Five Amazing Hiking Trails in Arizona
Everyone knows that you can go to Arizona and hike the Grand Canyon, but what about other trails? There is plenty of great hiking in Arizona that has nothing to do with jockeying for position at the Grand Canyon. Many of them are difficult, but they reward with beauty that is seldom matched anywhere in the world. Here are five of the best.
Wet Beaver Loop. The Wet Beaver Wilderness Area provides an amazing 22 miles round trip. It is advisable to not bring children along as this hike is extremely difficult and takes more than a day to complete. Be prepared to get wet as a fair portion of this hike requires walking through water. This hike takes you in a large loop to end up where you started from. You will encounter camps and waterfalls along the way and the stunning Waldroup canyon.
Picacho Peak. This hiking trail is fairly close to the Casa Grande and once you reach the top, you will be rewarded with a stunning view of the Sonora desert. The trail offers two options: the shorter seven mile round trip or the nine-odd mile trip if you return using the alternate trail from the peak. This is a fairly steep hike with numerous switchbacks.
It is advisable to wear gloves on this hike and you may need to use steel cables to aid your climb at times. You must be in good physical condition to undertake this hike as some Class 3 climbing will be necessary.
Kendrick Mountain. This is a moderately easy trail, involving a 9.2 miles round trip. You will be able to look at a cabin and encounter some spectacular views of Mount Humphreys, Red Mountain, Sycamore Canyon, and also the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Towards the end of this trail, there are a series of short switchbacks which will also provide some amazing views.
Paria Canyon. The Paria Canyon hike begins near the Utah border and immediately afterwards moves into Arizona. It is a multi-day trail, which will end far away from your car, so you will have to take the shuttle for the ride back. You must also keep a sharp lookout on the weather as the trailhead gets frequently washed out due to flash floods. In addition, permits from the BLM will be required as this trail will take you through the wilderness area.
The trail becomes prone to quicksand and quite muddy, especially if you go just after the rains. You will have to pick around quite a bit on this trail and in fact, there will be no trail once you reach the canyon. The only way is to follow the river. You will be walking through a narrow slot canyon with spectacular formation. Remember to avoid this trail if rain is forecast as there is no escape from flash floods in the Narrows.
This trail offers some fantastic features including a cave "room" in one of the walls, Judd Hollow, the Wrather Canyon and the Wrather Arch. There are also various other routes, springs and canyons, the formations and views of which make this hike an amazing and worthwhile experience.
About the author: Glenda Jao is the chief writer at For Arizona, there's a wealth of knowledge on the website, plus why not sign up for the free Arizona newsletter. If you want to read more Arizona articles go to: http://www.forarizona.com/articles
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