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Tonto Creek - 17 members in 41 triplogs have rated this an average 4.5 ( 1 to 5 best )
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41 triplogs
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Apr 12 2025
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 Routes 46
 Photos 253
 Triplogs 47

19 male
 Joined Aug 13 2023
 Phoenix, AZ
Tonto CreekPayson, AZ
Tonto Creek
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Apr 12 2025
diablo • Triplogs 47
Hiking11.52 Miles 491 AEG
Hiking11.52 Miles   2 Hrs   59 Mns   4.40 mph
491 ft AEG      22 Mns Break
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
After having decent luck with finding water even during such a dry winter, I tried my luck with a mogollon drainage for a spot I found on satellite/topo. After walking in a dry wash bed for a while, I knew I had struck out. Turned around after only a couple miles, though the geology raised my curiosity even more - till next spring. Decided to hit up the good old Tonto after for a quick float. Great to be back on the rim! (Stats are incorrect, I did not hike 11 miles)
  1 archive
Apr 01 2025
avatar

 Guides 99
 Routes 1,484
 Photos 16,072
 Triplogs 1,374

male
 Joined Jan 07 2017
 Fountain Hills,
Hellsgate 37 ( North ) to Tonto CreekPayson, AZ
Hellsgate 37 ( North ) to Tonto Creek
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Apr 01 2025
DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374
Hiking14.67 Miles 3,461 AEG
Hiking14.67 Miles   7 Hrs   53 Mns   2.06 mph
3,461 ft AEG      46 Mns Break
 
Linked   linked  
Hell's Gate Trail #37
Tonto Creek
Partners none no partners
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
It had been a year since I had done this hike, and with the temperature in the 50's I decided to head up to Payson and do this hike again.

There was very little water in Salt Lick Canyon, so the creek crossings were a non issue.

Water flow in Hellsgate was light to moderate. Normally there is heavy water flow there at this time of year.

The trail seems to get more and more eroded -- there is lots of loose, rubbly, ankle-busting rock to deal with these days.

There is lots of up-and-down on this trail, and it is more up on the way back, which makes for a tough hike. I am glad that it was a cool day!

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 El Grande Tank 76-100% full 76-100% full

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Salt Lick Canyon Pools to trickle Pools to trickle
Salt Lick Canyon was mostly dry, but there were a few shallow pools with some water.
_____________________
Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there
 
Oct 10 2020
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 Routes 11
 Photos 2,313
 Triplogs 222

59 male
 Joined Oct 17 2010
 GILBERT
Tonto CreekPayson, AZ
Tonto Creek
Payson, AZ
Mtn Biking avatar Oct 10 2020
ALMAL • Triplogs 222
Mtn Biking18.00 Miles
Mtn Biking18.00 Miles
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Started out off of Colcord road Saturday morning and rode down to Fishermen's point and to explore another area a mile further down that leads down to another creek, now dry. Nice road, kind of bumpy. Later I relocated to Tonto creek and the madness around Horton trailhead. Wow, but nothing really surprises me anymore. I hopped back on the bike and rode across 260 and followed the road to it's end. I didn't realize ASU had a football field there. Fished along the creek on the way back and found a small herd of rainbow trout not 100 yards from the 260 bridge. No one was fishing this area. Kept 2 13's, 2 14's, and a 15"er.
_____________________
You aren't late if you don't show up!
 
May 16 2020
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 491
 Photos 10,890
 Triplogs 1,257

55 male
 Joined Nov 20 2012
 Phoenix, AZ
Tonto Creek, AZ 
Tonto Creek, AZ
 
Backpack avatar May 16 2020
BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257
Backpack5.40 Miles 1,098 AEG
Backpack5.40 Miles2 Days         
1,098 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   linked  
Tonto Creek
Partners partners
slowandsteady
We wanted to check out some cool pools in Tonto Creek. So we headed into Tonto for the weekend near Green Valley Creek. Tough terrain to get into but the pools make it worth the effort. Took our floaties and a kayak paddle for maneuvering the pools. First time I’ve used a paddle with the floaty and it turned out to be a great idea. We really didn’t hike that far and spent the afternoon and next morning checking out the pools upstream. Late morning we packed up and hiked out back to the truck. Great to see this area again!
_____________________
  1 archive
Apr 25 2020
avatar

 Guides 99
 Routes 1,484
 Photos 16,072
 Triplogs 1,374

male
 Joined Jan 07 2017
 Fountain Hills,
Hellsgate 37 ( North ) to Tonto CreekPayson, AZ
Hellsgate 37 ( North ) to Tonto Creek
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Apr 25 2020
DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374
Hiking14.50 Miles 3,524 AEG
Hiking14.50 Miles   6 Hrs   33 Mns   2.61 mph
3,524 ft AEG   1 Hour    Break
 
Linked   linked  
Tonto Creek
Hell's Gate Trail #37
Partners none no partners
I had originally intended to do this hike in March, but it snowed a bit the day before I had planned to go, so I decided to put this one of for a few weeks.

