Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness

‍A coati walked five feet in front of us. Unbelievable. Awesome. Inspiring. Moments like these are why some of us hike.

The animal was coming up the banks of the stream. It saw me and hid behind a tree. I thought that was the last I would see of it, but after a moment it passed on the trail right in front of us, stopped for a moment to eat from a plant, posing long enough for photos, then disappeared into the woods.

Bright red and blue-green dragonflies landed on leaves over the creek. Butterflies were plentiful, one landing on a dragonfly. The beauty of Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness and experiences like this made for a great day.

Three things are most likely for those visiting this area. First, your feet will get wet. Second, you’re likely to see more wildlife than people. Third, if you don’t have hiking sticks, you’ll probably fall in the stream.

Established in 1984, Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness covers 19,410 acres, surrounded by private and public lands, including several bed-and-breakfast operations, notably Aravaipa Farm and Orchard Inn.

The canyon is also known for its towering cliffs and multiple side canyons. A 2006 flood devastated the creek, but it has since recuperated. Aravaipa Canyon is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, which limits visits into the canyon to 50 people a day,30 from the western side and 20 from the east. You’ll need a permit to enter the wilderness area.

Aravaipa also has some history, as prehistoric Salado Indians came through here and Apaches lived in the canyon until white settlers established small farms during the Civil War. In 1871 dozens of Apaches were killed in the Aravaipa Canyon massacre, a tragic story related in the book 100Hikes in Arizona.

We hiked the western side of Aravaipa, between Winkelman and Mammoth. The more remote eastern side is closer to Safford, a four-hour shuttle away. We made it a day hike, but camping is allowed, again with a permit, and no pets.

Flowing year-round, Aravaipa Creek entices plenty of wildlife, including mountain lions, coyotes, black bears, bobcats, deer, desert bighorn sheep, fish, toads, frogs, a hundred types of reptiles and 200species of birds. There are no designated trails in the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness, so you’ll be spending about half the time walking in the stream, which is usually three to six inches deep. Sometimes you can see a trail next to it where people have walked, but more often than not it quickly ends. It’s more fun walking in the stream anyway.

Most of the creek flows slowly, but there are faster parts that can pulldown a hiker with no hiking sticks. Everyone in our pack of ten Arizona Trailblazers had sticks, and no one regretted it. While nobody fell, we were happy to have dry bags for our cameras and other electronics, because a spill is always a possibility.

At the right time of year you can catch the fall colors in the sycamore, ash, cottonwood and willow trees, but since the elevation is 2,630to 3,060 feet, those colors come a lot later than they do in the mountains.

My thanks to Michael Humphrey of Arizona Trailblazers for leading this hike. For more information and directions, phone 520-357-6185.