Crack in the Mountain Trail • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Jan 23 2026
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,791

Hiking	15.14 Miles	2,503 AEG

Hiking	15.14 Miles	6 Hrs 51 Mns	2.42 mph
	2,503 ft AEG	35 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Lizard Peak Trail

Partners

partners

trekkin_gecko

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Second hike of the day was the SARA park trails. We’d put together a rough track to emcompass probably the widest loop we’d have time for, but by doing that, we’d pick up satellite view of all the trails within that loop.

From the main trailhead parking, we headed down Yellow Trail, which most refer to as Sara’s Crack. The wash narrowed to a fun slot canyon. I clumsily made my way down the slide with use of the attached rope. Then climbed over the chockstone. But the metal bridge over the pool of water is gone. No pool of water either. After that, the wash widened and we made our way to the river at Balanced Rock Cove.

From there, we headed up the Blue Trail, then onto 4462, which is a rougher, but more fun, trail that climbs up onto the mountain. Neat geology and views. 4462 ties back into the Purple (Lizard Peak) Trail at a saddle on the south side of the peak. Purple Trail switchbacked up to the summit of Lizard Peak, which has a picnic table at the top. The trail drops VERY steeply off the northwest side of the peak down to the next saddle.

At that saddle, we opted to leave the Purple Trail and follow the ridge to the north. Faint use trail and red dots as we scramble along the ridge. A few spots had some exposure, but the rock was grippy and stable. The high point along that ridge looked to be about the same height as Lizard Peak, and the overlook had views of the river and Lake Havasu City. We followed a use trail off the overlook and looped back to the east on some trail called Trash Can, obviously named by mtn bikers.

Once back in the Yellow Trail wash, he headed over to the BLM trails on the east side of the wash. Lots of randomly named/numbered mtn biking trails and old mining roads. We headed south to Pilot Rock at the edge of the river, where we had lunch at a picnic table near the water. After that, we meandered east on some trails thru a bunch of old mines. I love mines, so we looked around that area a bit. We spotted a fun looking trail skirting along the edge of a cliffy looking rock formation, so choose to take that trail north. I liked that trail, and it was fun to meander north and we had fun trying to decide where the trail would eventually dump us out on the main trail.

Once on the “main” trail we followed it back out to the main wash, then took the Red trail north back to the parking lot. The Red trail simply parallels the Yellow trail above the wash for a short stretch. We finished up around 1615, making good time for the mileage. Very fun hike, new territory, and a lot of neat geology. Great day! Thank you, Kelly, for the sandwiches/wraps.

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Suncups, heliotrope, poppies, brittlebush, lupine.

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

228931

Jan 23 2026

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 700
Photos 7,591
Triplogs 4,837

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Jan 23 2026
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,837

Hiking	15.29 Miles	2,606 AEG

Hiking	15.29 Miles	6 Hrs 44 Mns	2.51 mph
	2,606 ft AEG	38 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Lizard Peak Trail

Partners

partners

LindaAnn

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

for our second hike, we went to SARA park trailhead
linda had done a hike that took in some of the established trails, and she put together another loop for a few additional miles
we set out on the yellow trail, which follows a wash into sara's crack, a fun little slot canyon
there were a couple of downclimbs, one rope assisted slide and an interesting drop off a chockstone
narrow canyon walls with smooth pink rock
this opened up and we continued to the colorado river near balanced rock
looped back on the blue trail, but detoured onto another trail that contoured up a drainage to the backside of lizard peak
we hit the high point, then dropped to a saddle to the north and followed the ridgeline to another high point
one place with some exposure that we found a way around and the rest was straightforward
we saw a guy descend from the north end of the ridgeline, so we did that rather than retrace our steps
back to the wash, we eventually found the watershed loop trail and took that down to pilot rock
good trail, some on old roadbed, nice scenery
took a break at pilot rock, then continued on the loop linda drew up
we ended up taking another route that looked more interesting, eventually reconnecting with the original plan
finished up on the red trail, which i preferred to walking back in the wash
lots of trails in this section, some were official blm trails and some were mountain biking trails
good views of the river, mines to check out, washes to cross, green rolling hills and cool rock formations
we covered a good sample, but there are a lot more options
my favorites were sara's crack and lizard peak ridgeline
loved seeing something new
great hike, thanks for inviting me along, linda!
fun day

