Dick Hart Ridge

Dick Hart Ridge, also called FR 139, is set in the Ponderosa pine forest atop the Mogollon Rim in the vast 1.856-million acres Coconino National Forest. The road crosses three of the five hiking trails that constitute the Cabin Loop, one of Arizona's preeminent backpacking destinations. Dick Hart Ridge ends at the Mogollon Rim and Rim Road, one of the most scenic and storied offroad drives in Arizona. The views from the Rim's 3000-foot escarpment are simply breathtaking. The road is set on a prominent ridge named after a stockman who operated a sheep shearing facility on the east side of the spine, thus becoming Dick Hart Ridge. A separate trail ran east/west to the shearing shed set by a spring in a small canyon. One of the men at the shearing plant was so accomplished with his scissors that locals came to him for a haircut, earning the canyon and trail the moniker Barbershop which still is used today. The southern end of Dick Hart Ridge climbs above 7000' and receives a good deal of rainfall. The forest here is still primarily pines, but stands of fir and spruce mix in as well. Elk, deer, bear, turkeys, and a few million squirrels call this primordial forest home. You will definitely see the squirrels, and likely see some elk. Keep your eyes open, and who knows what else you might see along Dick Hart Ridge.