Arizona's 10 Most Scenic Trails

most scenic hikes

Our hiking expert reveals the state's most spectacular jaunts by Christine Maxa

Oak Creek Canyon west fork trail

Like some people born with good looks, personality and a pedigree, this trail has an overload of assets-exquisite beauty, unique atmosphere, colorful history and special wildlife. The Sedona area's most popular hike, the trail along the West Fork of Oak Creek, threads through orangeand cream-colored sandstone cliffs, earning it a reputation as one of the most beautiful walks in the Southwest. Go during the week to miss the mass of weekend admirers.

Two words explain why Arizona is one of the world's best places to hike: open space.

Public lands account for 80 percent of the state, with mountains steeped in legends, rock formations memorialized in movies and a mélange of canyons jigsawed with physical challenges. But one of the best lures for hardy hikers remains the chance of spending the day amid the sort of scenery Arizona Highways photographers have made famous. After writing four Arizona hiking guides, hiking thousands of miles on hundreds of trails in the past dozen years, I still discover hidden jewels. But some trails linger in my mind's eye and keep me coming back. So here's a selection of the 10 most scenic trails I've ever hiked.

Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness aravaipa canyon

Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness, the darling of desert hikes, combines the sear of the Sonoran Desert and the verdure of a lush oasis thanks to the perennial flow of Aravaipa Creek between claret-colored cliffs. One of the most biologically diverse environments in the state cocoons visitors with a mingling of wildlife and wilderness. Beaten paths thread in and out of the creek to comprise the trail in this natural gem, so water-friendly footgear is de rigueur.

Chiricahua National Monument echo canyon loop

Moderate

The balanced rocks, totems and hoodoos along Heart of Rocks Trail may be the heart of Chiricahua National Monument, but the Echo Canyon Loop is surely its soul. Located in one of the state's most intriguing landscapes, the trail offers the monument's trademark scenery of light-colored lava ash welded into fantastic shapes, but then adds a spirit so contemplative and peaceful that it's no wonder the Apaches considered it sacred.

Havasu Canyon havasu trail

The Supai Nation's world-renowned trail in western Grand Canyon leads to Arizona's Shangri-la, where Havasu Creek's blue-green waters cascade in free-verse poetry down red-walled cliffs at Havasu, Navajo and Mooney falls. But things only get better below the falls. Follow the creek's gemstone flow 2 more miles to Beaver Falls to experience the true character of this wild and wonderful world.

Coconino National Forest kachina trail

Hiking up Humphreys Peak isn't the only way to experience Arizona's highest mountain. Hikers not ready for the challenging climb to the top can stick to Humphreys' midsection. The Kachina Trail, especially popular in autumn for aspen golds, shows off the many facets of the mountain-shadowed fir forests, wildflowered meadows and quivering aspen groves. This all comes, for most hikers, without the threat of altitude sickness imposed by climbing up the mountain's citadel.

Santa Catalina Mountains romero trail

Situated in the sky island Santa Catalina Mountains, this trail climbs from the desert floor at the edge of Tucson up to isolated Romero Pass in the pine-covered high country. The hike presents an incredible diversity of nature from its start among saguaro cacti to its ending among ponderosa pines. The sights include a flourish of more than a hundred different wildflower species after a wet winter, and a string of pools 3 miles in.

Grand Canyon National Park nankoweap trail

The views on this North Rim trail, off Forest Service Road 610 in the Saddle Mountain Wilderness, begin as soon as it starts its dicey tumble down the Kaibab Plateau. The path also reveals panoramas of some of the local geological wonders: Marble Canyon, Kaiparowits Plateau and dome-shaped Navajo Mountain. The grand finale comes at a sweeping overlook of the Grand Canyon at mile 2. From there, the trail loses its big-visuals impact but charms its way through an ancient ponderosa forest as it continues down a side canyon to its end at Forest Service Road 445.

White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation west baldy trail

This trail starts in a picture-perfect meadow along the West Fork of the Little Colorado River near the serene base of the state's secondhighest peak. After a couple miles' climb up Mount Baldy's steep slopes, the trail enters a fresh evergreen forest with wistful views of distant meadows. At the rocky top where the harsh elements shape the landscape, austerity mixes with sanctity. The very top of this peak remains off limits since it is a sacred spot to the White Mountain Apache Indians. West Fork of the Little Colorado River, Mount Baldy Wilderness, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. ROBERT MCDONALD To order a print, call (866) 962-1191 or visit arizonahighways.com.

Superstition Wilderness boulder canyon trail

The trail does not have the folkloric allure of the Peralta Trail, but what it lacks in legend it makes up for with an abundance of the Superstition Mountains' breathtaking geology, history and solitude. The path showcases striking scenes of Weavers Needle and other curious volcanic formations. Better yet, the trail drops into a gorgeous canyon containing old mines and, after a wet winter, the best diversity of wildflowers the Superstition Wilderness has to offer.

Kofa Mountains kofa queen road

The Kofa Mountains, with their quirky ridgeline reeling with jagged peaks, provide a continuous show of scenery during this canyon hike named for the gold mine near the canyon's head. The multiuse road passes under imposing cliffs filled with needle-sharp spires, arches and small clefts. Deep in the canyon, quiescence settles around a curious monolith. As one of the dwindling number of places to hike cross-country, a trip inside the rough-hewn mountains doesn't necessarily have to end when the road does; just bring a map and a GPS. All Christine Maxa, who has written four Arizona hiking guides and revised the Arizona State Trails Guide, may be biased, but she thinks these 10 trails are the best ones in the world. She lives in Peeples Valley.