ReckonTrails Open the map

Arizona trails · Cooks Mesa

Cooks Mesa

A 12.1-mile out-and-back in Arizona, with 881 ft of climbing. Reaches Head of New River Tank and other lake/summit destinations.

Open in the interactive map →

Length
12.1 mi
Elevation gain
881 ft
Difficulty
Expert
Max grade
32%
Steepest mile
+593 ft
Tread at ≥10% grade
2.2 mi
Shape
out-and-back
Surface
Unpaved

Elevation profile

4,524 – 5,398 ft123456789101112

Most of the climbing sits in the final third — 63% of the ascent, between mile 8.0 and mile 12.1. It gives back about 1,551 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.

3-D terrain

3-D terrain view of Cooks Mesa

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Heads up

Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.

Daylight at the trailhead

On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:34 a.m., the sun rises at 6:00 a.m. and sets at 6:54 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:20 p.m. (MST) — 12 h 55 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 24.1-mile round trip takes roughly 9 h 49 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 3:49 p.m. — 3 h 05 min before sunset.

Nearby trails