Walk on Water in the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness

After two days in Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon, this is my hiking partner’s entreaty: “Don’t tell anyone about this place.”

The canyon offers a full immersion lesson in what a little water can accomplish if given a lot of time. Under the shade of giant sycamores and thousand-foot-high walls, we’ve spent a weekend sloshing through the knee-deep water and scrambling up side canyons. We also caught glimpses of bighorn sheep balancing on rock ledges between the saguaro cactuses and dense streamside vegetation. Aside from the sheep—and raccoon-like coatis that keep trying to steal our food—we’ve had this rock cathedral to ourselves. “Don’t tell anyone about this place,” he repeats.

Sorry, old friend, but places this special deserve to be shared.

The Route: Aravaipa Canyon 

West Trailhead

• Distance: About 17 miles (depending on how far you hike into Deer Creek Canyon) out and back
• Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Dip into Aravaipa Canyon and hike roughly 5 miles up the streambed to Horse Camp. Nestled in a grove of sycamores, a handful of sandy platforms rise above the water where Aravaipa and Horse Camp canyons intersect. Make a basecamp at the one where several mesquite trees offer privacy from the “trail.” From your backcountry digs, explore Horse Camp Canyon, where some easy scrambling lands you at the foot of a 50-foot-tall pour-off.

From Horse Camp, continue approximately 3.5 miles along the canyon floor. Follow faint user trails and wade through ankle- and knee-deep water to Deer Creek Canyon. Despite being marked “Hell’s Hole Canyon” on some topos, Deer Creek Canyon is anything but. It’s quiet, narrow, and nontechnical. Explore the straightforward canyon as long and far as you like. We turned around about 2 miles in at the spring, but it goes farther. Then, retrace your steps back to the West trailhead.

East Trailhead

• Distance: 12.4 miles
• Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Starting and finishing at the West trailhead is the easiest logistically. But, if you have a second vehicle and don’t mind up to four hours additional drive time, leave a shuttle at the East trailhead. On day two, trek 7.4 miles through Aravaipa from Horse Camp to your car to make it a 12.4-miler with no backtracking.

Wildlife in Aravaipa Canyon

Black bears, bighorn sheep, and both of Arizona’s deer species call Aravaipa home. Perhaps the coolest (read: cutest) resident is the white-nosed coati. Though rare in the U.S., this relative of the raccoon hangs out in large groups throughout the canyon. They look like miniature black bear cubs with long, monkey-like tails. Be sure to store your food in critter-proof sacks. Coatis are harmless, but mischievous.

Permits & Logistics

• Permit: Yes. You must have one to hike Aravaipa Canyon.
• Season: Year-round. Winter brings solitude, but pack for freezing nighttime temps and frigid river crossings. Consider neoprene socks or even rubber boots.