Mescal Trail

The southeast end of Mescal Trail is accessed from the Long Canyon trailhead. You'll get your blood pumping right away to get up the initial climb. It's short, rocky, and quickly changes back to rolling trail.

The trail tops out and then travels toward Mescal Mountain, a gigantic red sandstone butte. The meat of the route is a traverse on the southern side along a long continuous slickrock ledge.

After some smooth red dirt, there's one big push onto the first section of slickrock. Once on the sandstone surface you'll run along a fairly level elevation, occasionally going up down or around short sections of steps or boulders.

As Mescal Trail rounds the butte on the west end, the view becomes breathtaking into Boynton Canyon. Take in the scenery before a descent to the end of the trail. Turn right here to access Deadmans Pass, or bear left to connect to Aerie.