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Weekend Warriors
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If a hike up a permanent stream through a desert canyon appeals to you, then you'll like this hike. This hike is located near Winkleman, AZ. To get to the West trailhead: from the Phoenix area, take US-60 East toward Superior, AZ. At Superior, turn South on HWY-177 towards Winkleman. Continue South on HWY-77 for about 11 miles to Aravaipa Canyon Road on your left. The road turns to dirt and it's another 12 miles to the BLM trailhead. The dirt road is OK for cars if they go slowly. Be Aware of: boulder hopping, route finding, flash flood danger, lots of walking through water, permits required 30 yr old Recommendation: walking in water is fun! It's a fun hike for those of us that don't need a flat, well marked trail. You control how long you want to hike. This is a Moderate hike. Elevation change: about 400 ft. Distance: The canyon length is 10.5 miles one way. Time: We went a little more than half way in and turned around. It took us a leisurely six and a half hours with a 30 minute stop for lunch. Time of year: Spring or Fall Solitude: Not many people on this hike. The permit system caps the maximum amount of people in the canyon at about 40. A permit from the BLM is required for this hike. The BLM-Safford office is (520) 348-4400. Make your reservations several months in advance, as weekends fill up quickly. There's a small fee to pay at the trailhead after you get your reservation. Most of the hiking you will do on this hike will be in the creek. It's definitely a different kind of hike than most. There is no marked trail as you just follow the creek the entire hike. You will get wet and your progress will be slow. Don't be frustrated, relax and enjoy it. There's lots of vegetation and shade on this hike. As an added bonus, hiking in the creek is about 10 degrees cooler than hiking in the nearby desert. There's plenty of wildlife in the canyon. We saw several groups of Javelena as well as a Arizona Diamondback Rattlesnake (a little too close up for our comfort). There's lots of side canyons to explore as well. For full enjoyment of this area, you might want to camp a night and spend some time exploring the side canyons during the day.
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