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| Hiking | 7.50 Miles |
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| | Hiking | 7.50 Miles | 5 Hrs | | 1.50 mph |
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| no partners | | Box Canyon East
Last year I hiked Box Canyon in the Florence area and since it was a wet year there was water running through the canyons and flowing from the cliffs above. The weather that day was damp but warm and the sky's were kinda gray, so it was a good day for hiking but not too photogenic.
We left Hwy. 79 just North of Florence and followed E. Price Station Road for almost 15 miles through the Gila river bottoms until we were able to follow the creek beds up into the mountains. I must add that the road is gravel with lots of wet spots, ruts, protruding rocks and other hazards that make it a memorable journey. Speeds of 20 MPH are the norm, so if Box Canyon is in your plans, be sure to allow enough time to navigate the roads. For obvious reasons, the area is a Mecca for all sorts of off-road vehicles and you're bound to run into several of them during the course of the day.
The Box Canyon hike was a short two-way trip and as we returned to our vehicle, we had enough time to go exploring a second canyon that intersected from the East side. This canyon was very narrow and it wasn't too long before we ran into some boulders blocking our way and creating some deep pools of water. We were unable to proceed any further that day, but made a point of returning another day when we could go farther up into the canyons.
That return trip was today. Once again we navigated the gravel road, although it seems to be a little faster, now that it's dry, and parked our SUV where Box Canyon and (Box Canyon East?) join at coordinates N 33 deg. 08.031, W 111 deg. 12.170. We immediately set out hiking up this East Canyon and we were immediately presented with some unique sights as the canyon continued.
The floor of the canyon is a combination of loose gravel and rocks, which make for easy hiking and the rate of elevation gain is only slight. There are a few large rock falls that require some bouldering but nothing that requires extra equipment. The walls of the canyon are vertical and narrow at the bottom so at the first rock fall, there are no more 4-wheelers around and the hike is quiet and scenic.
Many of the canyon walls are covered with a layer of green moss, which adds an interesting perspective to the normal rock as they seem to resemble a velvet texture when viewed from a distance. There is a lot of greenery along the base of the canyon but it's easy to pick your way through without getting all chewed up by the thorns and in some places, it continues well up the side walls.
There were many, now dry, waterfall areas and I can only imagine how incredible they would look if water was flowing (but I have to think that if water was flowing, the area would be almost inaccessible). The only way to see the sights with water flowing would be to start at the top of the canyon and work your way down to those falls and some day I hope to make that trip.
This lonely, isolated canyon continued for a couple of miles then we began to see the signs of the 4-wheelers in the gravel bed, so we knew we were getting close to the confluence with the Box Canyon Trail. At coordinates N 33 deg. 08.917, W 111 deg. 11.085 you will come to a junction of two water flows and you should guide to the left towards the visible canyon ahead. The next coordinates are N 33 deg. 09.066, W 111 deg. 11.191 where several of the 4-wheel trails come together, at this point guide left up a well traveled incline and down the opposite side until you come to another junction at N 33 deg. 09.245, W 111 deg. 11.369. Continue on this trail until you come to the main Box Canyon Trail at N 33 deg. 08.957, W 111 deg. 12.083.
The rest of the trail back down Box Canyon is an eye opener to the abuse of the trails and land. Now you frequently see beer cans, plastic bottles, plastic ATV parts and even an occasional shredded tire. It makes a shameful conclusion to an almost perfect hike.
My sometimes-reliable GPS managed to log in 7.43 miles although the breadcrumb trail was sometimes broken because of lack of satellite reception in the deep canyons. I was unable to find a name for this canyon so I am just referring to it as "Box Canyon East" and I recommend this round trip hike to anyone who might be looking for an easy hike that provides some excellent views of the mountains. But watch out for the 4-wheelers, they're bigger and therefore assume the right-of-way. |
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| On every trip into the Superstitions, I find another Gold Mine. Today the mine was filled with Memories. I can not wait for the next trip. |
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