This was a nice hike, although it was a bit warmer than I would have preferred. We left early, and the hike was a good one all the way to Hell's Gate. The water flow was pretty good down there, and the pool there was fine for swimming if you didn't mind the water being a bit cold. If someone wanted to you could have waded up Haigler Creek.

The hike out was a good uphill climb for a bit, which was a good workout on a warm day. On the way back we met a few people on the trail -- people are heading to the forest on the weekends.
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Claret Cup Cactus
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Ring-necked Snake
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  El Grande Tank  Tonto Creek
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Light
There were a few wildflowers here and there, but some sections were nice.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 El Grande Tank 76-100% full 76-100% full

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Haigler Creek Medium flow Medium flow
_____________________
Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there
 
Mar 06 2019
avatar

 Guides 99
 Routes 1,484
 Photos 16,072
 Triplogs 1,374

male
 Joined Jan 07 2017
 Fountain Hills,
Hellsgate 37 ( North ) to Tonto CreekPayson, AZ
Hellsgate 37 ( North ) to Tonto Creek
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Mar 06 2019
DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374
Hiking14.90 Miles 3,375 AEG
Hiking14.90 Miles   7 Hrs   16 Mns   2.44 mph
3,375 ft AEG   1 Hour   10 Mns Break
 
Linked   linked  
Tonto Creek
Hell's Gate Trail #37
Partners none no partners
It had been about 5 months since I had been to Payson, and I had never hiked to Hellsgate, so I decided to kill 2 birds with one stone and hike from the Hell's Gate TH to Tonto Creek.

There were quite a few creek crossings for the first and last 2.5 miles of the hike. I managed to do enough rock hopping to keep my feet dry.

I thought that this hike was VERY scenic. I didn't see any wildlife, but there were quite a few signs of elk in the area.

The descent over the last 1/4 mile down to Hell's Gate was really steep -- it was much better coming back up than it was going down.

There was lots of water in the confluence of Haigler Creek and Tonto Creek. Here is a video: [ youtube video ]

There were several creek crossings over the first couple of miles of the hike. I managed to keep my feet dry, but had to do a good bit of rock hopping to do so.

This is definitely a hike that I will do again. I imagine that it could be a hot hike in the summertime though.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Haigler Creek Heavy flow Heavy flow
There was lots of water in Hell's Gate at the confluence of Haigler Creek and Tonto Creek. There was also a good bit of water in the creek that is within a couple of miles of the Hell's Gate TH.
_____________________
Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there
  5 archives
Jun 09 2018
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 491
 Photos 10,890
 Triplogs 1,257

55 male
 Joined Nov 20 2012
 Phoenix, AZ
Tonto Creek-Green Valley Creek, AZ 
Tonto Creek-Green Valley Creek, AZ
 
Backpack avatar Jun 09 2018
BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257
Backpack6.50 Miles 1,055 AEG
Backpack6.50 Miles2 Days         
1,055 ft AEG
 
Linked   linked  
Tonto Creek
Partners partners
slowandsteady
Last year I explored this area in Tonto Creek/Green Valley from Wolverton Mtn. That trip was a day hike and was to check the access. The road FR 371 was fine but once I turned off on FR 454 it’s 4 miles of bad 4x4 road. However, the road was not enough to deter me from going in again and this time the plan was to do a quick overnight on Tonto Creek. Having already driven the road there was less concern this time but it does take hour and a half to cover 10 miles of dirt road and some patience.

We arrived at the starting point about 11am, grabbed the backpacks and headed down canyon. The first part is old road that soon just follows the side drainage to Green Valley Creek. It’s about mile and a quarter to Green Valley Creek with the last 500 feet a minor boulder hop. Once in Green Valley Creek it’s about ½ mile to Tonto but it’s serious boulder hopping so slow going. Much less water in Green Valley Creek this year than last year with only a few small pools.

We made it to Tonto Creek about 130 with the heat of the day but fortunately there are plenty of pools to stay cool in. We lounged and headed downstream to enjoy the large pools with a floaty and beverage. Very relaxing afternoon despite the warm temps! After several hours we headed back to Tonto-Green Valley confluence and setup camp. The sun was behind the cliff by now so we had good shade to relax. Temps were comfortable as it cooled off nicely and we had a good camp for the night.