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Pilot Rock

_____________________

hazhole

228950

Apr 24 2025

Guides 69
Routes 37
Photos 3,284
Triplogs 2,482

56 male

Joined Oct 24 2010
Phoenix,Az

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Apr 24 2025
		mt98dew • Triplogs 2,482

Hiking	10.52 Miles	1,760 AEG

Hiking	10.52 Miles	4 Hrs 45 Mns	2.21 mph
	1,760 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Another day in Havasu led to another day at SARA Park. Started with the “Crack Trail” because it’s fun to do and went in the general direction of what I wanted to do. Today, I continued my “gridding” of the trails that run off the western edge of SARA Park near Lake Havasu. Started my gridding from the Balanced Rock location and followed some of the trails that went to the north and west of the Green/Blue trails. The first three ended up being more like game trails and faded away within the first .3 miles, but the fourth led to what I am calling Solitude Wash. The trail connected to what became trail 4455 which led out to Camp Solitude. Another BLM campsite along Lake Havasu, very similar to the Balanced Rock campsite (bathroom, trashcans, fire pit and a covered picnic table). I followed the trails that played on the nearby hill and then followed the 4455 trail back up the wash. Going into the wash the trail split off several times and I followed most of the ones that headed south (back to the blue trail). Those that headed north I would save for a later visit. I lost signage for 4455 almost as soon as I entered the interior of the wash so I’m not sure which direction it went (there were a lot of use trails and that trail would be hard to follow unless marked frequently). I didn’t do all the trails that fed of the Blue Trail, but I found a good breaking point and headed back to the TH.

Another nice day. Windier than the previous day. No wildlife except for the duck on Lake Havasu and 3 frogs in the slot canyon. Saw a few bikers in the distance but that was it.

_____________________

222925

Apr 23 2025

Guides 69
Routes 37
Photos 3,284
Triplogs 2,482

56 male

Joined Oct 24 2010
Phoenix,Az

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Apr 23 2025
		mt98dew • Triplogs 2,482

Hiking	8.92 Miles	895 AEG

Hiking	8.92 Miles	3 Hrs 40 Mns	2.43 mph
	895 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Hard to believe it’s been 9 years since my last visit to SARA Park. Wife and I were in Havasu for a few days so a return to “the crack” was in order. Got to the TH around 5:30. I didn’t have much of a plan. Followed the Yellow Trail in, enjoyed the slot and then continued down to Lake Havasu. Took the Green Trail over to Balanced Rock campsite. The lake was very quiet in the early morning hours. Very little activity on the trails or the lake. It was nice to watch the ducks on the water and listen to the water lapping against the shoreline. On the way I took the Blue and explored all the trails that bounced between the Yellow and Blue. Some retracing was required, but it provided good inside into the two trails. I think I’ll have enough information to do that trail description I had planned on dong 9 years ago.

Temps were great, in the upper 60’s to start. Almost no wildlife except for the ducks and a small frog. Encountered 2 joggers early on and then 4 hikers as I was nearing the TH.

_____________________

222899

Mar 02 2024

LindaAnn

Guides 112
Routes 2,440
Photos 9,563
Triplogs 2,791

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

SARA Park - Lake Havasu City, AZ

Hiking		Mar 02 2024
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,791

Hiking	6.41 Miles	1,177 AEG

Hiking	6.41 Miles	4 Hrs 6 Mns	1.84 mph
	1,177 ft AEG	37 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Lizard Peak Trail

Partners

none

no partners

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

First hike of the day. Wasn’t sure what to expect since these trails are in a recreation on the edge of Lake Havasu City. Met up with my friend, Eric, and his pup, Jacy, and we got started just before 0730.

Headed out on Crack in the Mountain Trail (yellow trail) and followed it down a wash. Easy hiking at first, then we got to the crack, where the wash narrows into a slot canyon. Some easy scrambling through this section, which was fun. One spot had a slide of more than 10’. There was a rope, which helped control the slide down, but that rock was very smooth, so I’m glad our planned route did not include trying to get back up this trail, which would have been impossible with a dog. Another spot had a metal “bridge” crossing a pothole which seems to hold water. After that, the wash widened back out, then just before reaching the lake, we climbed up the right bank of the wash and followed that down to the shore.

