Five Awesome Arizona Hiking Trails (not In Grand Canyon)

The Grand Canyon is not the only hiking trail in Arizona. There are many great hiking trails in Arizona which do not entail maneuvering for a place at the Grand Canyon. Many of these trails are hard to negotiate but the unmatched, breathtaking beauty that you encounter more than makes up for the difficulty. Five of the best Hiking Trails are listed here.

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. 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 trail that is moderately easy. It is 9.2 miles round trip, and 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. There are a series of short switchbacks toward the end that provide the great views.

Paria Canyon hike starts in Utah near the border, and moves into Arizona. The frequent flash floods often wash out the trailhead, so you have to watch the weather intently. You can make use of the shuttle for the ride back since the trail ends far away from the car. It is a multi-day trip. Moreover, you need a permit from the BLM because you will be going through wilderness area.

If you go on this hike right after it rains, you will find that you will have to pick around a bit, as the trail becomes muddy and prone to quicksand. Once you actually get into the canyon, there is no trail. You have to follow the river. A narrow slot canyon with spectacular formation is what you walk through. If rain is in the forecast for any of the days that you plan to be hiking, you should not attempt, as there is no way to escape flash floods once 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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About the author: Glenda Jao writes exclusively for For Arizona, there's a wealth of knowledge on the website, plus their free newsletter is well worth signing up for too. Want to read more Arizona articles?, just go to: www.forarizona.com/articles
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