Next morning, we managed to pack up and start hiking in the shade again. Really wasn’t too hot on the hike out except maybe the last ¾ mile. We went out the same way so the bouldering in Green Valley Creek was mandatory but it was still in the shade. Made it back to the truck about 10am with plenty of time to drive slowly out FR454. Nice quick overnight with great pools!
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  HAZ Food

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Green Valley Creek Pools to trickle Pools to trickle
No real flow. Just small pools especially closer to the confluence with Tonto Creek.
_____________________
  2 archives
Apr 07 2018
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 Guides 94
 Routes 840
 Photos 22,055
 Triplogs 1,993

52 male
 Joined Sep 18 2002
 Tempe, AZ
Hellsgate Exploration, AZ 
Hellsgate Exploration, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Apr 07 2018
chumley • Triplogs 1,993
Hiking17.79 Miles 4,256 AEG
Hiking17.79 Miles   10 Hrs   55 Mns   1.92 mph
4,256 ft AEG   1 Hour   40 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Hell's Gate Trail #37
Hellsgate 37 ( North ) to Tonto Creek
Tonto Creek
Tonto Creek Bear Flat to Hellsgate
Partners partners
JoelHazelton
I've knocked out more than a few miles in the Hellsgate Wilderness with Joel. Most have involved slow, but spectacularly scenic miles in Haigler Creek, negotiating pools, waterfalls, cascades, bypasses, and most everything an Arizona wilderness area can serve up.

When he suggested this one recently, I was quickly on board. Having never hiked the actual #37 trail, I was happy to try it out on this day/night schedule. The hike in was pleasant, the temperature warm and the cool spring water refreshing to get into at the bottom. We ventured separate ways at the confluence, where I headed up Haigler to finish off the only mile of the creek I hadn't previously covered. This section provided surprisingly nice scenery, and unanticipated slow going, including 5 deep swimmers that I didn't expect.

With time a concern, I didn't want to retrace my steps and then fight the upstream current going up Tonto to where I'd expect to find Joel, so I took the cross-country route, climbing ~600 feet to cross the peninsula between the two creeks and then headed down Tonto toward Hellsgate.

I've been impressed with Haigler since my early introduction in the 90s. Tonto down near Hellsgate is even more impressive. The Hellsgate to Gisela trip remains on my to-do list, and now I'm certain that I'd like to do the whole Tonto from Bear Flat too. It looks like it could have some special places.

Eventually, I got far enough downstream that I found Joel. I kept going to the confluence and changed into dry clothes. Joel returned a while later and after a short fire to dry out and warm up, we headed out at 8pm for the 7+ miles back to the trailhead. The temperature was cool and there was occasionally a nice breeze that made for a perfect startlit evening for this hike. We hadn't been talking much on the steep climb, so as we passed El Grande Tank, I decided to talk loudly, knowing that this would be a prime spot for a predator to keep watch. As Joel remarked that it was almost certain a cat was keeping an eye on the tank, he panned his headlamp up the slope and caught the eyes of a lion that just sat and observed us as we hiked by. Sometimes it's nice to be hiking with two people!

A bit later I caught glimpse of what might have been another lion, but seemed smaller so I'm going to say it was a bobcat, and I also got to within a couple of feet of an owl in the trail that waited until the last second to fly away and absolutely scared the poop out of me. My headlamp made it clear that I had scared the poop out of it too. Literally.

A couple of cats down, and a crazy-close owl experience had us on alert, but the remaining glowing eyes belonged to cows. Still those future burgers managed to grab our attention for a split second too!

Good times in the wilderness. It was a long day, and I was happy to crawl into bed after 0100.
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Informational/Interpretive Sign
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Haigler Creek  Hells Gate  Tonto Creek

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 El Grande Tank 76-100% full 76-100% full
ugly looking but prob 80% or so

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Haigler Canyon Medium flow Medium flow
clear and nice

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Haigler Creek Medium flow Medium flow
clear and nice
_____________________
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
  2 archives
Mar 24 2018
avatar

 Routes 54
 Photos 1,508
 Triplogs 325

39 male
 Joined Mar 18 2015
 Payson, AZ
Hellsgate 37 ( North ) to Tonto CreekPayson, AZ
Hellsgate 37 ( North ) to Tonto Creek
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Mar 24 2018
The_N • Triplogs 325
Hiking15.78 Miles 3,528 AEG
Hiking15.78 Miles   6 Hrs   29 Mns   2.64 mph
3,528 ft AEG      30 Mns Break
 
Linked   linked  
Tonto Creek
Hell's Gate Trail #37
Partners none no partners
Weather this weekend looked about perfect for a visit to Hellsgate, so I went for it. Cruised on up to the ridgeline and enjoyed the views before the trails dips back down. Tonto was running clear and spring leaves have started to pop. I followed Haigler downstream briefly, then upstream for a little longer. This was done by walking through the creek and pushing through brush along the shores. I climbed a cliff wall and found a spot for lunch. Taking advantage of the overcast, I got moving shortly after and started the trek back to the TH. On my way out, I met a new haz member out for a solo overnighter. Made the stroll back to the TH under cloudy skies and a nice breeze. Saw a garter snake and had a close encounter with a hawk.
_____________________
If there is no struggle, there is no progress.
 
