August 2022
Hiking Yavapai
Stan Bindell

Odell Lake

Odell Lake is a great find in Munds Park. Those who live or work in the area know about it, but most who live in Flagstaff and elsewhere drive close to it on I-17 without knowing anything about it.

Osprey nest

Our hike accessed Odell Lake via the Crystal Point Trail, part of the Munds Park Trail system, which offers more than 100 miles of trails, so you can do as little or as much as you like.

Munds Park is 21 miles south of Flagstaff,  just over the Yavapai County border in Coconino. I want to thank Marilyn Koch from the North Mountain Visitors Center hiking group for leading this hike, which started at the Iron Springs trailhead. The route took us from there, north of the town, around out to the east and back to the southeast corner of town again, where we’d left a vehicle.

We hiked one mile to the junction where we hooked into Munds Canyon Trail 240. This first mile was muddy from the recent rain, but the rest of the trail was dry and we were able to get the clumps of mud off our boots. Cloud cover helped keep it cool, but there was no rain on this day.

Since we were virtually the only hikers on the trail, the trek through the pine forest was very peaceful as we enjoyed the shade. Indian paintbrush and penstemons dotted the trail, as well as white and yellow wildflowers.

Showy Goldeneye

About 2.5 miles on we entered the next phase of the hike, on the Pinewood Trail. After 1.3 miles on that we reached the final stretch on the Crystal Point Trail. There was a short climb up on Crystal Point, about 400 feet up in elevation, just enough to offer some good views of Sedona, before dropping back down to Odell Lake.

At one point we crossed a dry stream bed, thinking how nice it would have been if the rains had come and the water was running.

Just before the lake we spotted two points of interest, one an empty osprey nest, the other a makeshift timber fort or lean-to.

The lake was the highlight of this trek, emerald green with a few kayakers and a multitude of bird life. After seeing the empty nest I didn’t expect to see one, but there the osprey was, flying over the lake in all its glory. There were also geese, red-winged blackbirds, yellow-headed blackbirds and a great blue heron (see Bird of the Month – ed.). Bald eagles are also known to visit this reservoir, but they weren’t apparent this time.

Odell Lake attracts geese and other birds

Fishing is another attraction of the lake, which holds crappie, northern pike and bullheads.

The only irritation were the fenced-off shoreline areas related to homes that prevented us from walking around the lake. In the public area you can go walk right up to the water’s edge, and there are shady trees and big rocks and a bench to sit on.

AllTrails.com lists twelve scenic trails in the Munds Park system, and thanks to the Munds Park Trail Stewards they are well maintained. Rocky Road and Little Horse are a two trails not yet listed in this reference.

Stump fort

The Munds Park Stewards say their goals are to establish “and maintain multi-use trails in the Coconino National Forest surrounding Munds Park, provide for the safety and enjoyment of those using the forest, promote healthy forest ecology, and act as a liaison between the Munds Park community and the National Forest. They have removed truckloads of old barbed wire and an abandoned car from the forest, conducted group hikes, and partnered with Willow Bend Environmental Education Center for children’s activities.

Directions: From I-17 in Munds Park take the Pinewood Boulevard exit 322 (Forest Road 240) and continue 0.8 mile to Crestline Road. Turn left and go 0.8 mile (becomes Oak Drive) to Iron Springs Road, turn right and go 0.2 mile to the trailhead gate. Park along the road, pass through the gate and hike 0.3 mile to the big kiosk, and you’ve arrived at the Iron Springs trailhead.

Photos by Stan Bindell.

Stan Bindell is always looking for a good hike. If you have one, contact him at thebluesmagician@gmail. com