We’ve gone into detail in these pages about many of the most popular and healthy outdoor adventures Greater Prescott offers — hiking, cycling, mountain biking, kayaking, camping, to name a few. But there’s a lot more you can do around here; some add a twist to the activities you’ve already tried, while others are in leagues of their own!
Trail running This is a great way to build your strength and endurance while chasing your personal best through our forests and mountains. Softer dirt and gravel surfaces are easier on joints, and while uneven terrain slows you down, it provides valuable interval-like training.
Geocaching
This one is a true adventure in which you use GPS coordinates to find trinkets in cleverly hidden containers, many locked by a puzzle that must be solved first. The Prescott area alone has thousands of caches, many requiring some significant hiking to get to.
Birding
This lower-tech treasure hunt takes walkers and hikers all over creation hoping to spot or photograph rare, migratory, native and other avian species. Greater Prescott’s location and climate attracts a lot of birds, as well as people. Watson and Willow lakes are deemed an “important bird area” by Audubon, and bald eagles headline the diversity at Lynx, Goldwater and other forest lakes.
Foraging
This is another outdoor quest, this time the search for edible foods in the wild. Take a guidebook with you to determine which vegetation is healthful versus toxic and know any applicable regulations before heading out. For example, the U.S. Forest Service requires a permit for collection of plants or plant material for as little as $20. Once you have an idea what you’re doing, you can find a considerable culinary selection, starting with prickly pear fruit.
Fishing
You can make this activity as adventurous or relaxing as you want it to be. Fain Lake in Prescott Valley along with Watson and Willow lakes in Prescott; and Goldwater, Lynx, Granite Basin and Mingus lakes in Prescott all are periodically stocked by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. For details visit www.azgfd.com/fishing/locations/prescott