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Weekend Warriors Arizona Hiking Guide
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If an easy hike to a forest sinkhole appeals to you, then you'll like this hike. This hike is located near Payson, AZ. To get to the trailhead: from the Phoenix area, take HWY-87 North toward Payson. Once in Payson, take HWY-260 East towards Heber. After 36 miles of driving, make a right at the signed turnoff to Canyon Point Campground. Take the B camping loop and keep an eye on your right for the trailhead. My guess is there are other ways to this trailhead as well. Be Aware of: The trailhead is a little tricky to find as it is buried inside a large campground. 30 yr old Recommendation: This is a good hike for the kids. Bring them along on this easy hike. Elevation change: about 100 ft to the bottom of the sinkhole. Distance: To the bottom of the sinkhole and back is 1.4 miles. Time: It took us about an hour, but we had young kids with us, so we went more slowly than usual. Time of year: Spring, Summer, Fall Solitude: Surprisingly good, although I suspect sometimes it can get busy. When we went late in the day on a Saturday, we had this hike all to ourselves. This well marked walk to a sinkhole is a very nice hike for kids or beginning hikers. The hike starts within the spacious Canyon Point campground. The trail goes through the pine forest, through a fence, and into a more dense pine forest. After a short amount of flat hiking, the edge of the sinkhole is sighted. Be sure to follow the trail into the sinkhole itself, as the forest in this area has a very magical feel to it. You'll have to go there to see what I mean. There are all manner of lush greenery here, including elusive ferns. We spotted rabbits chewing on wild strawberries. At the bottom are some tree stumps that make for nice chairs to relax and reflect on this peaceful place. When ready, return the way you came.
[Old growth trees in the sinkhole]
This write-up was done after a hike during the middle of June, 2005. |
