Lynx Creek Loop

The Lynx Creek Loop trail is located within Fain Park in Prescott Valley. Parking is available directly at Fain Park, which serves as the trailhead for this and other interconnected trails in the area.

Yes, the Lynx Creek Loop is generally dog-friendly. However, it's always best to keep your dog on a leash and ensure you clean up after them to maintain the park's cleanliness and respect other visitors.

The trail can be enjoyed year-round, but spring and fall generally offer the most pleasant weather for hiking. Summers can be hot, and while winter hiking is possible, be aware that seasonal flooding and washouts can occasionally affect certain sections of the trail.

No, there are typically no permits or entrance fees required to access the Lynx Creek Loop trail within Fain Park. The park is open to the public.

Yes, the Lynx Creek Loop is considered an easy to moderate hike, making it suitable for beginners and families. It features a relatively short distance and varied but generally manageable terrain, with minimal elevation changes.

The trail offers diverse scenery, winding through scrubby highlands, slender canyons, and leafy backwaters behind Fain Lake's dam. You'll also encounter calm shorelines, a created waterfall, and stony grottos along Lynx Creek. The creek-side environment is notably mineral-rich.

A significant highlight of the trail is its emphasis on the area's gold mining past. You can see a collection of defunct mining equipment on display, including rusty gears, cogs, jacks, and a magnificently restored stamp mill. Informational signs explain the function of these relics in gold extraction.

Yes, the Lynx Creek Loop is part of an interconnected trail system within Fain Park. It combines with the Cavalry Trail to form a 1.6-mile circumference tour, and there are other 'loopy trails' around Fain Lake that you can explore.

The Lynx Creek Loop is approximately 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) long. Most hikers can expect to complete the loop in about 40-45 minutes, depending on their pace and how often they stop to enjoy the scenery or historical markers.

Fain Park is a 100-acre property centered around Fain Lake. Besides hiking the Lynx Creek Loop, the park offers opportunities for fishing (Fain Lake is regularly stocked with rainbow trout), gold panning, and picnicking. It's a great spot for a full day of outdoor activities.