Got some pics of the water, then headed up the Blue Climb Trail (blue trail) which mostly stays on ridgetops, and roughly parallels above the Crack trail, making for a good loop option. Nice views. At one spot, we could see a trail climbing the mountain to the north of us. A quick glance at the map confirmed this unsigned trail would tie into Lizard Peak, which we were planning to hit on our way back to the trailhead, so we jumped onto this trail, which was marked as 4462 on a map.

4462 was a lot of fun. It climbed up the mountain through some neat geology, including past some windows. I think it was a better choice than staying on the blue trail. Once it tied back into Lizard Peak Trail (purple trail) it climbed up to the summit, which had a picnic table up top. Great views in all directions.

The trail off the north side of Lizard Peak was somewhat vague, with at least three routes coming off that side. Luckily, you can see a trail sign at the saddle below, so we just picked a path and headed down to the saddle. Very steep, with slippery gravel, but we made it. At the saddle, the trail becomes more defined, and we headed downhill. Once spot has a steep scramble, with two ledges, each about 5-6’. The hikers in front of us were scared to death, but they made it. Hand and footholds were minimal, so I’d just sit on the edge, scoot as far as I could, then drop down. Not too bad, ascending would have been more of a pain. After I got down each ledge, I’d grab the dog and lower her down while Eric made his way off each ledge. Below that, we made a side trip over to a giant rock lizard, and then headed to the now packed trailhead.

Nice hike, and there’s a lot more to explore of both the marked and unmarked SARA trails, definitely worthy of a day of hiking. Wear shoes with good grip.

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

213581

Jan 25 2017

Tortoise_Hiker

Guides 1
Routes 149
Photos 10,139
Triplogs 3,784

64 male

Joined Apr 02 2005
Mesa, AZ

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Jan 25 2017
		Tortoise_Hiker • Triplogs 3,784

Hiking	5.50 Miles	747 AEG

Hiking	5.50 Miles	2 Hrs 10 Mns	2.54 mph
	747 ft AEG

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

This hike is in the Boots and Burgers book. I took the crack (yellow trail) down and the ridgeline (blue trail) back.
The trailhead had parking for 10 or so cars with more across the street. The first .2 miles or so are on a dirt road. After that you drop into a wash. You will see signs with the yellow marking from time to time but also side trails here and there. Stay in the wash/cracks all the way until right before the river. The wash will be choked out by Tamarisk but the trail will go up and around on the right and you will see the river. The slot canyon is cool and there is one spot with a rope. It's only seven feet down and you can slide it. The rope would help coming up but if you do the loop you won't have to worry about it. When you get to the river do the horseshoe hike around the cove and there is a neat picnic area with table,grill, and outhouse. I think the boaters use it and there is a self pay station on a first come basis. Would be cool to Kayak,picnic, and hike up to crack. From there your on the blue trail. just go up the ridge and follow it back. It merges with the Yellow trail when you are about .9 miles from the trailhead. This was a fun little loop.

The second part in the book is the burger. They suggest Jersey's Grill. It doesn't open until 11 on Wednesday's so I had an hour to wait. I went over and walked the London Bridge while I waited. It was cool and I liked the character of it and the cool light poles. Back to Jersey's Grill and I had the burger with the Philly meat on it. MmmMmm Tasty!! I had a fun time for a half day in Lake Havasu. :y:

Haz lists this as one way. My mileage is for a balloon loop.

_____________________

Tortoise Hiking. Stop and smell the Petrichor.

2 archives

139849

Feb 03 2016

Guides 69
Routes 37
Photos 3,284
Triplogs 2,482

56 male

Joined Oct 24 2010
Phoenix,Az

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Feb 03 2016
		mt98dew • Triplogs 2,482

Hiking	7.84 Miles	410 AEG

Hiking	7.84 Miles	2 Hrs 18 Mns	3.41 mph
	410 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

