|
Weekend Warriors Arizona Hiking Guide
|
|
|
|
If a swimming hole along Tonto creek 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. About 12 miles south of Payson, you will reach the town of Rye. There is a junction here and a sign going to the town of Gisela. Turn right at this sign. Stay on this road (even though there are a number of forks) for 7.0 miles. After 5.2 miles, the road turns to well graded dirt (ok for passenger cars). After around 6.0 miles, you will turn left at a T intersection (the right fork is a private farm). After 7.0 miles, there is a gate and an informal parking area. There are some signs along the way pointing you to the "Swimming Hole" to help you on your way.
Be Aware of: Rock hopping, wading, and swimming. 30 yr old Recommendation: This hike gets an incomplete for me. We didn't get very far due to some inclement weather. This hike is rated Easy. Elevation change: about 100 ft or so. Distance: To the narrows is 1.5 miles one way. Time: It took us about 1 hour to get to Tonto creek and back. Time of year: Spring, Summer, Fall Solitude: There were quite a few people here, even on an overcast day. I would expect perhaps 10-20 people on this trail. The Tonto creek drainage is a year round creek carrying a great deal of water run-off from the Mogollon rim area. We were hoping that the hike from the bottom of the Tonto creek to the narrows would be a good introduction to this area. Unfortunately, the day we picked was overcast, the water muddy, and the rain drove us back to our car rather quickly. From the parking area, go through the gate limiting transit to the public. Beyond this gate lies private property so be respectful to the owners so we can continue to have access to this trailhead. The road is easy to follow and there are a number of permanent signs to keep you headed towards the "Swimming Hole" and away from private property. After about 0.5 miles of hiking, you will leave the road, skirting the left edge of a private farm, as you take a rocky, overgrown trail towards Tonto creek. This trail partially follows Houston Creek as it joins the Tonto creek. The trail here is rocky and can be tricky to follow. There are some ribbons tied into tree branches to help you navigate. After an additional 0.5 miles, you will reach the Tonto creek. From here, you should be able to boulder hop, wade and swim upstream to see the narrows, but we were turned back here due to increasingly bad weather. This hike would probably best be enjoyed with a few days of clear weather (no rain) to let the water clear up, otherwise the brown water is not very picturesque. We'll be back later.
[Tonto Creek from the trail]
This hike was done in the beginning of September, 2006. |
