, the route enters the national forest for the final climb to the Ranch Trail junction. This makes for a good turn-around point. Or continue on the Ranch Trail for 3.8 miles to Walker Road near the Lynx Lake Recreation Area.