Five Amazing Hiking Trails in Arizona

Arizona offers many hiking trails apart from the Grand Canyon. They are difficult, but they reward with unmatched beauty. Here are the best five.

The Wet Beaver Loop is an extremely difficult trail, but it is an awesome hike in the Wet Beaver Wilderness Area. It is a 22-mile round trip and you will need more than one day to complete it, as you will be making a large loop to return from where you began. It is interspersed with camps, Waldroup canyon, and waterfalls. You have to wade through water for a portion of the hike. So, be prepared to get wet, and do not bring children along.

Picacho Peak. This hiking trail is fairly close to the Casa Grande and once you reach the top, you will be rewarded with a stunning view of the Sonora desert. The trail offers two options: the shorter seven mile round trip or the nine-odd mile trip if you return using the alternate trail from the peak. This is a fairly steep hike with numerous switchbacks.

Gloves are recommended on this hike, as it may be necessary to make use of the steel cables meant to aid hikers as they climb. Some Class 3 climbing necessary, so it is important to be in decent physical condition to complete this hike.

Kendrick Mountain. This is a moderately easy trail, involving a 9.2 miles round trip. You will be able to look at a cabin and encounter some spectacular views of Mount Humphreys, Red Mountain, Sycamore Canyon, and also the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Towards the end of this trail, there are a series of short switchbacks which will also provide some amazing views.

Paria Canyon. The Paria Canyon hike begins near the Utah border and immediately afterwards moves into Arizona. It is a multi-day trail, which will end far away from your car, so you will have to take the shuttle for the ride back. You must also keep a sharp lookout on the weather as the trailhead gets frequently washed out due to flash floods. In addition, permits from the BLM will be required as this trail will take you through the wilderness area.

After the rains the trail gets muddy and prone to quicksand so you will have to pick around a bit. Once you actually get into the canyon, the trail disappears and you have to follow the river. You will be walking through a narrow slot canyon with spectacular formation. It is advisable not to take the trip if rain is forecast for any of the days that you plan to be hiking, because once you are in the Narrows you won't be able to escape flash floods.

Other fantastic features include a cave "room" in one of the walls, Wrather Canyon (along with Wrather Arch), Judd Hollow, and other canyons and routes, as well as springs. The views and formations along this hike are amazing and worth the trip.

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Glenda Jao is the chief writer for, and editor of For Arizona, there's a wealth of knowledge on the website, plus while you're there sign up for the free newsletter. Read many more interesting articles on Arizona at: www.forarizona.com/articles
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