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

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW

Whether you’re interested in popular hotspots or hidden gems, Arizona’s amazing mix of high-country hiking trails offers something for everyone. Rife with wildlife encounters, refreshing swimming holes and breathtaking views from atop historic fire towers, these destinations are your best bets for cool summer treks.

Here are the list of the most exciting, breath taking and dog friendly trials for you and your dog. GO AHEAD AND CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFO!!

MOUNTAIN SPRING

• Parsons Trail
• Horton Creek
• Redrock Spring

HIGH-COUNTRY WATER

• Bear Canyon Lake
• Mack’s Crossing
• Red Rock Crossing

PINAL SKY ISLANDS

• Icehouse Canyon
• Kellner Canyon
• Telephone Trail
• Sixshooter Canyon

THICK FORESTS & THIN AIR

• Kachina Trail
• Sunset-Little Bear-Little Elden Loop
• Waterline Road-Tunnel Trail
• Watershed Trail
• Weatherford Trail

Although it’s a long and difficult trek, breathtaking scenery and ever-changing ecosystems make the physical pain of taking on this quintessential mountain trail worthwhile. In less than nine miles, hikers are treated to a stunning journey that begins in grassy glens and ends abruptly on barren tundra beneath Arizona’s highest peaks. From dewy thistles in green alpine meadows to hardy bristlecone pines clinging to bare volcanic scree, this tough route showcases the complexity of nature on San Francisco Mountain.

HIGHLIGHTS: high-altitude forests, alpine meadows and Arizona’s only tundra environment
LENGTH: 12 miles round trip (to Doyle saddle); 16.5 miles round trip (to Fremont saddle); 17.5 miles round trip (to Humphreys Peak)
ELEVATION: 8,800-10,700 feet (11,350 feet to Humphreys junction; 12,633 feet to summit)
RATING: difficult
DOG RATING: *
DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 155 miles one way (2.5 hours)

GETTING THERE: From Flagstaff, go north on US 180 to Schultz Pass Road (Forest Road 420). Turn left and continue 6 miles to the Schultz Tank trailhead.

INFO: Peaks Ranger District, 928-526-0866

www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/peaks/weatherford-tr.shtml

Melding the sweet-scented breezes of pine forests with sunny hillsides blanketed in agaves, manzanitas and cactuses, a hike along Prescott’s Watershed Trail No. 299 is a trip through an ecological transition zone. The trail itself is a mash-up of wide, old roads, groomed paths and eroded walkways, enhancing the hybrid flavor of the hike.

At roughly the half-mile point, look for Deer Lick Spring, a concrete trough situated in a gully off to the right. Here, seeping water fosters an incredibly lush green zone shaded by tall ponderosa pines flanked by beavertail cactuses bursting from rock outcroppings. Over its wavy route, the trail dips into ravines dotted with log homes and crosses high ridges for excellent views of Prescott area landmarks, including Goldwater Lake and the distinctive stony peaks of Granite Mountain and Thumb Butte.

HIGHLIGHTS: mix of lush, shady forests and sunny ridge views
LENGTH: 8.6 miles round trip
RATING: easy-moderate
DOG RATING: **
ELEVATION: 6,200-6,900 feet
DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 117 miles one way (2 hours)

GETTING THERE: From downtown Prescott, go east on Gurley Street .3 miles to Mt. Vernon Avenue. Turn south (left) on Mt. Vernon for 4.1 miles as it turns into Senator Highway. The Watershed No. 299 trailhead is on the east (left) side.

INFO: Bradshaw Ranger District, 928-771-4700, www.fs.fed.us/r3/prescott/recreation/trails/pdf/rec_trai_b_watr299.pdf

Closed to motorized vehicles except for those used by forest service workers to maintain springs on the northeast slope of San Francisco Peaks, this wide road makes for a pleasant stroll with exceptional views of northern Arizona’s cinder cone fields.
The gradual ascent is a cinch to follow and can be hiked in segments using maps available on the Forest Service website. Although ambitious trekkers can opt to sprint the entire length in a day, a popular alternative is to make an out-and-back hike to a 25-foot-long tunnel blasted out of a rampart of volcanic rock.

HIGHLIGHTS: easy route, unique lava tunnel
LENGTH: 14 miles one way or 4 miles round trip to the tunnel
ELEVATION: 8,000-10,400 feet; 9,400 feet to the tunnel
RATING: easy
DOG RATING: **
DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 155 miles one way (2.5 hours)

GETTING THERE: From Flagstaff, go north on US 180 to milepost 218.6 and turn right onto Schultz Pass Road (Forest Road 420). Continue 6.5 miles to Forest Road 146, turn left and go .7 miles to a locked gate. Park in the pullouts along the road. Roads are maintained dirt/gravel and are passable by sedan, but high clearance is recommended.

INFO: Peaks Ranger District, 928-526-0866,
www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/peaks/little-bear-tr.shtml