Sep 16 2017
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 202
 Photos 3,513
 Triplogs 530

male
 Joined Jan 24 2016
 Arizona
Tonto CreekPayson, AZ
Tonto Creek
Payson, AZ
Canyoneering avatar Sep 16 2017
MountainMatt • Triplogs 530
Canyoneering3.18 Miles 462 AEG
Canyoneering3.18 Miles
462 ft AEG25 LBS Pack
 
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Finally checked out one of the many mighty Tonto waterfalls I've long had on my radar.
On the way there I startled numerous amounts of whitetail deer and came across a large male bugling bull and a few fleeing cows throughout the hike.
I used a unnamed side drainage for travel and it surprisingly had crystal clear consistent flowing water in it.
Had to pick up my dog and give her a lift to make it to the bottom of the unique falls and stayed taking photos until sunset.
After the last couple years pink granite creekbed and cliff-sides are one of my favorite sights to see in the Arizona backcountry.
_____________________
  3 archives
May 26 2017
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 491
 Photos 10,890
 Triplogs 1,257

55 male
 Joined Nov 20 2012
 Phoenix, AZ
Tonto Creek-Green Valley Creek, AZ 
Tonto Creek-Green Valley Creek, AZ
 
Hiking avatar May 26 2017
BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257
Hiking6.10 Miles 1,034 AEG
Hiking6.10 Miles   3 Hrs   45 Mns   1.69 mph
1,034 ft AEG      9 Mns Break
 
Linked   linked  
Tonto Creek
Partners none no partners
Day off from work so I headed out to explore access roads to Tonto Creek near Payson. I took FR 371 to FR 454 down to a ranch near Wolverton Mtn. FR 371 is in decent shape so no issues there but FR 454 is extremely rough, steep, and slow going. Took about 45 minutes to go roughly 4 miles so not what I was hoping for. Being stubborn and really wanting to swim in Tonto Creek that day I continued down 454 arriving at the ranch. Nice area with some green meadows and explored the ranch corral grounds.

From the ranch my route followed a side drainage down to Green Valley Creek. The route was fairly easy staying on the right side of the drainage heading down canyon. It gets a bit rough the last 500 feet to Green Valley Creek but no show stoppers. Surprised to see some light flow in the side drainage. Green Valley Creek had more water with good pools and medium flow. Once in the creek headed downstream ½ mile towards Tonto confluence. It’s rough bouldering in the ½ mile but pretty section for sure.

Finally reaching Tonto Creek good flow here of course and great pools. I went downstream for about a mile just to see some of the larger pools. Found one really nice swimmer so blew up the floaty and enjoyed the water. Water temps were nice and cool but not cold so it was pleasant. Spent about 2 hours in Tonto before heading back the way I came down. Take about 45 minutes to an hour from Tonto Creek back to the vehicle depending on how fast you can boulder in Green Valley Creek. So hiking access to Tonto is what I was hoping for but unfortunately road access on FR 454 was something I’d think twice about doing again.
_____________________
  3 archives
May 05 2017
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 Guides 3
 Routes 202
 Photos 3,513
 Triplogs 530

male
 Joined Jan 24 2016
 Arizona
Tonto CreekPayson, AZ
Tonto Creek
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar May 05 2017
MountainMatt • Triplogs 530
Hiking1.93 Miles 293 AEG
Hiking1.93 Miles   2 Hrs   48 Mns   1.52 mph
293 ft AEG   1 Hour   32 Mns Break25 LBS Pack
 
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
After having a great time exploring Chevelon Canyon I still had a few hours of daylight left so I figured I'd make the most out of my trip and hit up some of my favorite spots along Upper Tonto Creek for some photographic justice from my photoset last Autumn.

Same spots, different season, new lens!...
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
_____________________
  1 archive
Apr 09 2017
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 202
 Photos 3,513
 Triplogs 530

male
 Joined Jan 24 2016
 Arizona
Lower Gun Creek, AZ 
Lower Gun Creek, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Apr 09 2017
MountainMatt • Triplogs 530
Hiking7.99 Miles 1,491 AEG
Hiking7.99 Miles   6 Hrs   27 Mns   1.60 mph
1,491 ft AEG   1 Hour   28 Mns Break25 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Tonto Creek - The Box
Tonto Creek
Partners none no partners
A exploratory hike inspired by my everlasting curiosity and promising satellite view imagery led me to check out just what exactly Lower Gun Creek is really like.

