OK. This is a super short and super easy hike. It is slightly challenging if you take the direct route straight up. Going this direction, it is paved all the way to the base of the rock formation forming the top. Going this direction is also steeper than going the opposite direction (CCW). From here, you're climbing, not hiking. But that part is pretty easy too...just be careful and stay within your limits. Perigrin falcons nest on the top rock section and this section does have a nesting closure period which I believe is summer through fall...but you should research the exact range as I'm not sure. If you keep your eyes open, you can see them most times of the year...but they're fast! You can also get to the base of the rock section forming the top, by a dirt path. The grade is easier, but the path there is longer. You'll occasionally see mountain bikes on this path, so heads up. Regardless of which path you use to get to the top, keep your eyes open (& ears a listening) for rattlesnake. I've seen them multiple times hiking this area. I've also seen numerous hikers that let their dogs run free (against park rule). It would not be a good day for your dog if it gets bitten. read more

Thumb Butte Park - Hiking Near Me - Prescott, Arizona

6 words that say it all: This hike will kick your butt! lol My son and I hiked this around wintertime when it was still cold outside, I paid the $5 parking fee and we soon began our walk up the steep hill. If you have bad knees like I do, walking up is easier than down, my knees hurt so bad every step I took walking down because it was such a long steep down. I was able to make it to the top with my 7-year-old, surprisingly he enjoyed it all. Depending on your viewpoint, I saw someone had just arrived in the parking lot when we were getting ready to leave, thought it'd be nice to just give him my ticket so he could save $5. We were only there for like 1.5 hours. Tip: Also, if you just want to drive by it and take a nice mini scenic drive(because you're like me and you're curious to know what else is up that road..), keep driving on the road past the paid parking and you'll notice people will park on the side of the road and walk the more flat areas, there are further trails you'll notice. I drove the whole thing till it takes you to some nice houses that seem like they're in the middle of nowhere, more beautiful and all the high trees, you drive through the houses in a loop which will lead you back on the same road to head back into town. You'll see it, or just view it on your maps. I've driven it several times, absolutely beautiful views on this mini scenic drive, probably about 15-20 min drive. read more

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In Prescott hanging with a friend & we decided to go hiking. I like a good hike like everyone else but incline is the death of me . I prefer to climb thanks ‍. Thumb Butte made me feel like I was on the treadmill with an incline of 15. My pup loved it & it was a great workout. read more

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Great hike and amazing views. Two sides to walk up the mountain. A paved side and non paved side. Both have beautiful views.

We've lived in Prescott for more than 2 1/2 years and yet I had never hiked Thumb Butte! Most of the reason was my bad knees. I got both knees replaced last year, so I figured it was time. My husband did the hike last week and thought I could handle it. We did Trail 33, which is a popular trail, and considered moderate difficulty. On a Friday morning, it was not busy. While there were other hikers, it certainly was not crowded. Most of the hike we were behind two young women and a 4-year-old. I kept myself going by watching the 4-year-old scamper up and down the trail. It was a challenge. I'm carrying some extra weight and while I swim regularly, my hiking has been limited to 1 mile or so treks through the neighborhood. I'm also 67 years old - although we saw a few other seniors briskly making short work of the trail. We took the dirt path up to the base of the mountain and the paved path down. I do not recommend taking the paved path up. It is very steep. My husband went the reverse direction on his solo hike and found the paved path difficult to hike up, Going down It is not bad if you take it slowly. I recommend using a hiking stick if you have any balance or mobility issues. It helped me a lot. Part of the hike is shaded, but others are in the direct sun. It did not get past 75° today. I would not want to do this in the heat of summer. I took a 16-ounce bottle of water and drank it all. Next time I will bring my Camelback. According to my Apple Watch, we hiked 2.5 miles today. It took just under 2 hours. Others can do it faster. I'm just happy I did it! Will I do it again? Definitely. :) read more

