Arizona trails · Crest
Crest
A 12.7-mile network in Arizona, with 1,229 ft of climbing. Reaches Eagle Spring and other pass/spring/summit/viewpoint destinations. Managed by U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
Most of the climbing sits in the first third — 55% of the ascent, between mile 0.0 and mile 4.2. It gives back about 2,357 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Eagle Spring (spring)
- Round Park (pass)
- Bootlegger Saddle (pass)
- Hillside Spring (spring)
- Cima Park (pass)
- Cima Saddle (pass)
- Junction Saddle (pass)
- Juniper Spring (spring)
- Sentinel Peak (summit)
- Anita Park (pass)
Heads up
Getting there
CREST access. About 2 h 28 min drive (92 mi, 15 of them unpaved) from Benson. 31.91690, -109.26825 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:55 a.m., the sun rises at 6:19 a.m. and sets at 5:46 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:10 p.m. (MST) — 11 h 26 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 12.7-mile route takes roughly 5 h 20 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 11:39 a.m. — 6 h 06 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Pat Scott Canyon + Crest + Arizona National Scenic Trail — 9.5 mi loop, 2,120 ft gain
- CREST + Rock Creek Trail #259 + BOOTLEGGER — 5.6 mi loop, 664 ft gain
- PRICE CANYON + CREST + Sentinel Peak Cutoff Trail — 12.8 mi loop, 2,341 ft gain