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Beale continued his road west from the mouth of
Canyon Diablo past Cosnino Caves and on to the foot of the San
Francisco Peaks. The road continued through what is now Flagstaff
and then on to Leroux Springs. Jack Beale Smith has located the
road and marked it with commemorative signs in several places
around the city of Flagstaff. Route 66 and other streets and roads
in Flagstaff follow Beale's road in many places.
The road roughly followed an earlier route used
for centuries by aboriginal groups. The Beale Trail was a precursor
to the 1882 transcontinental Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (Santa
Fe) and Route 66, both of which parallel the road. Until the
railroad arrived, the Beale Road was one of the most important
roads in Arizona. It continued to be used extensively until the
1940s, and many US Forest Service roads are presently located where
the Beale Road used to be.
This historic trail has as much to offer the
modern traveler as it did the ranchers and immigrants of the 1860s
and 70s: broad vistas stretch out across a backdrop of high
mountain peaks; wild turkey, deer and elk frequent the area, and
red-tailed hawks and antelope are common on the prairies.
Relatively few stretches of the Beale Wagon Road allow hikers and
horseback riders a chance to travel into the past, but two of the
best areas are the open grasslands of Government Prairie and dense
pinyon-juniper woodlands near Laws Spring.
The US Forest Service has developed the Beale
Wagon Road into a recreational trail. The route makes use of forest
roads and trails which have been marked with rock cairns, brass cap
markers, tree blazes, and 4" by 4" wood posts. A trail-way has not
been cleared on all trail sections, so it can be a challenge to
follow.
Trailheads, with interpretive signs, are planned,
but currently Laws Spring has the only developed parking facility
along the trail. The trail sections are open only to hikers and
horseback riders. Portions of the historic route that are part of
the forest road system may be accessed by any means, including
motor vehicles and mountain bicycles.
The trail is 19.5 miles one-way, because of a
variety of access points provided along the way, your length and
time may vary. Remember to bring lots of water. The best time to do
this hike is in the late spring or fall. The Beale Road traverses
the Kaibab National Forest, running east-west, primarily across the
Ranger District. It is north of and roughly parallels Interstate
40. There are about 30 miles of cinder or gravel surfaced roads
intersect the Beale Road. Forest Road 141 is suitable for passenger
vehicles, on all other roads a high clearance vehicle is
recommended. Because of weather and changing road conditions please
check with the local Ranger District to verify that the road is
still passable by car.
The Beale Wagon Road is still visible in many
places today and has been well documented in north central Arizona
by Jack Beale Smith in a series of booklets called Tales of the
Beale Road.
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