We should have known better than to assume our first steep, rocky climb along the Brown Mountain Loop Trail would land us at the high point. The trail is considered moderately challenging with less than 700 feet of elevation gain. We thought we’d nailed the climbing in record time. Until we looked ahead.
A steeper and rockier path lay ahead.
Spring is turning the Sonoran Desert green.Wildflowers are beginning to bloom.A barrel cactus is surrounded.
As it turned out, we reached the trail summit (3,000’ elevation) after our second climb, only to drop down before making two more shorter ascents. The 4.2-mile trail, located in Tucson Mountain Park, offers 360° views of the surrounding desert landscape, a particularly beautiful scene this time of year.
The trail ahead would lead us back to the valley floor.
We enjoyed an easy start along the trail to Bridal Wreath Falls.
The trail to Bridal Wreath Falls was a bit of a challenge, but the idea of seeing a waterfall in the desert was a novelty for us. Located in the eastern side of Saguaro National Park, the 7.75-mile trek rises 1,200 feet above the valley floor, eventually leading to the base of the small waterfall. We found a perfect lunch spot tucked beneath the shade of a giant boulder.
The climb was unforgiving, but seeing the falls (top right) was the reward…along with the expansive views of the downhill trip (left top and center).
Catalina State Park
The Santa Catalina Mountains form a backdrop for our hike on the Dead Horse Canyon Trail.
With one wrong turn, we managed to make this 4.6-mile Catalina State Park trail into just under six miles. The gorgeous Mountain views (almost) made up for the extra mileage, half of which was uphill. We reached the end, 900 feet above our starting point, and after a quick lunch started back down.
The no-name waterfall was not much more than a trickle (top right), but it provided a pleasant lunch spot view.
The trail description warned there would be no “warmup” when starting the Hugh Norris Trail, one of the many trails found in Saguaro National Park West. One grumpy AllTrails reviewer complained the “1,000 horse steps were senseless for hiking trails.” I’ve never heard of horse steps and I’m pretty sure 1,000 was an exaggeration, although I didn’t count them. We stopped to read the information board then immediately began the climb up all those steps. The trail leads to 4,639’ Wasson Peak, a climb we chose not to do. Instead, our plan would lead us up to an elevation just over 3,600’, an elevation gain of 1,260’ before heading back down along a section of the Sendero Esperanza Trail, then joining the Dobbie Wash which would lead us back to our starting point.
It wasn’t long before our uphill trek revealed astounding views.
The steps continued.What felt like a summit offered just a short respite.
The best view (and favorite photo) of the day.
Still climbing, searching for the perfect lunch spot.Not so comfortable for sitting, but a pretty good view.
After lunch, it was all downhill. We quickly reached the parking lot after cheating (just a little) and walking the last bit along the road.
Our feet enjoyed the Sandy soil of the final Dobbie Wash section.
Saguaro cactus welcome us to the trail with happy waves.
Tucson Mountain Park was our choice for a day hike during our short stay. The park has a network of trails and an abundance of saguaro cactus scattered throughout the mountains and valleys. Unique to Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, these slow-growing giants can reach 40-60 feet and live 150-200 years.
Enchanted Hills Trailhead sounded magical.Soon we were surrounded by saguaros of all sizes.And more saguaros…
Saguaros have the classic cactus look, and are easily identifiable . Standing tall, arms pointing upwards, waving at all who pass by. They are the charming, charismatic hosts of the Sonoran Desert.
Reg is hoping to set foot on as many of the country’s national trails as possible.
Flagstaff, Arizona welcomed us yesterday with some bitterly cold snow and ferocious nighttime winds. We huddled in bed under two blankets and a thick quilt as the trailer rattled and shook. What would the morning bring? We awoke to sunshine and temperatures expected to soar into the 50s. Perfect hiking weather.
Before heading east, Reg was hoping to sample a section of the Arizona National Scenic Trail, a trail that stretches 800 miles through Arizona from Mexico north to the Utah state border. We found the Fisher Point trailhead just south of town. The relatively short 8-mile out and back piece of the Arizona Trail promised an endpoint view high above nearby Walnut Canyon.
Our guidebook warned us of an 846-foot overall elevation gain, but as we followed the trail it seemed to take us more downhill rather than the uphill we were expecting. We marched on until we came to a fork in the trail. As we turned to the left, Fisher Point rose from the valley floor. It looked like we were going to make the majority of that elevation gain all at once.
There it was…the climb we were promised. Fisher Point awaited us at the top.
We climbed up through evergreens, stepping over rocks and around downed trees until finally reaching the top. It is a gorgeous view, however Walnut Canyon lies far below, mostly hidden by the trees and steep walls. We were able to catch a glimpse by creeping up to the edge where the rocky ledge offered a natural bench for our picnic lunch. It was a good day!
We bumped into a couple from Montana the other day while hiking an off-the-beaten-path trail outside of Camp Verde, Arizona. Both raved about the nearby Bell Trail, claiming the hike was beautiful and led to an intriguing feature not to be missed. “Be sure to go to the end of the trail to see The Crack,” they advised.
The view from the parking lot of the Bell Trail didn’t appear to promise spectacular scenery.
The trail followed a gradual incline through the dry desert landscape, paralleling Wet Beaver Creek.
The trail became rougher and rocky as it climbed higher. Soon we found ourselves among towering red rock cliffs, with the creek far below us. As we came around the last bend there it was. We saw several groups of people gathered above it…The Crack. Reg found a perfect lunch spot and we settled in to watch who might be brave enough to take it on.
We enjoyed our picnic lunch safely, high above The Crack.
From our perch we could see the deep channel the creek cut between the rocky cliffs. What appeared to be a deep pool of water flowed between rapids both upstream and downstream, creating a tempting swimming hole after a long hot hike. We had heard that only the bravest jumped from the cliff, a plunge of about 20 feet.
These two young men seemed to contemplate a jump. We were happy they seemed to decide against it.
We heard whoops and screams as a few hardy folks made their way to the water’s edge and took a dip. Cold was the consensus of the courageous few.
The Granite Dells spill into Watson Lake reservoir.
Several folks insisted the great hiking through unusual rock formations (know as Granite Dells) just outside the city of Prescott, Arizona was not to be missed. We packed our lunch, filled our water bottles and set off over the hill to see what all the fuss was about.
We began our walk along the Peavine Trail.
A network of trails wrapped around, through and sometimes over the unusually shaped Granite Dells.
These granite boulders were formed 1.4 billion years ago, slowly exposed and shaped by erosion and weathering. Wandering through this geologic wonderland is like entering another world.
We loved the walking, but finding a shady spot for lunch wasn’t easy.
A short path off the main trail led to a vista point.
We normally prefer circular hikes that allow us to avoid retracing our steps, but there was only one way out of Boynton Canyon…at least only one safe way out. We followed the dusty red trail in until it dropped us down into the forest, beneath a cover of evergreens. Climbing began toward the end of the trail where we scrambled up a narrow channel of boulders, emerging onto a large, smooth rock outcropping, scattered with handful of other determined hikers enjoying the view.
A lunch spot with a gorgeous view greeted us at the trails end.
I try to remember to stop and look up every so often when hiking rather than carefully watching where I put my every footstep. The views were on our return trip were incredibly rewarding.
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