Five Amazing Hiking Trails In Arizona
By Jimmy Jooves

Arizona offers many trails apart from the Grand Canyon. They are difficult, but they reward with unmatched beauty. Here are the best five.

Wet Beaver Loop. The Wet Beaver Wilderness Area provides an amazing 22 miles round trip. It is advisable to not bring children along as this hike is extremely difficult and takes more than a day to complete. Be prepared to get wet as a fair portion of this hike requires walking through water. This hike takes you in a large loop to end up where you started from. You will encounter camps and waterfalls along the way and the stunning Waldroup canyon.

Picacho Peak. This 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.

You should take gloves on this hike because you may have to hold on to steel cables to climb. Also, make sure you are in perfect physical condition as it may require some Class 3 climbing to complete this hike.

Kendrick Mountain. This is a moderately easy trail, involving a 9.2 miles round trip. You will be able to look at a cabin and encounter some spectacular views of Mount Humphreys, Red Mountain, Sycamore Canyon, and also the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Towards the end of this trail, there are a series of short switchbacks which will also provide some amazing views.

Paria Canyon. This hike starts in Utah, but right near the border, and immediately moves into Arizona. The road to the trailhead is frequently washed out, and so you need to keep a sharp eye on the weather to avoid flash floods. And, because the trail ends far away from the car, it's nice to take advantage of a shuttle for the ride back, especially since this a multi-day trip. Additionally, as you will be going through wilderness area, you will need to obtain a permit from the BLM.

After the rains the trail gets muddy and prone to quicksand so you will have to pick around a bit. Once you actually get into the canyon, the trail disappears and you have to follow the river. You will be walking through a narrow slot canyon with spectacular formation. It is advisable not to take the trip if rain is forecast for any of the days that you plan to be hiking, because once you are in the Narrows you won't be able to escape flash floods.

Other fantastic features include a cave "room" in one of the walls, Wrather Canyon (along with Wrather Arch), Judd Hollow, and other canyons and routes, as well as springs. The views and formations along this hike are amazing and worth the trip.

About the author: Glenda Jao is the chief writer at For Arizona, visit there today for the latest Arizona advice, and why not sign up for the free Arizona newsletter. Read many more interesting articles on Arizona at: www.forarizona.com/articles
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