AZ Utopia: Arizona Hiking Blog

A landscape view of horseback riders on the Pass Hiking Trail, in Usery Park with the mountains and Mesa, Arizona in the background. Phoenix area hiking trails. Moderate hiking trails. Copyright azutopia.com. No use without permission.

November 13, 2016

Pass Mountain Hiking Trail Loop

★★★☆☆ Moderate / Phoenix Area Choice views, varied terrain and a high traverse make the Pass Mountain Hiking Trail Loop a worthy day hike! Scrunched between the stunning Superstition & Mazatzal Ranges, this sweet 7.5-mile loop offers excellent views of each as it circles Usery Park’s main peak.

Arizona's Fall color. A landscape view of Aspens in Fall from Flagstaff, Arizona’s Inner Basin Hiking Trail. Copyright azutopia. 10 Best Hikes to Experience Arizona’s Fall Color. No use without prior permission.

10 Best Hikes to Experience Arizona’s Fall Color

For what seems like the blink of an eye, Arizona’s mountains and canyons light up in brilliant hues of yellow and red. From late September to mid-October, high-elevation Aspens shimmer in gold. While from early-to-mid-October the Oaks and Maples in Sedona, and on the Mogollon Rim, blaze orange and red. At lower elevations Cottonwood flanked streams glow yellow in Fall. Here’s…

September 11, 2016

Pumpkin Hiking Trail

★★★★★ Moderate / Flagstaff Area This back-door trail to Kendrick Peak crosses devastatingly beautiful hills. Fallen tree trunks line the Pumpkin Hiking Trail, like giant pick-up-sticks – the result of a large forest fire in 2000. Their various states of decay offer a kind of creepy-cool glimpse into the beauty of natural regeneration.

August 28, 2016

Bog & Kent Springs Hiking Trail Loop

★★★☆☆ Moderate / Tucson Area: Do a 180… and head south for a wonderfully cool mountain hike! Kicking off from an elevation of almost 5,000′, the Bog and Kent Springs Hiking Trail Loop crosses icy springs and babbling brooks as it loops through the Santa Rita Mountains. Wild Turkeys are common trailside buddies here, so don’t be alarmed if you hear gobbling.

August 14, 2016

Lava River Tube Trail

★★★★☆ Easy / Flagstaff Area Headlamps required – on this naturally refrigerated hike through a short underground tunnel. Thrill seekers will love turning off their lights for a second to experience total darkness. And bonus… the Lava River Tube’s year-round 40° temperature makes this hike a definite “Yes” when the thermometer rises.

July 17, 2016

Maxwell Hiking Trail

★★★☆☆ Moderate / Payson Area A string of crisp, clear swimming holes dot the creek at the base of the West Clear Creek Canyon. To reach these refreshing gems, the Maxwell Hiking Trail makes a short, steep descent from the rim down to a wild section of this stunning canyon.

June 25, 2016

West Fork Hiking Trail

★★★★★ Easy / Sedona Area Meandering through a dizzyingly beautiful canyon, this trail plays hopscotch with a gentle stream. Shaded by tall trees and increasingly sky-high cliffs, the West Fork hiking Trail is gorgeous year round, making it a Sedona area favorite.

Girl, Hiker, Grotto, Southeastern, Arizona, Chiricahua National Monument, Echo Canyon Hiking Trail, Willcox, Moderate Hikes, Family Friendly Hikes, Southern Arizona HIkes A close up view of a wild flower along the shores of West Clear Creek off of the Maxwell Hiking Trail, outside of Flagstaff and Strawberry, Arizona, with the creek and reeds behind them. Moderate Arizona hiking trails. Flagstaff area hiking trails. Arizona hiking trails with water. Copyright AZUtopia. No use without permission.

June 2, 2016

Chiricahua’s Grotto from Echo Canyon Hiking Trail

★★★★☆ Moderate / Southern Arizona: A mountain top grotto and trailside hoodoos are a blast to explore on this Chiricahua National Monument hike! Kids will love playing hide and seek between the wacky rock formations sprinkled over the first mile. And adults and kids alike will enjoy making this a totally downhill trek, by snagging the park’s free shuttle from…

Landscape, View, Hikers, Big Balanced Rock Hiking Trail, Heart of the Rocks Hiking Trail Loop, Chiricahua National Monument, Willcox, Arizona, Stone, Rock Formations, Hoodoos, Moderate Hikes, Southern Arizona Hikes, Tucson Area Hikes, Pet Friendly Hikes.

May 28, 2016

Chiricahua’s Heart of the Rocks from Massai Point

★★★★☆ Moderate / Southern Arizona: Walk amongst ginormous hoodoos on this downhill hike! With a free shuttle to the top of the Chiricahua Mountain’s Massai trailhead, this hike gets up-close-and-personal to a slew of the massive “standing up rocks” the park is known for – including its prized cluster, Heart of the Rocks. Finishing downhill, right next to your…

Landscape, Hikers, Natural Red Rock Bridge, Vultee Arch, Sedona, Arizona, Sterling Pass Hiking Trail, Difficult Hikes, Sedona Area Hikes, Pet Friendly Hikes

May 19, 2016

Sterling Pass Hiking Trail to Vultee Arch

★★★★☆ Difficult / Sedona: The hike to Vultee Arch, a 50′ huge, red rock bridge, climbs up and over a high Oak Creek canyon. The arch is worthy both for its ginormous size and its tucked-in location, away from Sedona’s sometimes maddening crowds. Sterling Pass Hiking Trail is a little steeper and a little less accessible than most tourists go for. So, for those up for it, this…