Started at Reed Gulch and found an easy ankle deep section to cross Tonto about 50ft upstream of the old cable car.
Gun Creek was dry at its confluence with Tonto but that's because at that particular area it's about as wide as every lane of traffic on the I-10!
As you can see on the topo it's a major drainage and from the hundreds of 200lb+ boulders and large debris I encountered heading upstream gave me a feel for just how much water rips through here during high runoff.

A solid mile into Gun Creek is an absolute gem! :y:
Deep clear pools, large green sycamores, contrasting canyon hillsides of giant Saguaros and plenty of cascades truly made this place a winner in my book!

I was already wet up to my crotch from wading in the water instead of maneuvering through the dense vegetation but I soon hit a little swimmer when I hit the narrows.
I did have my dry bag with me but with no floaty and my new longly awaited camera lens I was just not ready pull a swim off.

I then skirted up to an epic little cliffside high point and soaked in my surroundings before making the full steep climb out to the old FR and my original proposed starting point.

I scoped out my final destination of the day but after extensively reviewing the sat imagery I know know it was definitely taken during high flow conditions so I was not as ambitious as before to make my way down into the gorge.

I made my way back to Tonto Creek and headed upstream to check out the waterfall on Gold Creek which is a very scenic little grotto.
Sunday it was just a trickle but during storm runoff this place would be incredible!

Waded up Tonto Creek a bit further and then scrambled and bushwhacked up the steep cliffside walls to setup for a photo I kept thinking of the entire day.

Great day exploring some rugged country and I'd definitely throw Gun Creek as one of my new favorite watersheds along with of course Tonto and I'm looking forward to see what both of them have to offer these next couple of months.
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Brittlebush  Ocotillo
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Cable Car (USGS Cableway)  Stream Gauging Station
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Gold Creek  Gun Creek  Tonto Creek
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Lots of Brittlebush and even a few lingering poppies.

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Gold Creek Pools to trickle Pools to trickle
Sporadic pools with a small trickle at the waterfall.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Gun Creek Medium flow Medium flow
Hit steadily flowing water at approximately .5 miles upstream from its confluence with Tonto Creek.
_____________________
  1 archive
Nov 01 2016
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 Guides 3
 Routes 202
 Photos 3,513
 Triplogs 530

male
 Joined Jan 24 2016
 Arizona
Tonto Creek Bear Flat to HellsgatePayson, AZ
Tonto Creek Bear Flat to Hellsgate
Payson, AZ
Canyoneering avatar Nov 01 2016
MountainMatt • Triplogs 530
Canyoneering4.21 Miles 525 AEG
Canyoneering4.21 Miles   7 Hrs   12 Mns   1.05 mph
525 ft AEG   3 Hrs   11 Mns Break25 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Tonto Creek
Partners none no partners
You may have heard me say once before that Tonto Creek is one of my absolute favorite Arizona watersheds and since I'm slowly but surely working on a full 70 mile descent I figured I'd check out this highly desired place on my list since I don't have the patience to wait until next summer like a normal person.

What better than to spend the first day of November inside the Hellsgate Wilderness!
Perect weather, absolute solitude and the opportunity to explore another new place I have high interest in made this one of the best days I've had in a very long time!

This is obviously a canyon that requires getting wet to properly descend but I mangaed to stay dry the first two miles with a great amount of scrambling, bushwhacking and lots of irregular movements. With that being said it was some of the slowest four miles I've ever traveled since my objective was to stay dry but I'm not complaining because that stretch of canyon is definitely a visual pleasure and I was soaking it all in.

About 1/4 of a mile out from Thompson Draw is where I was met with a massive 50 yard pool that was surrounded by large cliff walls on each side, one could proceed further while staying dry but it would involve a lot more hard work with numerous steep climbs up and down. Since I wanted to get some quality tripod time I decided to make that my stopping point for the day so I had a long lunch break and then made my way back upstream to set up for some photos.
This was just a quick scouting trip of this pristine area and I'm looking forward to a making a return to Hellsgate from one of the many different unique routes I've planned and thought out, I just wish I worked less and had more days off to accomplish that but hey don't we all!
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
A few weeks past prime but there were still some healthy patches of fall foliage in certain areas, nice Sycamores and Maples.

dry Bearhide Canyon Dry Dry
_____________________
  2 archives
Sep 23 2016
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 202
 Photos 3,513
 Triplogs 530

male
 Joined Jan 24 2016
 Arizona
Tonto CreekPayson, AZ
Tonto Creek
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Sep 23 2016
MountainMatt • Triplogs 530
Hiking10.58 Miles 1,595 AEG
Hiking10.58 Miles   7 Hrs   5 Mns   2.20 mph
1,595 ft AEG   2 Hrs   17 Mns Break20 LBS Pack
 
