Ridge Trail Hike

The Pipe Spring National Monument recreates a Mormon settlement from the late 1800s in an obscure corner of Arizona. A great loop trail offers a bonus to the marvelous fort and exhibits of the monument for those who have the time and inclination to climb the ridge behind the fort. The trail starts just to the west of the fort and immediately climbs the short ridge behind the fort on a series of long switchbacks. The panorama of the stark and beautiful landscape of the Arizona Strip unfolds as the trail climbs. Signs attest to the fact that the land surrounding the monument is part of the Kaibab Paiute Reservation. The trail follows along the top of the ridge and heads down the other side to arrive at the fort and offers views of the corrals, garden, and orchard in the settlement. A visit to the longhorn cattle and horses in the corral is worth a stop at the end of the hike.