Arizona’s Mogollon Rim

– Eastbound from Pine to the 260 Trailhead –

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Vertical Gain/Loss (Ft.)

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About the Highline Trail

Arizona’s Highline Trail (#31) is a 58-mile National Recreation Trail running just below the edge of the Mogollon Rim near Payson, Arizona. Backpackers who head out to this demanding point-to-point trail do so in the spring or autumn to take advantage of moderate temperatures and the seasonal water sources.

The Mogollon Rim is a breathtaking escarpment characterized by rugged limestone and sandstone cliffs along the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. This scenic geologic feature cleaves Arizona into two distinct pieces separating the state’s northern ponderosa forests from the state’s southern deserts. The Highline Trail stays below the rim the entire way, taking hikers from Pine, Arizona to the 260 Trailhead (about four miles west of the Mogollon Rim Visitor Center).

The average elevation of the trail is 6,000 feet above sea level, making it especially challenging for those coming from sea level. Moreover, the trail is rarely flat or easy, forcing hikers to ascend and descent more than 20,000 vertical feet over the course of its rugged, rock-filled miles. But the scenery and wildlife are 100%worth the physical demands!