Linked   linked  
Highline Trail #31
Partners none no partners
I was finally able to leave town for cooler weather and a much needed getaway with my pups!
I'm working on a full descent of Tonto Creek since it's one of my absolute favorite creeks in this entire state so this trips intention was to check off the more easily accessible upper portion of it.
Started my day around 8:45 at the very first parking lot right by the highway and immediately dropped into the creek bed and began my march upstream.
Even though it was a Friday and this place has so many easy access points where you can literally just walk down to the creek from just about any part of the road I fortunately only came across 3 quiet fisherman throughout my whole day! :D

Perfect weather, cool crisp Autumn air and scattered patches of golden and amber leaves made this a very pleasant hike.
I did my research about this area and knew it had a few particular places of interest but Tonto definitely delivered and surprised me with a few more "honey-holes" that I was not expecting! " 8)
I made it an effort to stay along the creek the whole time to make sure I didn't miss anything except of course where it becomes private property in which I went around and tried out both east and west options to do so.
I really wanted to hit up the Highline Trail and use it to head to Horton Creek and create a nice loop back to my SUV.
But within the first 200 yards of it my dog was already at a heavy pant due to her horrible tolerance to heat and that section of Highlane really is a shadless tanning salon during mid-day sun. I remember reading that sections of the trail were fire damaged and it seems to still be an accurate up to date description for that area due to the lack of real trees around. I was fine to proceed but my dog is a boxer and that short snout and chunky butt of hers really does not do well when it gets warm so I opted to play it safe and just decided to descend back down Ol Tonto.
As much as it frustrated me at first since I planned that loop before arriving the descent ended up working out in my favors due to the fact I found one very sweet section of the creek that I somehow missed on the way up!

I had some very funny encounters with the many cattle that roam Tonto Creek and at many times there where some intense face-offs with my dog Payton and some of the bigger bulls of the bunch that have a unique DGAF attitude :sweat: If you don't know what that acronym stands for I'll post a photo that clearly shows the cattles behavior.
After I finished my hike I got into my SUV and drove closer to some of the places of interest along the creek I wanted to photograph that I had seen earlier in the day but was just waiting for the right light.
While doing so I actually ended up tacking on another 1.5 miles and couple hundred feet of AEG that I left out from the stats of this triplog, it's safe to say my dog was exhausted since this was her first real hike in months.
Payton is stubborn when it comes to laying down in unfamiliar places but she was literally passed out with her face mushed into the dirt when I looked over at her while I was snapping photos, made me smile to see a happy dog who really needed to get outside and explore. :D

My love for this creek has increased even more from this trip and im very eager to check off more sections of this fascinating Arizona water wonderland in the future!
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Arizona Sycamore
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Light
Scattered patches of fall colors right now, in about 2-3 weeks The Rim country will be juicy with Autumn foliage!

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Dick Williams Creek Light flow Light flow
Just a light but steady flow of water about 1/4 mile of from its confluence with Tonto Creek.
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  4 archives
Jul 22 2016
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 Guides 3
 Routes 202
 Photos 3,513
 Triplogs 530

male
 Joined Jan 24 2016
 Arizona
Tonto CreekPayson, AZ
Tonto Creek
Payson, AZ
Canyoneering avatar Jul 22 2016
MountainMatt • Triplogs 530
Canyoneering6.02 Miles 1,478 AEG
Canyoneering6.02 Miles
1,478 ft AEG25 LBS Pack
Canyon Hiking - Non-technical; no rope; easy scrambling; occasional hand use
B - Up to light current; wading/swimming; possible wet/dry suit
 
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
I've been fascinated with Ol' Tonto Creek ever since my trip to "The Narrows" and I just knew that this magnificent stretch of water had many more treasures to offer. I am constantly studying the maps and comparing satellite and topo views throughout all of Arizona and I already had a few areas marked along Tonto Creek but never looked this far north until just recently. A winding narrow canyon corridor caught my eyes and I dubbed it the "Honey Hole" because I was certain it was going to be a sweet strip of canyon! :DANCE:

My friend and I did not start the hike until the afternoon just as yesterdays monsoon began to creep over the rim. Even though we were covered by dark ominous clouds the entire day we surprisingly were only greeted with sporadic rain and wind. The pre made route I created worked perfectly and of course it was much more beautiful than I expected! Once we hit the "Honey Hole" I was a kid in a candy store! The satellite view did not do justice to the winding narrows, numerous cascades and pink & maroon granite that we encountered.