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The main Thumb Butte loop, trails 33 to 314 is very popular for good reason as the views in all directions are great, there is ample parking (fee required), and it is a short, partially paved trail with some steep spots so good for a quick workout with view rewards. I like to get off the main path by carrying on to trails such as 314/326 south to a loop that you can make with 322, 327, 321 and back on 323 for an additional 3 miles with no crowds. The trails are well marked and you can download a free trail map for all of Prescott at www.Prescott-as.gov using an app called Avenza (free). read more

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Cute little hike that beat my butt! I was sore the next day in the calves. Or maybe I'm out of shape! Lol. If you want a nice easy trail, take the right side of the route. The left is more up hill with a lot of pavement. Also the honor system is used when paying for your parking pass of $5. You pay and place your cash in the envelope and drop it in the box. read more

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I have such a love hate relationship with this trail. It's a lot of switchbacks and uphill the whole way! Great conditioning trail if you're looking to up your endurance. If you continue past the top there's a sweet little memorial for hot shot fire fighters! When we went the top was blocked off for some bird nesting in the area. Still a good climb to the top. Dog friendly, no water on sight, parking fee. read more

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Went to Thumb Buttel Park to hike the famous Thumb Buttel trail. It was winter time and the trail was covered in snow and ice. We used spikes on the hike and had no issues. We came across other hikers that where not using spikes but I would recommend spikes for winter time. A good part of the trail is well shaded and the snow up there takes a lot longer to melt. This trail is a moderate 2.5 mile loop trail with a 688 foot elevation gain. I would recommend following the map I provided because its better on your knees to go up the steep part down the less steep part. It took us an hour and 45 minutes with lunch at Thumb Buttel. Because the trail was snowed over we never made it to the top of Thumb Buttel. Found a nice place on the side of Thumb Buttel to eat lunch. I don't know if you can or are even allowed to go to the top. We definitely could not figure out how to get up there. The trail is pretty good with some cool views and history of the area. This is not the first trail I would recommend but definitely not a bad one to check out. The park/parking area has bathrooms and running water. The fee was $5 to park. Looking to do this one in the summer next time for sunset or sunrise. Hop read more

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Extremely clean! We took our SUV on the unmanaged roads and had a blast. The views were amazing! Highly recommend this location if you're in the area looking for something to do! read more

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Started hiking up the steep side of Thumb Butte then continued down a trail on the back side. Found a large area of vegetation that had been burned and was charred . Had a nice easy hike after climbing the front side of Thumb Butte. Had a biker and a few hikers pass by. Recommend this hike. There are handicapped accessible bathrooms. Ladies bathroom was clean, all but one toilet. read more

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What an awesome place to stop for photo opportunities, you can feel the energy of the entire valley here !!! read more

Thumb Butte Park - Hiking Near Me - Prescott, Arizona

Nice place for a hike just a short drive from downtown Prescott. The parking was ample when we were there. The trail up and around the top of the butte is well marked and you're rewarded with a nice view when you make it up. read more

Thumb Butte Park - Hiking Near Me - Prescott, Arizona

What an awesome hike! Came with my wife on Christmas Eve and hiked in the frigid cold (well at least compared to our Phoenix standards hehe). We started on the left and it was a challenging uphill climb but well worth the view! As others have already described, you can see the entire town of Prescott on one side and the mountains/national forest on the other. I wanted to climb all the way to the summit of the butte but realized my boots didn't have the best traction and did not want to become a Christmas casualty :P I'll be back for sure in the spring/summer and come prepared with my better hiking shoes. read more

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This is a strange little area that is a little ride through the suburbs. We looked at it from all sides and agreed. It is aptly names. I would highly recommend to take a look. read more

Thumb Butte Park - Thumb Butte Prescott National Forest Prescott AZ - Hiking Near Me - Prescott, Arizona

Came here a second time now & realized if you start on the paved pathway direction you're going to get very tired very quickly lol. Because the angle of the trail is very steep, whereas of you start on the other path the opposite side, it's much more gradual. Fun fact :) read more

