Roger Naylor, who’s written a book about Route 66 in Arizona, hikes about 1,000 miles a year, and he wrote in an article for the Arizona Republic one of his favorite places to hike in the state is Mesa Trail near Cool Springs Camp between Kingman and Oatman.
Part of the reason few people know about the trail is because the sign marking it often is missing. Naylor asked Cool Springs’ manager what happened to it; he replied the wild burros must have eaten it.
More facts about Mesa Trail near Cool Springs Camp:
- It’s 1.25 miles round-trip and listed as moderate difficulty. It is open to the public.
- The trail begins across Oatman Road (aka Route 66) from Cool Springs Camp and finishes atop a mesa with great views of the surrounding area.
- Ned Leuchtner, who finished a diligent restoration of Cool Springs Camp in December 2004, carved out the trail.
- Although you may be the only hiker on the trail, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re alone. Desert bighorn sheep and the previously mentioned wild burros commonly are found near the trail.
- Alas, the trail doesn’t lead you to Thimble Rock, which is north of Cool Springs Camp and one of the most distinctive peaks on Route 66.
A faint trail leading up to the mesa south of Cool Springs Camp may be seen in this satellite image from Google Maps.
Cool Springs opened in the 1920s, fell into decline when another alignment of Route 66 was built to the east in the 1950s, and eventually burned to the ground in the mid-1960s, leaving nothing but its stone foundations. The remains of the site were used in a explosion in a 1992 Jean-Claude Van Damme film, “Universal Soldier.”
Leutchner fell in love with the site during a Route 66 trip in 1997 and spent several years trying to buy the property and another three years rebuilding Cool Springs Camp to its original appearance. It’s now the site of a local museum and gift shop, where a cool drink can await you after your hike up and down the Mesa Trail.
(Image of Cool Springs Camp in 2014 by Victor Solanvoy via Flickr)