Pine Loop Trail
Pine Loop Trail at night takes on a whole other meaning. It's far enough from Phoenix that the night sky is unpolluted by the lights of any city. The constellations are hard to make out because they are drowned by the light of the lesser stars.
1˝ Hours From Phoenix
If you'd like to take a stroll among some giant Saguaro cactus and have an afternoon to spend doing it, you can't go wrong with Pine Loop Trail. Located just off state highway 87 (the "Bee Line"), south of Payson, the trail starts at the Ballantine Trail parking lot. The Ballantine Trail, itself, starts at the other side of the hill, at the far end of Pine Loop Trail, 1˝ miles in either direction. But Pine Loop Trail is, itself, a pleasant diversion.
Michael and I recently visited Pine Loop Trail with our friends Carol and her granddaughter, Chelsea. My Mom came along for the trip, proving that Pine Loop Trail is fun for the whole family—even the 89-year-olds!
Carol and Chelsea, visiting from New York (Carol lives on Long Island and Chelsea lives in Manhattan), gave us the always welcome chance to "show off" our beautiful state.
At the beginning of April, when we visited, the cacti were just starting to bloom and the wildflowers were everywhere.
Who would guess, from driving by them in a car, that these prickly giants are so large?
How we love the friends who make it possible for us to enjoy Arizona all the more, by showing it to them!
Chelsea found every flower and rock fascinating, and helped us to see this beauty through the eyes of a very intelligent nine-year-old.
It's also a joy to be able to
share this with my Mom, who spends the summers with us here in Arizona, and the
winters with my sister in Florida. (That arrangement made more sense when we
lived in New Hampshire!)
She will be celebrating her 89th birthday this June, and we are so grateful she can still find time to enjoy the great outdoors with us.
Pine Loop Trail is definitely a stroll worth taking if you want to spend time with the Saguaros, and especially enjoyable if you can do it with friends and family.
And Then, The Stars Come Out!
