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Five Awesome Arizona Hiking Trails (Not in Grand Canyon)

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

Wet Beaver Loop. This trail is extremely difficult, but it is an amazing hike in the Wet Beaver Wilderness Area. The trip is 22 miles round trip and needs more than one day to complete. Do not bring children on this trail. It is punctuated by camps, Waldroup canyon (stunning), and waterfalls. You will get wet when you do this hike. In fact, a portion of the hike is done entirely walking through water. You make a large loop to come back out where you began.

Picacho Peak hike is not too far from Casa Grande. It provides a stunning view of the Sonora desert from the top. This seven-mile round trip is very steep at times, and has many switchbacks. And, if you take the alternate trail to return from the peak you will add an extra couple of miles.

You should take gloves on this hike because you may have to hold on to steel cables to climb. Also, make sure you are in perfect physical condition as it may require some Class 3 climbing to complete this hike.

Kendrick Mountain is a moderately easy trail. This 9.2 miles round trip features a look at a cabin and ends in some spectacular views of Red Mountain, Mount Humphreys, Sycamore Canyon, and even the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. You will come across a series of short switchbacks toward the end that provide breathtaking views.

Paria Canyon. This hike starts in Utah, but right near the border, and immediately moves into Arizona. The road to the trailhead is frequently washed out, and so you need to keep a sharp eye on the weather to avoid flash floods. And, because the trail ends far away from the car, it's nice to take advantage of a shuttle for the ride back, especially since this a multi-day trip. Additionally, as you will be going through wilderness area, you will need to obtain a permit from the BLM.

The trail becomes prone to quicksand and quite muddy, especially if you go just after the rains. You will have to pick around quite a bit on this trail and in fact, there will be no trail once you reach the canyon. The only way is to follow the river. You will be walking through a narrow slot canyon with spectacular formation. Remember to avoid this trail if rain is forecast as there is no escape from flash floods in the Narrows.

Nonetheless, the views and formations along this hike are amazing and worth the trip. In addition, you will find fantastic features like a cave "room" in one of the walls, Wrather Canyon, Wrather Arch, Judd Hollow, and other canyons and routes, as well as springs.

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