One of my favorite hikes in Prescott! It has whatever sort of hike you may be in the mood for. If you want a steep hike, that's more of a workout, go up the main entrance and take the left path. :) it takes about an hour to complete all the way through. If you want more of an even trail hike, take the right! You can turn around once at the top, or go down the steep way, which is fun. If you want more of a secluded hike, there are other trail heads that begin to the right of the actual entrance, around the mtn. Those are usually less busy, and offer more forest views. If you are there during the summers, the very top, the peak, will be closed off due to the Peregrine falcons nesting. This doesn't really interfere with the normal trails though, only means you can't climb to the very tippy top! Wednesday's are free parking days! Otherwise it's about $4 per vehicle. Also (leashed) dog friendly! read more

Thumb Butte Park - Hiking Near Me - Prescott, Arizona

For an arid part of the country, Prescott and it's surrounding environments can be spectacular. I had the chance to shot a Mountain Bike Race there and do some hiking. And honestly, I could have hiked all day if I had stayed longer. Bring good shoes, plenty of water and if you are older you might want a walking stick or two. There were people using them and the ground is rocky in places. I recommend stopping at times to just enjoy the view. read more

We drove up from Phoenix for a day trip and wanted to get a hike in. We have an almost 2 year old daughter so we were looking for something that would be family friendly, but also allow us to get some exercise in. This was the PERFECT fit. Thanks to yelp reviewers for leading us to it! We went up the left side it is an incline no doubt, but the paved trail makes it really accessible for people with any moderate level of fitness. My almost 2 year old walked up the entire trail if that gives you an idea. Going down the other side was a nice change of pace with more dirt/rocks/gravel trail. The park and trail are easy to find, the park has maps, which is great. Restrooms on site. Bring your $5 to park! read more

Thumb Butte Park - Thumb Butte Park. Great hike! Family friendly! - Hiking Near Me - Prescott, Arizona

Trail #33 at Thumb Butte Park was a really awesome hike. I was a little surprised by the $5 parking charge but it turned out to be well worth it. FYI, apparently it is free on Wednesdays and if you are a local you can buy a 3 month or yearly pass. There is no attendant on site that I saw. To pay you just put the money in an envelope with your license plate # on it. So be sure to bring cash or check. The good thing is that it is a pretty large parking lot. They also had bathrooms and a picnic area so that is cool. To get to trail #33 you have to go up some little stairs leading from the parking lot and then cross to the other side of the road. There wasn't much traffic so that was not a problem. The trail is a loop and everyone seemed to be heading up to the left but the signage said to start on the right and I am a rule follower so that is what we did. I am really glad since the other way is insanely steep and would have been really tough going uphill. I guess if you like a challenge or want to get the hard part over with in the beginning then you might want to do that but I don't think I could have handled that much of an incline going up. I think we spent at least 3 hours on this trail even though it is only 1.75 miles. It was so beautiful and there are many stops along the way that you will want to pause and drink in the scenery or take pictures. They even provide benches, how awesome is that! Since I live in Phoenix I really enjoyed being surrounded by forest and I just wanted to savor our time there. We also saw lots of cool birds when we stopped to be quiet for a few moments. I love the fact that they have plaques along the trail so you can read more about the plants and animals. I am a nerd so I stopped to read every single one. I do hope they update them soon because some of them were so old and worn they were illegible. Of course the best part was getting to the top and there is a spur trail that leads to a really amazing lookout area. It was very cool because in one direction all you could see was Prescott National Forest and in the other direction you had a birds eye view of the whole town of Prescott. And it was pretty neat to see the rock face of Thumb Butte up close. I guess you can do rock climbing all the way up to the very top but that was closed since it was nesting season for the Peregrine Falcons. Not that I would have done that anyway, just getting back down to the parking lot was enough of an adventure for me, that was a real steep and quick decent. I am glad that part was paved so that it wasn't slippery (it had rained the previous day). I was really impressed with how well maintained this trail was. It seems like they thought of everything. Thumb Butte is definitely five star worthy. read more

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Beautiful and serene! I can see a big group getting together and having a nice picnic and a cookout! The ramada is by reservation only that could fit around 100 people. Great trails and nice grounds. The bathrooms are very clean...the vanilla smell must be the fave here in town. My son found a dead rhino beetle underneath the composting leaves. We're onto something here. Majestic trees dot the park. There's a creek that runs through it. Easy hiking trails. There's a $5 dollar charge for a day's pass. We'll be back to hunt for those beetles! read more

