Posted in Arizona Hiking, Summer February 20, 2022 by

These 8 Water Hikes In Arizona Will Keep You Cool This Summer

Hiking out in the Arizona wilderness is certainly a fun activity, but there’s nothing more refreshing than dipping your toes into a cool creek or lake right afterward. If that’s the sort of hiking experience you’re looking for, check out our suggestions for great places in Arizona that would be perfect for a water hike! You’ll want to add them to your Arizona bucket list ASAP:

1. Bell Trail at Wet Beaver Creek
Alan English CPA/Flickr
Located near the edge of the Mogollon Rim, Bell Trail runs along the oddly-named "The Crack," a spot that looks perfect for jumping into the creek - but be careful, as it is often only a few feet deep and looks are deceiving. Hiking from the trailhead to this point and back is approximately seven miles and is just enough to make you break a sweat. You can find a trail map and information on Hike Arizona.
Wet Beaver Creek, Arizona 86335, USA
2. Canyon Creek
Devin Ford/Flickr
In case you couldn’t tell, the Mogollon Rim is rife with beautiful hiking trails! Another spot to check out is this 10-miler near the Airplane Flat campground at the bottom of the Rim. Follow Canyon Creek (also called Sheep Creek) and you might find people fishing for trout along the way. You'll find the trail map and information on Hike Arizona.
Canyon Creek, Arizona, USA
3. Dorsey and Kelsey Springs Trails
Coconino National Forest/Flickr
These two trails sit in Sycamore Canyon, not too far off the from the Red Rock Wilderness area. Kelsey Trail is the longer of the two, measuring almost 5.5 miles one way, but if you combine the two trails, you get a loop that measures 7.3 miles total. Learn more about this awesome loop trail in this article.
Coconino National Forest, Arizona 86017, USA
4. Horton Creek Trail #285
Alan English CPA/Flickr
This is a popular day hike area that takes you on a journey along Horton Creek, the surrounding pine trees, and even a few waterfalls. The hike is a relatively easy one that measures just over seven miles as a round-trip journey. Take a closer look at this awe-inspiring hike here!
Horton Creek Trailhead, Nf-289, Payson, AZ 85541, USA
5. Thompson Trail #629
Alan English CPA/Flickr
This easy trail in Arizona’s White Mountains follows the Black River and reveals the beautiful landscapes of the area. The trail is a fairly easy one that measures a total of five miles. Learn more about this awesome Arizona hike in this article.
Thompson Trail #629, FR 116, Greer, AZ 85927, USA
6. Waterfall Trail at Fossil Creek
Deborah Lee Soltesz/Flickr
This easy hike is just over two miles long in total and will lead you along a well-marked trail to the waterfall at Fossil Creek. The water is cool and perfectly refreshing. Find a helpful trail map and information on Recreation.gov.
Fossil Creek, Arizona, USA
7. West Fork Oak Creek Trail #108
Coconino National Forest/Flickr
Who could leave out this trail when discussing hikes along rivers and creeks? This trail is a 6-mile round trip journey through Oak Creek Canyon and its similarly named creek, making it a hike with beautiful views you won’t soon forget. Find the trail map and information on the US Forest Service website.
West Fork Oak Creek Trailhead, W Fork Trail, Sedona, AZ 86336, USA
8. West Fork Trail #628
Alan English CPA/Flickr
This trail is located on the east side of the state south of Greer, leading you through a beautiful collection of trees and grassy meadows to the west fork of the Black River. The trail overall is six miles and a pretty easy one. Get a trail map and information on Hike Arizona.
West Fork Oak Creek Trailhead, W Fork Trail, Sedona, AZ 86336, USA

Those places are pretty amazing, don’t you think? Just don’t forget to obtain your park use permit and to leave no trace when you visit these natural areas! If you want some more hiking options, be sure to check out our article about epic Arizona trails that will lead you to some incredible places.

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The OIYS Visitor Center

Best Hikes in Arizona

February 24, 2022
Tori Jane

What are the most popular hiking trails in Arizona?  

Arizona is home to an astonishing 3,327(ish) hiking trails weaving all over the state; many of them are ridiculously scenic, leading hikers on amazing journeys through some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes in the world. Some of our favorites are the breathtaking Devils Bridge Trail, which can be found within the Coconino National Forest. It’s 3.9 miles long and rated as moderate. That one’s very popular, so we suggest hitting the trail very early in the morning and during the week. Also in that general region is the amazing Cathedral Rock Trail, which is 1.2 miles of very challenging adventure leading to some truly unbelievable views of Arizona’s wild red rock country. If you’d rather stay closer to the Phoenix metro area, make sure to check out Camelback Mountain via the Echo Canyon Trail; that one is also quite the challenge, but trust us when we promise you the views are worth the struggle.  

What are some of the best short, easy hikes in Arizona?  

Not interested in doing the hard stuff for now? No worries – like we said, with more than 3,000 hikes in Arizona to choose from, more than a third of those are pretty easy and great for beginners. Some of our favorites include the awesome Horseshoe Bend Trail, at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. That’s a simple, one-and-a-half-mile hike to none other than Arizona’s iconic Horseshoe Bend, which you’ve no doubt seen printed on many a postcard in your day. We also love lots of other easy northern Arizona hikes, like the Seven Sacred Pools hike in Sedona and Sugarloaf Loop Trail in the Coconino National Forest. All of those trails are under two miles in length (1.5 miles, 1.1 miles, and 1.9 miles, respectively); our favorite super-short-and-sweet hike is the amazing Antelope Canyon Trail, which is often overlooked by visitors in favor of much more famous canyons nearby. Need some more ideas? Check out this list of some great beginner-friendly hikes in Arizona.