5 Best AZ hikes!

[satillayakker]

Okay, so, I am intel gathering here. A little background for my search: Have decided on a springtime AZ trip to AZ. Were doing Fall this year, but was recently "requested" by the wife and daughter to go during wildflower season. Now, my idea is to hike when we can and see what we can, all in all, just having a good time outside. We will be in Az for about 10 days, and plan to make a point to hike 5 trails. What are your 5 favorite hikes and why should I choose them? (Keeping in mind that my wife suffer from RA, so 4-5 miles max and not too rocky is sort of a requirement.) We want some that represent AZ's diversity well.

So, Hazers, throw some knowledge at me!

[paulhubbard]

I would argue that no visit to AZ would be complete without doing the West Fork of Oak Creek trail http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=24997&STs=3
It fits the bill perfectly for you - You can go back as far as you want (don't plan on dry feet, though), we went in ~5 miles last weekend and it felt more like 3 or 4 since the trail is so relatively easy. Even going to the end of the official trail (3.3 miles? one way) is very nice!
Another one that's very nice is the Horton Creek Trail http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=62, but it's about 4 miles one way. The good news is its all downhill coming home.
The Catalinas in Tucson have tons of great trails too.

[satillayakker]

Thanks Paul. I had looked at West Fork of Oak Creek and was pondering it. I guess I just needed a little validation for that one to put it on our "must do" list. I will check out the other one.

[John9L]

Here is a link to the Traildex. Sort the ratings in descending order to see what hikes are the most popular on this site.
http://hikearizona.com/traildex.php

To name a few, check out West Fork and Horton just like Paul said. Also check out Aravaipa (Permit Required), Fossil Springs, Kachina Trail, Inner Basin and Parsons Trail. You can find all of these hikes in the Traildex. Go look at pics to see what interests you. Good luck with your research!

[chumley]

I will add that wildflowers are most often found in the desert (which is full of rocky terrain) ... And usually peak in mid-March (though that varies each year). Hikes to West Fork and Horton Creeks in March can be cold and snowy!

While I would consider it more of a stroll in the park than a hike, but spending a few hours at the Desert Botanical Garden is a real treat for anybody who has not experienced desert wildflowers before.

One of my top trails is Kachina, but it probably doesn't fit your request because it really is only nice in mid-summer when the ferns and aspen dominate the landscape. There's never really any flowers there.