Y Bar Trail #44 Photoset • david_allen_3 • 2025-09-12 • HikeArizona.COM

Y Bar Trail #44, AZ

	2025-09-12
	36 by david_allen_3

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Y Bar Trail #44

Payson, AZ

Y Bar Trail #44

Payson, AZ

Hiking	11.00 Miles	2,994 AEG

Hiking	11.00 Miles	17 Hrs		0.92 mph
	2,994 ft AEG	5 Hrs Break	16 LBS Pack

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I only planned on staying 1 night but 1 night turned into nearly 2 due to Mr Dog not wanting to hike in the middle of the day. He is getting a little older so I honored his request and we day camped at Y Bar Tanks until near sunset. From my experience Tanks are not tanks at all but a spring in a creek bed. I had little desire to explore this place in the past because I thought 'tanks' referred to old cattle ponds. When I learned that is not what it is my interest grew. I arrived on Thursday night and slept in the car near the trail parking area. We broke trail at 6 AM. Tree cover is fair to good along much of the Y Bar trail but mile 2 to 3 runs along a dry rocky slope with little to no shade. Y Bar Spring was dry. Once again I did not locate the start of the trail to Y Bar Tanks so I made my own route down and intercepted the old non maintained trail about a ¼ mile east of the tanks / spring. I was happy to find clean fresh water trickling in the stream bed. Weak winter and summer rains still found water. The water was helpful and easily filtered. Mr dog loved the water. The small pools and trickle of a stream does not last long as I also briefly scouted the area downstream but no water was seen below the spring area in Y Bar Canyon. I would love to know why the area is called Y Bar Tanks. Was the stream once more developed with small dams or was there actual metal tanks? I am guessing it has to do with cattle ranching improvements prior to the wilderness designation in the 1960s. I made some minor improvements to the trail by lopping off some brush here and there. The upper section from off of the Y bar trail could use more attention. Left the tanks / creek around 4:30 PM. Stopped and slept along the trail around 10 PM. High daily temp at tanks around 81 degrees. Got back to the car near midnight.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Poison Ivy

Y Bar Spring

Dry

	Y Bar Tanks	76-100% full	76-100% full
	The area says tanks but is really a spring making a small creek. No 'tanks'seen. 2 or 3 small pools and light trickle of water between them, about 1/4 quart per minute guestimate. Weak winter and weak summer rains.

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