Cold Water Springs
Cold Water Springs Trail is a 5.8-mile trail in Prescott National Forest, Arizona. The Forest Service rates it trail class 1, minimally developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Cedar Bench Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Prescott National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 34.3448° N, 111.7979° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 34.4022° N, 111.7971° W · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 5.8 miles |
| Trail class | 1, minimally developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 0027 |
| Forest | Prescott National Forest (unit 0309) |
| States | Arizona |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Cedar Bench WildernessFS · about 77% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Trails nearby
Camping nearby
No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedBrie Slash Piles Rx
30 mi from the trail midpoint · 700 acres
- PrescribedMccarty Piles Rx
32 mi from the trail midpoint · 832 acres
- PrescribedRx Payson Pits Tnf0401P
38 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedFrog Tank 2 Piles Rx
42 mi from the trail midpoint · 1,989 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
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Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Cold Water Springs Trail?
The Forest Service records 5.8 miles under this name in Prescott National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Cold Water Springs Trail?
Hiking and horse and pack stock are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Cold Water Springs Trail start?
The line begins at 34.3448° N, 111.7979° W and ends at 34.4022° N, 111.7971° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Cold Water Springs Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Cedar Bench Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Cedar Bench Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Cold Water Springs Trail?
No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. The camping section covers dispersed camping, which most National Forest land allows.
How developed is the Cold Water Springs Trail?
Trail class 1, which the Forest Service describes as minimally developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Cold Water Springs Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Cold Water Springs Trail?
Prescott National Forest, Forest Service unit 0309. The trail is in Arizona.
Is there a fire near the Cold Water Springs Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Brie Slash Piles Rx at 30 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named Cold Water Springs in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0309. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.