This was just one of the many sections of Tonto Creek that Ive been eager to see and since I don't have the time to take 3-5 days off from work to backpack the entire creek from top to bottom. I'll be hitting up all these different parts of interest in day trips for now since they are best seen with no rush involved.

I did not finish up taking photos until after 8pm so we had a couple hours of pleasant night hiking but boy am I paying the price for wearing a headlamp with no bug spray on!
I'm pretty sure I'm going to be diagnosed with the Zika virus soon, the mosquitoes were really biting last night, I've been trying not to scratch my flesh off while typing out this triplog! :sweat: :--:
Of course it was all worth it and I'm once again humbled by the many wonders that Arizona has to offer.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Christopher Creek Medium flow Medium flow
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  6 archives
Jun 18 2016
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 Guides 1
 Routes 136
 Photos 1,367
 Triplogs 364

47 male
 Joined Jun 10 2011
 Phoenix, AZ
Hellsgate 37 ( North ) to Tonto CreekPayson, AZ
Hellsgate 37 ( North ) to Tonto Creek
Payson, AZ
Backpack avatar Jun 18 2016
The_Dude • Triplogs 364
Backpack17.42 Miles 4,025 AEG
Backpack17.42 Miles2 Days         
4,025 ft AEG28 LBS Pack
 
Linked   linked  
Hell's Gate Trail #37
Tonto Creek
Partners partners
Eartheist
Falke
Uberdroog
Ah, Father's Day Weekend out in the wild. I had done this trip with the Earthiest and Azwildguide 5 years ago as our first backpack trip, and I have been wanting to make it back ever since now that I know what I am doing a little better. Unfortunate that we got the hottest weekend of the year to do it on, but we have had the planning in the works for about a month and none of us wanted to bail. 5 of us drove up Friday night to car camp at the trailhead only to find out that we could not camp within a 1/4 mile due to there being a spring box at the TH...no worries we just went down the road a bit and found a nice clearing. We got loaded up and on the trail by 7:30 Saturday morning and it was already starting to get warm. There is a decent amount of shade for the first few miles, but it gets progressively more open the farther along you go. We got down to Tonto Creek a bit after noon and had lunch and set up camp. Three of us had hammocks and two had tents so we had to split up camp a bit. We hung our hammocks on the west side of the creek where there were many Sycamores and Willows to do the trick, the tenters set up on the sandy beach just to the east. Tonto was very silty and chocolaty, so we had to head down to Haigler to get better water to filter. After a little break, three of us started out way up Tonto Creek through the gates of Hell. Gorgeous canyon, even if we could not see what was in the water. It must have been about 68-70 degrees in the water, blissful on the sore legs and made the 100+ temps in the canyon much more reasonable. There are long stretches that are too deep to touch so lots of swimming was required. No worries, I just inflated my little 5L dry bag and used it as a floater to take it easy. We made it a good mile + up the creek alternating swimming, bouldering, and scrambling when needed. We must have passed by a good 5 or 6 waterfalls along the way. This is really the highlight of the whole trip and makes the hike out worth it in my opinion. Got back to camp and made some dinner shortly thereafter, once we had gone through our beer we all turned in by 8-9 so we could get an early start in the morning. We all got on the trail between 6-7 the next morning, I had to filter some more water so I was the last man out, but quickly caught up with the group. Don't kid yourself, the first two miles coming out of the canyon are pretty rough, it is like climbing Piestewa one and a half times, with an overnight pack to boot. We all continued our way with many breaks, and made it back to the trucks about 12:30. Quick stop at the Payson McD's (I think this is the only time I ever eat there) to replenish salts and a hobo bath in the sink and we were on back down the hill. Hard fought in the heat, but fantastic trip!
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Light
Cholla and Prickly Pear had some nice bloom, but that was about it.
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  1 archive
May 26 2016
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 Guides 3
 Routes 202
 Photos 3,513
 Triplogs 530

male
 Joined Jan 24 2016
 Arizona
Tonto NarrowsPayson, AZ
Tonto Narrows
Payson, AZ
Canyoneering avatar May 26 2016
MountainMatt • Triplogs 530
Canyoneering5.40 Miles 1,036 AEG
Canyoneering5.40 Miles
1,036 ft AEG25 LBS Pack
Canyon Hiking - Non-technical; no rope; easy scrambling; occasional hand use
B - Up to light current; wading/swimming; possible wet/dry suit
I - Short 1-2 hours
 
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Tonto Creek
Partners partners
dyellab
I spend a lot of my spare time researching seldom traveled places of Arizona that always involve waterfalls or cascades of some sort. I have a massive list of places I want to go and places I have been. So it's rare when I come across a waterfall in Arizona that I haven't at least seen a photo of or heard about and I don't know what took me so long to finally see, read and check out all the prior triplogs to the Tonto Narrows. I'm a sucker for a good swim hole and waterfalls and this place blew away my expectations. I had such a great day of swimming, cliff jumping and of course plenty of tripod time.

