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Thumb Butte
4.9 ★★★★★ 193 Google reviews · Running trail in Prescott, Arizona · Hours vary
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Loop distance
- 1 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Not reported
Confirmed from Thumb Butte's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Hiking area featuring well-marked trails that lead to the top of the butte for scenic views.
What runners say about Thumb Butte
“This is such a beautiful hike, and excellent views on the way up the steep paved trail.”
“There was good signage and plenty of Parking.”
I arrived at 9:30 on a Wednesday morning. There was good signage and plenty of Parking. Trail to the summit was paved to to the summit and was a good workout on a smooth surface. Highly recommend!
Amazing hike, make sure you take the back way up it's so much more enjoyable. The views are awesome and right now it's not eagle mating season so the ascent is clear. It's 5$ for parking but they do take card there is also a bunch of mountain biking I would like to check out after the daily rain calms down.
A 2 mile hike with approximately a 900 foot climb. The east side is paved while the west side is rocky. Bring your hat as it is sunny on both east and west side. Lots of benches for breaks and the parking area has bathrooms and a picnic area.
One of the best hiking experiences i’ve ever had. The 1st with the trail is pretty easy to finish but the 2nd part which leads to the top of the mountain is tough. You need to be careful. Stunning view is a nice reward.
Trail conditions & character
“The views are awesome and right now it's not eagle mating season so the ascent is clear.”
“Took trail 33 which is a couple of miles long with some steep sections but most of them paved.”
“This is a loop and there are two ways to start; the left is steeper no flat terrain all the way up (it’s one mile up), the right is more gradual not paved but gravel.”
“It's 5$ for parking but they do take card there is also a bunch of mountain biking I would like to check out after the daily rain calms down.”
“Lots of benches for breaks and the parking area has bathrooms and a picnic area.”
“The east side is paved while the west side is rocky.”
“This is a loop and there are two ways to start; the left is steeper no flat terrain all the way up (it’s one mile up), the right is more gradual not paved but gravel.”
Plan your run at Thumb Butte
The practical stuff
- AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Loop distance1 mi back to where you parked
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- Websitefs.usda.gov
- Phone(928) 443-8000
- Social Instagram · Facebook
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