Nelson
Nelson Trail is an 8.7-mile trail in Prescott National Forest, Arizona. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Pine Mountain 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 | 34.3254° N, 111.8365° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 34.2817° N, 111.8699° 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 | 8.7 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 8-10 percent |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 0159 |
| 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
- Pine Mountain WildernessFS · about 89% 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
Salt Flat Trailhead Open Spring | under 0.1 mi |
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.
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
34 mi from the trail midpoint · 700 acres
- PrescribedMccarty Piles Rx
35 mi from the trail midpoint · 832 acres
- PrescribedRx Payson Pits Tnf0401P
40 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedFrog Tank 2 Piles Rx
47 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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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Nelson Trail?
The Forest Service records 8.7 miles under this name in Prescott National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Nelson 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 Nelson Trail start?
The line begins at 34.3254° N, 111.8365° W and ends at 34.2817° N, 111.8699° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Salt Flat Trailhead, under 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Nelson Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Pine Mountain Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Pine Mountain Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Nelson 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 Nelson Trail?
Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately 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 Nelson Trail?
The typical grade is 8-10 percent.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Nelson Trail?
Prescott National Forest, Forest Service unit 0309. The trail is in Arizona.
Is there a fire near the Nelson 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 34 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named Nelson 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.