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First Water
Payson,
Arizona
(Gila County)
Last Updated:
07/07/2021
Trail Information
Highlights
In Arizona, 4x4 access and camping along a flowing creek is a pretty rare opportunity. This particular camping area has recently opened, allowing users easy access to the Mogollon Rim Country around Payson, Arizona. The nearby First Crossing recreation site is often a starting point for hikers beginning their trek up to the Waterwheel Park, that's found just to the north. With the creek flowing year-round and an abundance of large shade trees, it's a wonderful reprieve from the Arizona heat. Using this area as a base camp allows visitors easy access to all kinds of trails and adventures while still being close enough to all the conveniences of Payson just 7 miles away.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
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Trail Reviews
4.7/5 (5 reviews)
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 04/09/2022
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
VERY short trail. 100% worth it for some peace and quiet. Lunch on the water - loads of cool share - can't beat it. I would not attempt this trail in the rain though - the ground is very "silty" and will turn into deep mud pretty easily.
Temporary Closure
Visited: 06/25/2021
Tonto National Forest officials will close the state’s largest national forest due to ongoing extreme fire danger beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 25. The forest is implementing this forest closure as a precaution to protect the health and safety of the public, employees and firefighters by reducing the risk of human-caused fires.
No one is allowed in the closure area, including Forest Service personnel, unless they are responding to a wildfire or other emergency or patrolling to ensure enforcement of the closure. The order shall remain in effect until July 31, 2021 or until rescinded, whichever occurs first. Residents or businesses using roads in the restricted area to the extent necessary to access their private property are exempt.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 04/05/2019
We absolutely love this camping spot and now we love it even more. While the water levels were up, we decided to stop in to hike back into the canyon. What we weren't expecting was to run into a young bald eagle hopping from waterhole to waterhole. We never got any good pictures of it but it was still a unique experience in Arizona. The area was clean but there was a lot of fallen trees from the recent rains. The pin stripes are BRUTAL coming in.
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