3.4 miles
Distance
586 ft
Climb
-360 ft
Descent
02:26:18
Avg time
Supporters, Builders, Maintainers & Land Managers of Houston Brothers Trail

  • USFS
    Land Manager

Houston Brothers Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Cabin Loops
    Happy Jack, Arizona
  • Ref Number
    #171
  • Difficulty Rating
    Black Diamond rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Black Diamond (1 vote)
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T2 Mountain Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Direction
    Both Directions
  • Climb Difficulty
    Black Diamond
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    spring, summer, autumn
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    No
  • Global Ranking
    #74838 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #57220 in Trail Running
    • #37412 in Hiking
  • Local Popularity
    20 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 90 in Trail Running
    • 65 in Hiking
    • 5 in Horseback
  • Land Owner
    Mogollon Rim District - 928-477-2255

For much of its length the Houston Brothers Trail wanders along the bottom of Houston Draw, a picturesque little valley through which a spring-fed perennial stream flows. The scenery here is mostly pastoral with a few photogenic rock outcrops and aspen groves to remind you that you are in Rim country.

This trail served a number of purposes during a heyday that stretched over most of the first half of this century. The Houston brothers were ranchers who used it for moving livestock from one part of the range to another. The Forest Service used the trail to move fire guards into isolated forest cabins where they were on twenty-four hour duty during times of high fire danger. Evidence of both of these pages out of the trail's history is visible at a number of locations, including a cabin site which Gifford Pinchot, father of the U. S. Forest Service singled out for its peaceful beauty. Today this trail is part of the Cabin Loop trail system, which provides an opportunity for Forest visitors to relive an aspect of Forest history while they enjoy the area's natural beauty.

source: Houston Brothers Trail
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
More Stats for Houston Brothers multi-use trail trail
  • Altitude change
    226 ft
  • Altitude min
    7,526 ft
  • Altitude max
    7,808 ft
  • Altitude start
    7,567 ft
  • Altitude end
    7,792 ft
  • Grade
    1.2%
  • Grade max
    -33.1%
  • Grade min
    35.6%
  • Distance climb
    2 miles
  • Distance down
    1 mile
  • Distance flat
    1,017 ft
  • Avg time
    02:26:18
  • Avg reverse time
    01:38:43
  • view trail stats
Status:
on Aug 5, 2024
Ideal
Avg: 3.89 (4 votes)
Your vote: 0

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  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
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      Directions to houston-brothers trailhead (34.457220, -111.201120)
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      Houston Brothers Trail Reports

      statusdatedescription
      Aug 5, 2024 @ 11:19am
      Aug 5, 2024
      		 Saw a group of elk. One 2 ft diameter tree down, rest of trail is generally clear.
      Oct 21, 2023 @ 8:27am
      Oct 21, 2023
      		 Trees down everywhere
      May 24, 2020 @ 11:20am
      May 24, 2020
      		 Explore around the top of the natural spring at Aspen cabin. There's a geocache with some cool stuff.
      Apr 24, 2020 @ 2:25pm
      Apr 24, 2020
      		 Some downed trees. No mud. Boring XC ride.
      Sep 4, 2019 @ 11:44am
      Sep 4, 2019
      		 The 2-3miles around the cabins are pretty fun! The 5 miles between the rim and the central parking area is rough going. Be a much better climber...
      view all reports »

      Recent Ridelog Activity on Trail

      Past Week
      • 0 rides
      •  
      6 Months
      • 0 rides
      •  
      All
      • 3 rides
      • Last: Sep 28, 2024

      Technical Trail Features (TTF)

      Photos

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      Routes with this trail

      titledistance
      Mogollon Rim Beginner Bikepack66 miles
      AES Cabin Fever 201834 miles

      5 Reviews & Comments


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      Videos

      more »
      Houston Brothers - South Half (Mogollon Rim, AZ)
      12:55 | 17 | Jan 23, 2025 , Happy Jack
      Cabin Loop - Mogollon Rim, AZ
      47 | Jan 31, 2025 , Happy Jack

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