Beautiful, moderate hike in Prescott. The path is a loop of 1.75 but a workout indeed. It offers a heart working exercise with scenic views of forest and Prescott. One side of the path is paved, steep and has switch backs with stunning views. The other side is a longer, dirt path more immersed in trees. Two completely different trails in one loop. This is one of my favorite hikes due to its views, cardio effect and distance. It's also dog friendly. read more

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Cool hike. You don't acutely climb thumb butte but around it. Paved hiked will definitely increase your heart rate. $5 dollar parking bathrooms and safe parking areas. read more

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Fantastic short day hike, good facilities. If you've got an overnight in Prescott, take a flashlight, be careful to stay on the trails and head up to Rhumb Butte to watch the moon rise over the city. Gorgeous. "Due to its proximity to downtown Prescott, Thumb Butte Trail #33 is one of the most popular and heavily used hiking trails on the Prescott National Forest. Signs along the trail identify vegetation and explain forest ecology. The trail climbs steeply to a ridge just below the rocky crest of Thumb Butte. Here, Groom Creek Vista offers spectacular panoramic views of the Prescott area, Bradshaw Mountains, Sierra Prieta Mountains, Granite Mountain, Mingus Mountain, and, on clear days, the San Francisco Peaks. During certain times of the year, peregrine falcons nest on the rugged basalt crags of Thumb Butte. There may be closures in place to protect their habitat--please obey all posted signs." - Forest Service brochure. read more

Arrived in town early before check in to my hotel, so I decided to hike a bit. Very nice park, fairly close to downtown. Trails are multiple with different difficulty levels. Restrooms have running water. Parking is free on Wednesdays. read more

Clean premises, beautiful views, well maintained trail. Not much else to say about it, yay nature!

Very solid hike that trails off into a nice bouldering area. The path is all paved with handrails and benches for stops. It's like doing a stairstepper for 30min. Great views on the city and surrounding mountains and forest. read more

Awesome hike! Nice and cool on summer morning a great cardio workout. The scenery is beautiful!

If you need a hike that equals a good workout, Thumb butte, which is visable throughout most of Prescott, is picturesque at a distance and up close offers the feeling of a "foresty" hiking experience, just a few miles from downtown. Follow Gurley St. east and park at the base of the Butte, there you'll find the usual amenities the Nationa Park Service offers, including restrooms and picnic facilities, with parking and park entry fees on the honor system (so do the right thing). The choices of ascension are; easy to the left and challenging to the right, neither of which is really that difficult or easy and the best option is to go up one path then descend the other. Bring water, some beef jerky (or tofu jerky) and a camera to capture the views on all sides; to the NE, the San Fransico Peaks(that's ski country,and there is snow visible during season), to the west National Forest, south a low density development and east the "Old West" town of Prescott. Falcons nest at the apex in spring and early summer, and their habitat is closed to the public while they "date", however you can get close enough to get in some better than average sightings. When you are allowed to make it to the top, there you will find a perch that brings a peaceful breeze along with a small sense of accomplishment. For the extreme hiker, try jogging down the "easy" path, but don't be affraid of falling down, " 'Cause it's not really a hike....... if you don't fall down..." read more

This is just a great hike and close to the town. Do bring water. You have a choice, straight up, a 30 minute stair stepper as someone else mentioned, or to the right. Amazing views. They do charge to park, but seniors, over 62, can get a pass from the National Park Service that works here for $10, $20 if you do it by mail. Good for your lifetime. Heard it will increase soon to $80 so get it now. Got mine at the Ranger Station in Sedona a few years back and it has really saved money. read more

one of my favorite 2 mile loops. going up the left side is quite a challenge and the right side meanders a bit more. so depending on what kind of hike you want you can tailor this trail for what you need. I like the crazy cardio of going up the left then jogging down the right side. Make sure to take a breather at the top and enjoy the amazing views once you're up there - stunning city views on one side and lovely mountains on the other They do allow dogs but they must be leashed. and it's $5 (honor system) to park. Please pay; it's worth every penny and will help to maintain the park! read more