Sycamore Canyon Wilderness
Near Clarksdale
LENGTH: 7 miles round trip
ELEVATION: 3,700-3,200 feet
RATING: easy
DOG RATING: ***
DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 150 miles one way (2.5 hours)
Location: 76 miles south of Flagstaff (33 miles south of Sedona) on paved and graveled roads. Access: Drive 65 miles south from Flagstaff on US 89A through Sedona and Cottonwood to the turnoff to Tuzigoot National Monument. Turn north across the Verde River, then left on FR 131. It’s about 11 miles to the trailhead.
Download Map [PDF] here
The cool spring water that gurgles to the surface year round in the lower portion of Sycamore Canyon attracts a motley crew of outdoor enthusiasts. You’re bound to run into hikers, backpackers, birdwatchers, rambunctious kids, ecstatic Labrador retrievers and the occasional group of skinny dippers. Most of the commotion ends after the first mile, where the going gets a bit too rough for the casual hiker.
The trail starts with a steep 300-foot descent into the canyon (remember this for the way back) and is marked by a series of sometimes hard-to-find cairns made of river rocks wired into 50-gallon, drum-size cylinders. Rains and floods change the terrain frequently, so pay attention along the way. Hiking sticks come in handy for the many creek crossings.
Several deep pools along the way are suitable for swimming – you’ll find one of the best in a beautiful cove surrounded by limestone ledges under a canopy of sycamore and walnut trees. Here’s where most hikers succumb to the urge to shed their boots and just hang out.
HIGHLIGHTS: spectacular canyon, swimming holes, riparian
forests
INFO: Red Rock Ranger District, 928-282-4119,
www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/parsons-tr.shtml
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