Arizona Hiking Trails: Other than the Grand Canyon

By: Jimmy Jooves

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. This trail is extremely difficult, but it is an amazing hike in the Wet Beaver Wilderness Area. The trip is 22 miles round trip and needs more than one day to complete. Do not bring children on this trail. It is punctuated by camps, Waldroup canyon (stunning), and waterfalls. You will get wet when you do this hike. In fact, a portion of the hike is done entirely walking through water. You make a large loop to come back out where you began.

Picacho Peak hike is not too far from Casa Grande. It provides a stunning view of the Sonora desert from the top. This seven-mile round trip is very steep at times, and has many switchbacks. And, if you take the alternate trail to return from the peak you will add an extra couple of miles.

Gloves are recommended on this hike, as it may be necessary to make use of the steel cables meant to aid hikers as they climb. Some Class 3 climbing necessary, so it is important to be in decent physical condition to complete this hike.

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. This hike starts in Utah, but right near the border, and immediately moves into Arizona. The road to the trailhead is frequently washed out, and so you need to keep a sharp eye on the weather to avoid flash floods. And, because the trail ends far away from the car, it's nice to take advantage of a shuttle for the ride back, especially since this a multi-day trip. Additionally, as you will be going through wilderness area, you will need to obtain a permit from the BLM.

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.

Other fantastic features include a cave "room" in one of the walls, Wrather Canyon (along with Wrather Arch), Judd Hollow, and other canyons and routes, as well as springs. The views and formations along this hike are amazing and worth the trip.

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Glenda Jao is the chief writer for, and editor of For Arizona, visit there today for the latest Arizona advice, and why not sign up for the free Arizona newsletter. If you want to read more Arizona articles go to: www.forarizona.com/articles
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