Sierra Prieta

Sierra Prieta is a 50k trail race in Prescott, Arizona, named for the mountain range west of town. The range is in central-northwest Arizona, beside the Bradshaw Mountains and near the edge of the Arizona transition zone. Prescott also hosts related Saddles 100 events, including 50- and 100-mile trail walks, and the nearby Margonaut is a trail marathon in Granite Dells. The landscape around the race features hard, recognizable landmarks: Thumb Butte rises on Prescott's west side, Granite Mountain is the range high point, and Mount Francis marks the southern end near the Bradshaws. Granite Mountain overlooks Williamson Valley, while Little Granite Mountain, Tonto Mountain, West Spruce Mountain, and Williams Peak fill out the rough middle of the range. The name carries old Arizona cowboy flavor: Sierra Prieta was pronounced "The Sierry Petes" in cowboy camps and appeared in Gail Gardner's poem "Tyin' A Knot In The Devil's Tail."