I plan on doing some trail description for some of the trails in SARA's Park. But descriptions are always more arduous than simple write ups so I am going to take care of the write ups first. Went back to SARA one more time before having to head home. Main goal was two fold: try to gather some trail info for Crack in the Mountain and to continue to do some trail gridding for some northern mountain trails. Started off by going down the Yellow Trail and doing The Crack in the Mountain. Very cool! Even doing it on back to back days. After the slot though, I got out of the wash and headed over to the Blue Trail. There were a couple of side trails that I needed to hit just to the west and north of the Blue/Yellow connector trail. After that, did a side trail (this trail is really more than a side trail and is worthy of it own designation) that goes up the back side (west side) of the mountain. Beautiful rock formations! Arches and cubby holes galore. This trail took me up to the south saddle, prior to the final climb to Picnic Table Peak (also called Lizard Peak). Since I had done the peak the previous day (hopefully to be described in HAZ soon) I took another trail down east side of the saddle. The trail starts to do a lot of branching off on this side and this is where I picked up with my gridding. I did a lot of back and forth as I tried to hit every trail that spun off the main east saddle trail. There were some great scenic overlooks with some steep drop offs. Didn't come close to doing all the trails so I definitely plan on making some return trips! No wildlife today, though I meet Bill again. A Canadian hiker who I had met the day before. He was a hard core ultra hiker who did 60, 80, 100k hikes primarily in the northwest. Sounded like he had quite few stories to tell. I mentioned HAZ and getting his experiences online, but he had been doing for over 30 years, tech free, and didn't seem inclined to change. Too bad. People like that have a wealth of information that will be loss to future hikers. Great hike/run today. I'll be missing this park.

_____________________

127203

Feb 01 2016

Guides 69
Routes 37
Photos 3,284
Triplogs 2,482

56 male

Joined Oct 24 2010
Phoenix,Az

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Feb 01 2016
		mt98dew • Triplogs 2,482

Hiking	5.71 Miles	410 AEG

Hiking	5.71 Miles	3 Hrs 18 Mns	1.73 mph
	410 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Second trip to "SARA's Network" of the day. This time I came back with my wife to do Crack in the Mountain. The park people have also dubbed this the Yellow Trail. The trail has markers approximately every .2 miles all the way down to Lake Havasu. The slot canyon was ultra cool! First experience with one. I wasn't measuring but the slot portion of the hike might have lasted .25 miles, maybe a little more. Only a couple of challenging parts. The rope was still there for the 7 foot slide and the one "pool" of water had a rock in the middle that allowed you to keep your feet dry. The rest of the hike to the waters edge was down a wide wash that gradual sloped down to Lake Havasu. Some of the wash areas were very nice with varying rock formations. The cove where the trail came to the lake was very nice! Very tranquil. Sat down at waters edge and got "attacked" by "wild" ducks. They were practically crawling in our laps for handouts. Very brave! Probably not the best characteristic for a duck to have.

On the return trip stayed in the wash for most of it, but took one of many side trails out to avoid going up the slot. Saw quite a chipmunks and the ducks but no other wildlife. Fantastic afternoon with the wife!

_____________________

127155

Jan 09 2016

azbackpackr

Guides 34
Routes 537
Photos 6,008
Triplogs 918

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Jan 09 2016
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 918

Hiking	6.56 Miles	1,212 AEG

Hiking	6.56 Miles	4 Hrs 46 Mns	1.98 mph
	1,212 ft AEG	1 Hour 27 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

This was a fun loop hike. I went with a local group, which I've always found is a good way to learn new trails and routes. Going hiking with 16 people is not my idea of a wilderness experience, but it was fun getting acquainted with them--very nice group. We went down "SARA's Crack," as it is known locally. (Nobody actually calls it "Crack in Mountain" except the City government.) Before I forget, "SARA" stands for "Special Activities and Recreation Area."

The Crack had water in it from recent rains. Several of us had brought sandals. It took a bit of negotiating to get 16 people of varying physical abilities through it, but everyone made it. At one point there is a rope. At another point there is a sort of dicey move to avoid a pool. Then there is the unavoidable pool. The water was only about knee deep, but very chilly. Then on down the wash we went, and quickly reached the lake. I had been to this part of the lake before in my kayak. Gorgeous area!

We made a loop hike, and also got some nice AEG by taking a different path on the way back which led us to the top of a hill where there is a picnic table. There is a well-beaten trail to this hill, and another equally good trail leading down and back to the original wash.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

126075

Dec 02 2012

AZWanderingBear

Guides 27
Routes 61
Photos 2,620
Triplogs 700

70 male

Joined Jan 23 2008
Phoenix, AZ