Highlands Center Trails
✓ Fact-checked October 2026
- Length
- 1.5 mi (Highlands Trail loop; Stretch-Pebble Loop about 0.75 mi; about 3 mi of trail on campus)
- Difficulty
- Easy · Network
- Trail number
- Highlands Trail #442; Stretch-Pebble Loop #443
- Surface
- Wide flat gravel (Stretch-Pebble); natural trail with moderate inclines (Highlands Trail)
- Open to
- Hikers
- Dogs
- On leash (not in the Discovery Gardens)
- Fee
- Free admission and parking; donations welcome
- Hours
- Trails: Oct–Mar 8am–6pm; Apr–Sep 7am–7pm, daily
- Facilities
- Restrooms, nature store, Discovery Gardens, free trail guides
- Best seasons
- Year-round; mornings in summer
- Shade
- Some
- Trailhead
- Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S Walker Rd, Prescott (about 2 mi south of Hwy 69)
- Managed by
- Highlands Center for Natural History
Trail conditions change with weather, fire restrictions, and maintenance. Check the managing agency before you go.
The Highlands Center for Natural History is a nonprofit nature center on an 80-acre campus in the Prescott National Forest, just off Walker Road near Lynx Lake, and its trails are some of the best easy walks in the area. They’re free, well kept, dog-friendly, and full of things to learn, with an interpretive geology stop, gardens, and a hilltop view. This is our guide to walking the Highlands Center trails.
What to expect on the trails
The campus has about 3 miles of trail, built around two loops:
- Stretch-Pebble Loop (#443), about 0.75 mile on a wide, flat gravel path that’s easy for strollers and little legs.
- Highlands Trail (#442), a 1.5-mile loop with moderate inclines and uneven ground that climbs to a high point with a 360-degree view over the Lynx Creek basin and the Prescott area.
Both loops have restrooms nearby, and both connect to Prescott National Forest trails, including the route toward Lynx Lake, so you can make a longer outing. Free trail guides are available, and the center offers a downloadable trail guide and geology map.
Highlights
- The Stretch Pebble Conglomerate, an interpretive rock outcrop that gives the easy loop its name.
- The hilltop view from the high point of the Highlands Trail.
- The James Family Discovery Gardens, plus a nature store on site.
- Free admission and parking, with donations welcome to support the center’s education programs.
Dogs, hours, and visiting
Leashed dogs are welcome on the trails everywhere except the Discovery Gardens. The trails and gardens are open seven days a week: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from October through March and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April through September. The office is open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the nature store Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The center is at 1375 S. Walker Road, about 2 miles south of Highway 69, and can be reached at (928) 776-9550.
Insider Tip: In June through August, walk in the morning. The center warns that the granite surfaces heat up on summer afternoons, and that’s hard on dogs’ paws, so bring extra water for your pup too.
When to go
The trails are open year-round. Spring brings wildflowers and birdsong, fall brings crisp mornings, and winter is quiet. Summer is best early in the day.
Make a day of it
The Lynx Lake Loop is just down Walker Road, so it’s easy to pair a nature walk with a lakeside picnic. The Highlands Center also runs classes, guided walks, and family programs; check its website for the current calendar, or see our events calendar.