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| | | Mazatzal Rock Creek Falls & Peaks 7571-7559, AZ | | | |
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Mazatzal Rock Creek Falls & Peaks 7571-7559, AZ
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| Hiking | 12.10 Miles |
4,141 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.10 Miles | 9 Hrs 14 Mns | | 1.65 mph |
| 4,141 ft AEG | 1 Hour 53 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | It had been just over a year since I last hiked in the Mazatzals, and I wanted to get out there again while the waterfalls were flowing...based on triplogs from earlier this month, it looked like Rock Creek Falls might be a good option. We saw quite a few campers parked along the first few miles of FR 414 on the way in, but the trailhead area was empty when we started ~8AM.
The major trail clearing effort that I'd read a few HAZers did recently made things very pleasant over the first 2+ miles of the hike (thank you!). They'd cleared a wide swath through the brush, and we could see hundreds of trimmed branches, cacti, and agave. It was a steady climb all the way to the falls, and the views kept getting better as we gained elevation. The final stretch of switchbacks through the red rocks leading to the falls were especially scenic, and we were happy to see that the falls were still flowing, though not as much as they were in pictures from earlier this month.
We sat in the shade there and enjoyed the views and the sounds of calling frogs, then continued up past the falls on Rock Creek Trail. Though it wasn't nearly as well maintained up there, the brush didn't have many thorns. I'd hoped to get up to Peak 7571, and with time tight, TBoneKathy found a shady waiting spot ~ two miles from the summit, and I took off for the top. The trail was a little more overgrown in that stretch, too, but the brush wasn't a major hindrance.
The off-trail portion up to the peak wasn't bad, either--not overly steep, with stretches of open forest hiking through the pines, mixed with a few tangles with manzanita and deadfall. We'd seen patches of snow up in the higher elevations from the beginning, and there were a few pockets of snow on the north side of 7571, but I never got close enough to actually touch snow.
The lack of trees at the top made it easy to enjoy the 360° views. The San Francisco Peaks stood out with the heavy snowpack, and there were nice views of the Mogollon Rim and the Sierra Anchas on the eastern horizon. I found a small summit register placed in 2010...the most recent entry was from a HAZer in 2021. Apparently it's well hidden among the rocks, because there are at least three more recent triplogs for 7571, but no entries in the register from those hikes.
Peak 7571: [ youtube video ]
On the way back toward the trail, I detoured over to Peak 7559 just to the north. The elevation is barely lower than 7571, but trees and vegetation block most of the views, so it was a step down from the other peak both literally and figuratively. I made my way back to the trail, rejoined TboneKathy, and we stopped again at Rock Creek Falls on the way out. I made my way down off the trail to get a different perspective on the larger waterfall, and there were more pools and smaller falls down there than we could see from the trail.
Rock Creek Falls: [ youtube video ]
Back near the pools above the falls, we finally spotted the frogs we'd heard calling--and there were plenty. We saw close to 10 of them scattered around the rock ledges and clinging to the rocks near one of the smaller falls.
Frogs: [ youtube video ]
It was mostly cloudy but very pleasant on the hike out, with temperatures in the 70s. We didn't see any other hikers all day, though a few campers had set up near the parking area when we got back. I was happy we were able to get here while the water was still flowing--even if it was only lightly--and I definitely want to do more hiking in the Mazatzals...plenty of good scenery out there. |
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Route 
. This is my third time doing this area and my second time going through the creek which to me is the preferred method of travel.