After a day a great day of playing around in paradise and staying too long as usual we finished the last mile of our hike in the dark. When making our final descent down the hillside I spotted a truck drive into the pullout we parked at and then proceeded to stay there for about 5min or so. *side not we were not parked on private property and stayed well clear of any private land throughout our entire hike. I thought it was very strange the truck did that so we got a lil giddy up in or step to make it back to the SUV with urgency. Upon our return to the vehicle we saw that no tires were slashed or any obvious damaged occurred, but boy were we in for a surprise! :sweat:
Cracked a cold one and ate a celebratory post hike doughnut while we changed out of our wet clothes and put the gear away. I got nice and settled in the passenger seat which is a complete rarity for me since there has literally been only 2 times in the last 5 years that someone else has drove to go out hiking instead of me so I was so happy to just relax and enjoy the drive home listening to some comforting tunes but my hopes were soon to be crushed!
Daniela hops in, closes her door, puts the key in the ignition to start it and NOTHING! ](*,)
She had just recently had her SUV serviced and even got a brand new battery installed and everything checked out. Her battery was fine and I honestly only know the basics when it comes to auto mechanics, I popped the hood to go inspect what it possibly could be but did not determine what the issue was. We really lucked out with having phone service and my Triple AAA Gold Card that is never used but that day it sure did come in handy!!!
It made for a long night riding back with a tow truck driver named Harold that smoked nearly 8-10 cigarettes within the start of our tow ride all the way back to Mesa lol. My SUV was safe and sound at her place the entire day but I still had to make the long drive back to Surprise to go see a pissed off dog and make sure I get enough to be sleep to be alive for work that day, I at least made it home by 2am. All in all it was such a great day in a place that seemed so out of place and unexpected and it was worth whatever ever Hillbilly Hoopla that possibly occurred to her vehicle, maybe it was nothing or maybe it was Ol Farmer John sending a message not to return. One thing is for sure though, I will definitely be back! :D
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  5 archives
Oct 24 2014
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 Routes 11
 Photos 2,313
 Triplogs 222

59 male
 Joined Oct 17 2010
 GILBERT
Tonto CreekPayson, AZ
Tonto Creek
Payson, AZ
Canyoneering avatar Oct 24 2014
ALMAL • Triplogs 222
Canyoneering17.00 Miles 1,000 AEG
Canyoneering17.00 Miles
1,000 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
A short stop at Tonto creek during the long drive back from Albuquerque. I nice way to take a break from driving. There are a surprising number of rainbow trout still in the creek, in the pools upstream from the bridge.
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You aren't late if you don't show up!
 
May 31 2014
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 Guides 13
 Routes 38
 Photos 1,651
 Triplogs 577

60 male
 Joined Nov 15 2005
 Jackson, CA
Tonto CreekPayson, AZ
Tonto Creek
Payson, AZ
Canyoneering avatar May 31 2014
toddak • Triplogs 577
Canyoneering27.00 Miles 500 AEG
Canyoneering27.00 Miles2 Days         
500 ft AEG
Canyon Hiking - Non-technical; no rope; easy scrambling; occasional hand use
B - Up to light current; wading/swimming; possible wet/dry suit
VI - Two or more days
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Hellsgate 37 ( North ) to Tonto Creek
Tonto Narrows
Partners none no partners
Two-day canyoneering trek through another beautiful and super rugged stretch of Hellsgate Wilderness, starting on Hellsgate 37 and exiting at Gisela. Water level was a bit lower than normal after the dry winter, but still very pleasant and warm enough that I didn't need the shorty wetsuit I brought. Tons of swimming required on this one, including several swims of over 200 yards. Hiked for about 11 hours each day, camped on a nice beach where Derrick Canyon enters from the west. Also used my new Sawyer Mini water filter for the first time, seems like a very cool product.

Once exiting The Narrows I skirted around the south side of some fenced private property, then wandered downstream in the rocky floodplain for about 3 miles, thrashing through some marshy areas, heading for a GPS point near the south end of Gisela where a public road accesses the creek (Windy Way according to the street sign, W Beach Rd according to Google maps). 15 minutes later my faithful shuttle driver arrived, I cleaned up and we headed for a monster Italian dinner at Gerardo's in Payson. Sweet.
 Geology
 Geology [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Basaltic Columns
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Tonto Creek - Mogollon Rim
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average hiking speed 1.98 mph
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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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