From Rails to Trails, Building a Greenway

Combined effort of volunteers, community members, and the City of Prescott facilitated the first steps in the Rails-to-Trails project of the Peavine railroad bed more than a decade ago. The excitement surrounding this project is reminiscent of the original arrival of the Peavine Railroad, more than a century ago.

In a time of dusty wagons and horse drawn carriages the railroad made for effective and relatively safe travel through wild western lands. Today, the successful opening of Prescott's section of the Peavine Trail once again provides for safe and effective travel through the unruly lands of the industrialized west.

The Peavine has the potential to connect Prescott, Prescott Valley, and Chino Valley in the name of greenspace and pedestrian travel. The Peavine Trail has become a major component in an envisioned plan for a system of linked trails

To reach their goals, the trail organizers outlined a general plan documenting their future objectives.

"The General Plan is a continually evolving draft document in a constant process of revision based upon the input of public involvement and committee members," said long-range planner George Worley. "It is unlikely that the plan will be solidifying the exact details of trail locations and individual connecting routes but it will set the stage for implementation."

Prescott received a $240,000 grant from the Intermodal Surface Transportation Enhancement Act to pay for the first five and a half miles of the trail in 1990. Prescott Valley received a similar grant, and Chino Valley has also purchased the section of the old rail bed in their region.

In Prescott the completed section of the Peavine Trail starts near Sundog Ranch Rd. and Hwy 89. The trail wanders into the dramatically beautiful Granite Dells toward Chino Valley. The Peavine connection will lead to Chino Valley through fragrant sagebrush. Prescott Valley's rolling grasslands will be equally accessible.

A $495,000 grant was awarded to Prescott in 1997 to fund further expansion to link the Peavine Trail with Chino Valley's section. Once Chino Valley and Prescott's sections are joined there will be 9.5 miles of trail along which locals and visitors can run, walk, or ride.

According to Sue Knaup, of Prescott Alternative Transportation, a Federal Transportation Enhancement Program will fund the connection of the Peavine Trail sections. A volunteer trail crew under the direction of Eric Smith, Prescott's Open Space and Trails Coordinator, has already begun work.

This current project is only the beginning of the vision outlined by the Prescott General Plan to have a complete interlocked trail system. The Prescott Circle Trail also plays a crucial role in this dream. This non-motorized trail will encircle the Prescott basin, joining networks of trails, including the Peavine and Pioneer Parkway.

West Granite Creek Park Transportation Trail, completed in 2001, is an important part in the greenway transportation system. This trail and others that follow the creek systems in town will someday join downtown Prescott with the Peavine Trail.

The Peavine trail follows the route of a former railway called The Santa Fe, Prescott, and Phoenix, a section of which is known as the Prescott eastern, the old P. & E. Arizona old-timers affectionately named it 'Peavine' for the many twists and curves it follows throughout the terrain.

Wandering the Peavine Trail through the ancient dells, up the bank of Watson Lake, through Boulder creek, and across old railroad junction, makes it easy to picture this lands' history.

A glimpse of Thumb Butte through these ancient boulders inspires the imagination. Try to picture the crag through the eyes of cowboys and miners of the old West. Sink back into 1893 when Prescott's dusty streets were stirred as hundreds of settlers eagerly await the first arrival of the shiny new Peavine railroad.

Peering into the Sharlot Hall archives reveals the Granite Dells as one of the most feared regions of the territory. The mosaic of boulders provided plenty of cover for Indians and outlaws, making mail carriers and stagecoaches easy targets. The new railroad was built to provide relatively safe passage.

The Peavine was the second attempt for a successful railroad in Prescott. The first rail, The Prescott and Arizona Central, also known as the Bullock line, transversed 72 miles through Seligman, Chino and Prescott. The route was unknowingly laid out on low ground and was plagued with frequent washouts. By the end of the century it was a disaster.

Frank Murphy planned the new rail line that would travel overland 57 miles to link Prescott with Ash Fork through the Granite Dells. From Prescott, the Peavine continued south to Phoenix.

Building the railroad cost $5 million and required 500 workers to hammer and blast through 198 miles of rock and to construct 334 bridges.

The railroad promised to bring travelers, especially rich investors from the east, to further develop the region. Therefore, the proposition was well supported by the decision makers in Prescott.

As expected, the railroad brought many new faces and the population increased dramatically. Soon Prescott was booming, literally, as miners, capitalists and investors came to carve their niche in the Bradshaw Mountains.

The railroad saved the mine, but as mining declined, so did the rail. Without mining cargo the railroad was unable to sustain itself. But today, the Peavine has been given a chance to once again become an important part of the Prescott community. Through the development of greenways and a successful Rails-to-Trails project, it will provide transit of a peaceful, ecologically safer, kind.