Overnight Backpacking Trip in Northern Arizona

[grizzlyadam]

For our honeymoon, me and my fiance will be traveling from Louisiana to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. I'm looking for a good out-n-back or loop trail around 8-14 miles total that we could could hike over two days and camp out one night. Particularly looking in the Sedona, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon area. I'm putting in a permit for the Grand Canyon to hike to Indian Creek Campground, but since our honeymoon will be in late July I fear I'll probably not be able to acquire one. We are both in good shape and have experience backpacking and would be interested in anything short of a death march. If there is a hike we could do without having to get a permit that would be great. Also, since it will be in July, maybe something with a year round water source if possible. Any and all suggestions/advice/ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[JasonCleghorn]

@grizzlyadam

Click at the top of the page on the FIND button. From there, you'll be able to enter all of your parameters using the toggles. You can also get historical weather by month on the individual hike pages. You can also look at photosets and triplogs for the particular trails sorted by month, etc. There are also water reports from springs, etc.

Best of luck.

[chumley]

@grizzlyadam
and congratulations on your nuptials! :budrose:

July is a tough month in northern Arizona. Even in the higher elevations it can be quite warm, and it's the middle of our summer monsoon season, which often results in daily thunderstorms. Despite that, there are very few places with reliable water on an overnight trip.

If you are able to secure a permit to Indian Garden that would be ideal (though still quite warm). If you haven't been to Sedona, I highly recommend it. The scenery is truly a unique wonder of the world. Unfortunately, it is at a lower elevation and can be hot for backpacking in July. There are also very few water sources to rely on there. But if nothing else, I recommend you make the drive through Oak Creek Canyon from Flagstaff to Sedona and spend a few hours in town or doing a short dayhike or two while there.

As for an overnight, the Sycamore Canyon Rim Loop is the only thing I can think of that really fits your wishes. It's a nice loop with not too much elevation change. There are some open prairie areas, some forested areas, canyon edge views, and unique geology. If you click on the map and official route on the description page, it will show water sources and reports from various times of year to give you a good feeling for where you will be able to find water along the way in July.

There are other backpacking options but they are much farther from the Flagstaff/Sedona area. If you want to car-camp and dayhike then there are many more possibilities to choose from...

[flagscott]

Sycamore Rim is a nice hike and easy to access. If you are willing to do some driving on dirt roads to access a remote area, you could hike down into Sycamore Canyon via the Winter Cabin Trail or one of the other trails in that area. There are some very nice spots to camp down in the canyon. I think there are a few perennial springs in the area, too (you'll want to check recent water reports wherever you go). It's been a very wet spring here, so hopefully some water sources that normally dry up in summer may linger.

[big_load]

The Flagstaff area is nice in July. The Weatherford Trail makes a decent two-day backpack with camping at one of the saddles and a side trip to Humphrey's Peak. The return trip from there is longer than you're looking for, though.

[flagscott]

The Flagstaff area is nice in July. The Weatherford Trail makes a decent two-day backpack with camping at one of the saddles and a side trip to Humphrey's Peak. The return trip from there is longer than you're looking for, though.

FYI, the lower part of the Weatherford Trail closed for the season for logging. Last I saw, they said it might not be open til next year. You can access it via the Kachina Trail or from Inner Basin, both of which are nice hikes. But I don't believe there is any water available on the Weatherford.

[chumley]

But water would be an issue unless you went down to that spring off the Inner Basin trail.

Which is a long way to go because camping is prohibited in the Inner Basin.

[flagscott]

But water would be an issue unless you went down to that spring off the Inner Basin trail.

Which is a long way to go because camping is prohibited in the Inner Basin.

Right--I meant that you could snag water on the way up.

[big_load]

But I don't believe there is any water available on the Weatherford.

That's why I started with 2 1/2 days of water when I did that one. The Inner Basin was closed, so it wasn't an option. I've dayhiked the Inner Basin to the saddle and back, too. The one-way trip is a tradeoff with the Weatherford. It's a lot prettier and shorter, but it's a lot steeper, especially if you're carrying water.

[JoelHazelton]

If you don't mind getting wet, I'd hit up the West Fork of Oak Creek in Sedona. The trailhead is just over 5,200 ft, but since you'll be in the water in a lush riparian area with soaring canyon walls providing shade, a nice warm day would be perfect. I'd say an ideal honeymoon backpacking trip. http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=147

The first 3 miles are on a popular trail, but after that you're on your own, resigned to slogging through the creek. Never more than waist deep, at least for the first 6 miles (as far as I've been). No camping is allowed until the 6-mile mark, at which point there is an absolutely perfect campsite about 20 feet above the creek in a protected alcove. I camped there during July once and stayed perfectly dry reclined next to a fire while watching the rain come down in the canyon.

Only issue is I'm not sure how the recent fire in Sedona damaged the watershed upstream of the camping area, and whether or not it would result in a higher than usual flood threat. Others would know better about that. When I went several years ago (before the fire), we camped high enough above the creek that normal monsoon flooding wasn't really a concern.

[grizzlyadam]

Thank for the ideas everyone. I'll be spending the next month or so poking around the site and seeing which ones sound fun. I have a book about hikes in Flagstaff and Sedona and the Airport Mesa Trail interested my fiance. I know it's prob not a good camping option, but is it a good day hike?

[JoelHazelton]

@grizzlyadam
Airport Loop: http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=621