Unforgettable Arizona hikes: 3 trails you'll remember long after the walk is over

Every hiker knows that trail memories are the best memories because you earn them with your feet, knees and sweat. Hiking is the most intimate way to explore our diverse and beautiful state. By moving slowly and quietly across the Arizona landscape, hikers get to savor the details as well as the big-picture panoramas.

While every trail makes an impression, there are some that push deeper into our psyches. Some hikes grab hold and don’t let go. Here are three such Arizona outings. No matter how many trails you trample over the years, try these three and create some memories you’ll cherish forever.

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Chiricahua National Monument: Heart of Rocks Loop

If Chiricahua National Monument existed in any other state, it probably would appear on their license plates. Hidden in the southeastern corner of Arizona, the park shelters an exotic array of sculpted stone. Massive columns, slender spires and impossibly balanced boulders loom above the timber. It is a land of stone bones and ancient towers, the result of a massive volcanic event.

An interconnected network of trails provides Chiricahua visitors with several hiking options. The short loop through Heart of Rocks is the craggy core of the park, where you’ll find the most spectacular collection of formations.

The easiest route to Heart of Rocks is via a trio of trails: Ed Riggs (0.9 mile), Mushroom Rock (1.2 miles) and Big Balanced Rock (1 mile).

From the Echo Canyon parking lot, start on Ed Riggs, which drops into a finger canyon bracketed by fractured columns. The trail ends at a three-way junction. Jump on the Mushroom Rock Trail. You’ll spot Mushroom Rock in a quarter-mile above the trees on your right.

The trail climbs through a forested ravine where it connects with Big Balanced Rock Trail. This path follows a high ridgeline with sweeping views. Look for Cochise Head, a striking mountain that resembles a person's profile. Soon you pass through a corridor of stacked rocks and haunting hoodoos. Near the end of the trail, you’ll spot the namesake 1,000-ton boulder perched on a thumb of stone. From here a short spur trail leads to Heart of Rocks.

Take the 1.1-mile loop clockwise, which affords better views of the weird stone garden. Volcanic intensity still crackles within this twisty little labyrinth, undercut by a sense of whimsy. You’re surrounded by tumbled, crumpled, otherworldly rock formations, like somebody busted up Stonehenge and the Easter Island heads for kindling.

From the chaos looms the familiar as you wind through the forest. Unexpected shapes suddenly burst into sight. Behold, Thor’s Hammer! Hey, a Duck on a Rock! Visions of Punch and Judy, Camel’s Head and the Totem Pole pull you along.

Reconnect with Big Balanced Rock Trail and the return is mostly downhill to the trailhead, always a nice way to end a hike.

Where: Chiricahua National Monument is 36 miles southeast of Willcox. From Interstate 10, take Exit 340 at Willcox. Drive south on State Route 186 for 32 miles to the junction of SR 181. Turn left and go 4 miles to the park entrance.

Admission: Free.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Length: 7.3 miles round trip.

Details: 520-824-3560, nps.gov/chir.

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Sedona: Hangover Trail

Bring your grippiest hiking boots and a fearless heart when you come for the Hangover Trail.

This is a challenging thrill ride of a hike across exposed slopes, with steep climbs and sheer drop-offs. It also delivers a sense of exhilaration, wild backcountry and some of Sedona’s best views. Those uncomfortable with heights should stay away.

If you’ve got a high-clearance vehicle, guide it up rutted Schnebly Hill Road to Cow Pies Trail. Take this easy path as it cuts through scrubby woodlands but instead of clambering out to the large sandstone mounds, continue straight toward Mitten Ridge.

You’ll reach the Hangover Trail in a half-mile, then follow signs and painted white dots as the route meanders across the expanse of open sandstone like a distant red planet. The final section slants sharply upward toward a saddle framed by towering formations.

This is the magic of slick rock hiking, requiring good shoes and a little faith as you use the contours of the rock to walk up the wall. From this high perch you can peer deep into Oak Creek Canyon, so treat yourself to a rest amid the breathtaking panoramas that few Sedona visitors get to witness.

Descending down the backside of the ridge you’ll snag a thin dirt path clinging precariously to the slope. The trail’s name comes into focus as it squeezes beneath a protrusion of overhanging rock that curls up like a wave. Stay close to the wall as the world falls away to your right.

There’s one last dicey bit of footwork as the dirt path ends at a cascading shelf of slick rock. Be careful on this steep descent with terraced ledges. Finally the Hangover drops into the junipers and connects to the Munds Wagon Trail, which parallels Schnebly Hill Road. Turn left and follow the trail back to the Cow Pies Trailhead for a hike of just over 5 miles.

If you want to spare your vehicle the punishing drive, park at the designated lot at the end of the pavement on Schnebly Hill Road, and then hike up the Munds Wagon Trail to Hangover. That will add 3.2 miles to your total, and a $5 Red Rock Pass is required, available at the trailhead.

Where: From the “Y” intersection of State Routes 179 and 89A in Sedona, go south on SR 179 for 0.3 mile. Turn left on Schnebly Hill Road and drive 3.5 miles to the signed parking area. The last 2.7 miles is a rugged dirt road requiring a high-clearance vehicle.

Admission: Free.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Length: 5.2 miles round trip.

Details: 928-203-2900, fs.usda.gov/coconino.

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Prescott: Watson Lake Loop

This hike features many treats for Arizonans, with water, woodlands and fierce rock formations. Yet it’s all just minutes from Prescott’s Courthouse Plaza.

A series of connected trails encircles Watson Lake, weaving through the Granite Dells, a stony wonderland of massive boulders, weathered and piled into exotic shapes, like the Flintstones holding a yard sale.

Start your hike in Watson Lake Park. From the parking area, turn right on the trail as it skirts the shoreline. Big cottonwood trees cradle the southern toe of the water and wrap around Granite Creek. This lush spot is Watson Woods Riparian Preserve. The 126-acre preserve harbors the largest patch of riparian forest left in Prescott. Some of the big cottonwoods are over a century old.

This trail connects to the Peavine, a wide thoroughfare along the eastern bank popular with bikers, joggers and stroller-pushing moms. The Peavine is part of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a national program converting old railway beds into user-friendly paths.

While the Peavine stretches for several miles, peel off onto Lakeshore Trail at the first opportunity. This dirt single track traces the edge of the water as it twists among the Dells and includes a couple of short detours called Treehouse Loop and Secret Cove.

There’s an enticing wildness to this side of the lake, a maze of rock domes accessorized with yucca and cactus, oak and pine and toothy granite formations mirrored by the sparkling water. Expect to spend plenty of time gawking and gaping.

The Over the Hill Trail continues through the Dells, cutting in and out of rocky gullies until it dips into a marshy swath at the base of Watson Dam. Water gushes from the midsection of the dam, creating a corridor of tangled wetlands shaded by cottonwoods and willows. The Northshore Trail completes the loop. It clambers up a steep rock face for some stunning panoramas and then follows the water’s edge back to your starting point.

Where: From downtown Prescott, travel north on State Route 89 for about 5 miles to Watson Lake Park. Turn right into the park and follow the road until it dead ends at the parking area.

Admission: $3 per vehicle.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Length: 4.8-mile loop.

Details: 928-777-1590, prescott-az.gov.

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Find the reporter at www.rogernaylor.com. Or follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RogerNaylorinAZ or Twitter @AZRogerNaylor. 

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