The Inner Basin Trail curls through a stand of aspens in late-afternoon light. By Joel Hazelton
Northern Hiking

Inner Basin Trail

Like Papillon’s narrow escape from Devil’s Island, the Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks barely survived the catastrophic effects of the…
Ponderosa pine trunks flank a view to the southwest from the West Spruce Mountain Trail. By Laurence Parent
Central Hiking

West Spruce Mountain Trail

Don’t let the name fool you. It’s deceiving. There is a mountain, and it’s the focus of the hike, but what happens between the trailhead and the top…
A healthy ponderosa pine forest near Aspen Springs is among the rewards for those who tackle the Houston Brothers Trail. By Tom Bean
Central Hiking

Houston Brothers Trail

It’s dangerous to dole out superlatives when writing about hikes in Arizona. As soon as you do, you’ll discover one that’s even better than the…
Late-afternoon light illuminates foliage along a placid pool near the Maxwell Trail. | Joel Hazelton
Central Hiking

Maxwell Trail

It takes anywhere from 80 to 100 years for aluminum cans to disappear on their own. They do decompose, but it takes forever. Cigarette butts last…
Cochise Head looms over the hoodoos along Chiricahua National Monument’s Heart of Rocks Loop at sunset. | Laurence Parent
Southern Hiking

Heart of Rocks Loop

The Apaches called them “standing-up rocks.” Today, people call them hoodoos or pinnacles or the most amazing rock formations they’ve ever seen. Any…
A placid pool mirrors rocks, vegetation and saguaro-studded slopes along the Sabino Canyon Trail. By Jeff Maltzman
Southern Hiking

Sabino Canyon Trail

Water. That’s the payoff on this hike. But only because water is so rare on desert trails. Even without water, this would be a keeper. The saguaros…
The Seven Sacred Pools, a landmark on the Soldier Pass Trail, mirror the spires of Coffeepot Rock. By Larry Lindahl
Central Hiking

Soldier Pass Trail

Sedona isn’t the only place nestled in the middle of Mother Nature. Flagstaff sits on the slopes of the San Francisco Peaks. Tucson is sandwiched…
Seven Falls, a series of waterfalls fed by snowmelt and monsoon storms, is the payoff on the Bear Canyon Trail. By  Jeff Maltzman
Southern Hiking

Bear Canyon Trail

It’s called Bear Canyon, and there are bears out there, but the chances of seeing a mountain lion are better. And the odds are on the rise because,…