"Today was an exploration day! Neither of us had ever been east of I-17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff, and we were intrigued by the Arizona trail travelling through the area, the topo maps and promise of elevation (and thus cooler temperatures), and the general promise of new things to see and do. On a whim, we decided to head to Dairy Springs Campground, as Ken had seen a picture of a trail sign that said both the Arizona Trail and Mormon Mountain summit could be reached from that trailhead. So - we took the scenic route from Phoenix to Mormon Lake (which, lies, is no longer a lake - it should be renamed Mormon Meadows) on AZ-87 through Payson, Strawberry, Pine, and other small communities until we got onto the forest service road. Everything was paved and very well maintained, well signed, etc. The trail was also well-maintained and decently well-signed. It's a decently steep climb for the first 2 miles and then the grade levels off and is much more gentle near the summit. The Mormon Mountain Trail actually dead-ends at an unpaved forest service road that is mostly used for servicing the communication towers at the top of Mormon Mountain. That being said, the summit itself is to t..." — psychikingjes • May 30, 2021

"I made the slight mistake of entering “Mormon Mountain” in Google Maps instead of “Mormon Mountain Trailhead”. It took me on a long dirt road to the backside of Mormon Mountain. At a junction there was a faint sign identifying the direction to the mountain. The road at that point was too rough for me to drive on so I began my hike there. I followed the road to the communication facility and the summit. This was definitely a backwoods approach to the top but it got the job done." — MikeTeeples • Jul 24, 2019

"Pretty hike in old growth forest. The views are lacking but once you find the true summit (a hump with a sign marked M32) in the woods behind the towers area, climb down a little to a rocky chute and the scenery opens with a grand view of the San Francisco peaks." — Gabsolute • Aug 6, 2017