Desert Hikes. Water Hikes. Mountain Hikes…Arizona has a trail for that! Below is a list of top recommended hikes in Arizona depending on what mood you are in that day. I LOVE using the AllTrails app as it provides great information about each trail with reviews!
Type of Hikes
- Water Hikes
- Desert Hikes
- Mountain Hikes
Water Hikes
Horton Springs (Payson, AZ)
- Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
- Distance: 7 miles roundtrip
- Details: trail follows a beautiful natural spring that runs year round, MOSTLY shaded, Dog Friendly, Kid Friendly, LOTs of places to hang a hammock
- Other: Dog friendly, Kid friendly.
- Camping: Yes! Pack it in, Pack it out
Water Wheel Falls (Payson, AZ)
- Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
- Distance: 1.6 RT
- Details: A beautiful waterfall that is present almost year round (may dry up during dry summer months, May-Sept)
- Other: Dog friendly, Kid friendly.
- Caution: Please avoid this hike if there is rain in the forecast as their is severe risk of flash floods!
See Canyon Trail (Payson, Arizona)
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 2.4 mi. RT
- Details: Beautiful hike with lots of shade as it follows a flowing creek sourced by an underground spring!
- Other: Dog friendly, Kid friendly. Possibility to backpack camp here with great access to water! Road to access trail head is dirt, recommended higher clearance vehicle but there were sedan’s that made it just fine. Just be cautious with bumps in the road :)!
Government Springs 95A (Greer, AZ)
- Difficulty: Moderate/Hard
- Distance: 8.6miles RT
- Season: May through October
- Details: Trail follows a beautiful flowing stream with lots of vegetation. Dog friendly, Kid friendly.
Thompson Trail #629 (Greer, AZ)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 5.4mi RT
- Details: Beautiful hike along a stream with lots of trees, grassy areas to relax and take in the incredible beauty of the white mountain region. Dog friendly, Kid friendly.
Tramway Trail Loop (Happy Jack, AZ)
- Difficulty: Hard
- Distance: 5.7mi loop
- Details: Gorgeous hike in west clear creek wilderness. STEEP decline and incline but worth it. Flash flood region so check the weather before you go!
West Fork of Oak Creek Trail #108 (Sedona, Arizona)
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 6.5mi. RT
- Details: Shaded hike that follows a year-round stream with lots of shade and beautiful canyon walls.
- Other: Dog friendly, kid friendly. Parking pass required.
Huckaby and Oak Creek Spur Loop (Sedona, Arizona)
- Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
- Distance: 1.7mi
- Details: Dog friendly. Kid friendly. Awesome hike down to the beautiful oak creek. Great place to spend the day in the water and sunshine.
- Other: Parking pass required. Parking VERY limited.
Watson Lake and Flume Trail (Prescott, Arizona)
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 4.5mi. loop
- Details: Hike around beautiful granite boulders, behind watson lake dam, and under big cotton wood trees while taking in scenery around Watson lake.
- Other: Dog friendly. Not very much shade so bring a hat and sun protection.
Awesome Desert Hikes
Difficulty:
- Hard
- Flatiron via Siphon Draw Trail – 5.5mi RT (Apache Junction, AZ)
- Battleship Mountain – 12.5mi RT (Apache Junction, AZ)
- Picketpost Mountain Trail – 4.2mi RT (near Superior, AZ)
- Wave Cave Trail – 3.0mi RT (Gold Canyon, AZ)
- Peralta Canyon Trail to Freemont Saddle/Weaver’s Needle (Gold Canyon, AZ)
- T-bone Ridgeline Trail Loop – 3.0mi loop (South Mountain, AZ)
- Camelback Mountain via Echo Canyon Trail – 2.5mi RT (Scottsdale, AZ)
- Camelback Mountain via Cholla Trail – 2.6mi RT (Scottsdale, AZ)
- Moderate
- Massacre Falls – 5.4 mi RT (Apache Junction, AZ)
- Praying Hands to Slot Rock – 4.6mi RT (Apache Junction, AZ)
- Freemont Saddle via Peralta Canyon Trail – 4.6mi RT (Gold Canyon, AZ)
- Monument Canyon and Broadway Cave via Jacob’s Trail – 4.3mi RT (Apache Junction, AZ)
- Holbert trail to Dobbins Lookout – 4.0mi RT (South Mountain, AZ)
- Wind Cave Trail – 2.9mi RT (near Mesa, AZ)
- EJ Peak (Lone Mountain) – 2.3mi RT (Mesa, AZ)
- Usery Mountain – 3.7mi RT (Mesa, AZ)
- Saguaro, Ridge, Granite Trail Loop – 3.9mi loop (Mesa, AZ) <<One of our favorites in the winter!
- Easy
- Pima East Loop – 2.3mi RT (South Mountain)
- Pima Wash to Beverly Canyon Loop – 1.9mi RT (South Mountain)
to be continued…
Great AZ Mountain Hikes
- Humphreys Peak (Flagstaff, AZ)
- Difficulty: Hard
- Distance: 10.7mi. RT
- Elevation at peak: 12,637ft
- Other: Beautiful views at the top! Dog friendly. Lots of shade except when you get above tree line. It can get very windy at the top so make sure to bring a wind-resistant jacket and look at the weather prior to hike!
- Bear Mountain (Sedona, AZ)
- Difficulty: Hard
- Distance: 4.9mi. RT
- Elevation gain: 2,024ft
- Other: Gorgeous hike with beautiful views at the top. Dog friendly. I recommend to start this hike early in the morning as it is a steep climb.
- Boynton Canyon Trail to Subway Cave (Sedona, AZ)
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 7.1miles RT
- Elevation gain: 1,100ft
- Other: Awesome hike to a beautiful cave! Dog friendly but please exercise caution as getting up to the cave requires a short section of moderate scrambling on smooth red rock. HIGHLY recommend that you start early (before 8am) as it has become a very popular hike!
- Freemont Saddle via Peralta Canyon Trail (Gold Canyon, AZ)
- Difficulty: Moderate – Hard
- Distance: 4.6mi RT
- Elevation Gain: 1,341 ft.
- Details: Rewarding hike! Dog friendly, Kid friendly. Mostly shaded until the last 1-2miles. Bring at least 2-3 liters of water with you!