I’ve lived in Arizona my entire life, and I’ve been hiking religiously for over a decade, however, I have yet to explore the vast majority of my home. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I kept myself going by researching, planning, training for, and starting to work on several hiking goals. Below, you will find the full lists of my wider Arizona hiking goals, which include completing the Arizona 20-20 challenge, the Arizona Trail, thoroughly hiking the Grand Canyon’s many trails, and completing Falcon’s list of 120 trails in Arizona. See where I’m at with my goals, and learn more about all the trails I have explored so that you can plan your own trips!
Contents
Arizona 20-20: Peaks
The Arizona 20-20 Peaks include the 20 highest peaks in the state! So far, renewing my goal in 2020, I am 5% towards completing this goal. (Wish me luck!)
1. Humphrey’s – Arizona’s highpoint, the crown of the San Francisco Peaks.
2. Baldy
3. Escudilla
4. Kendrick
5. Webb
6. Heliograph
7. Chiricahua
8. Flys
9. Snowshed
10. Miller
11. Wrightson
12. Monte Vista
13. Blue
14. Elden – Mt. Humphrey’s little sister! Still challenging but not quite as hard.
15. Bill Williams
16. Carr
17. Lemmon
18. Clark
19. Sentinel
20. O’Leary
Arizona 20-20: Canyon
The Arizona 20-20 canyons are the 20 lowest points in Arizona. I am 15% done with this goal and I officially started working towards it in 2017.
1. Grand Canyon
2. Tuckup
3. Paria
4. Oak Creek
5. Jumpup
6. KP
7. Salome
8. Kanab
9. Secret
10. Jacks
11. Bear Wallow
12. West Clear Creek
13. Fossil Springs – Near Payson, AZ, this popular trail will take you down to beautiful, lush falls with a swimming hole.
14. Havasu – Havasu Canyon is the jewel of the Havasupai Nation in northern Arizona; travelers here will enjoy travertine falls, but must get permits and camp for several nights to visit.
15. Long
16. Hack
17. West Fork Oak – Near Sedona, AZ, West Fork is the perfect place to view fall colors in the desert, but the trail requires many creek crossings.
18. Sycamoree
19. Wet Beaver
20. Agua Fria
Arizona Trail
The Arizona Trail travels from Arizona’s northern border with Utah, all the way down to its southern border with Mexico. Starting in 2020, I would like to tackle this trail passage by passage. Currently, I am 2% there. (Wish me luck!)
Southern Passages
Passage 1: Huachuca Mountains
Passage 2: Canelo Hills East
Passage 3: Canelo Hills West
Passage 4: Temporal Gulch
Passage 5: Santa Rita Mountains
Passage 6: Las Colinas
Passage 7: Las Cienegas: A 13 mile trek through the Sonoran Desert lowlands south of Tucson.
Passage 8: Rincon Valley
Passage 9: Rincon Mountains
Passage 10: Redington Pass
Passage 11: Santa Catalina Mountains
Passage 11b: Pusch Ridge Wilderness Bypass
Passage 12: Oracle Ridge
Passage 13: Oracle
Central Passages
Passage 14: Black Hills
Passage 15: Tortilla Mountains
Passage 16: Gila River Canyons
Passage 17: Alamo Canyon
Passage 18: Reavis Canyon
Passage 19: Superstition Wilderness
Passage 20: Four Peaks
Passage 21: Pine Mountain
Passage 22: Saddle Mountain
Passage 23: Mazatzal Divide
Passage 24: Red Hills
Passage 25: Whiterock Mesa
Passage 26: Highline
Northern Passages
Passage 27: Blue Ridge
Passage 28: Happy Jack
Passage 29: Mormon Lake
Passage 30: Anderson Mesa
Passage 31: Walnut Canyon
Passage 32: Elden Mountain
Passage 33: Flagstaff
Passage 34: San Francisco Peaks
Passage 35: Babbitt Ranch
Passage 36: Coconino Rim
Passage 37: Grand Canyon – South Rim
Passage 38: Grand Canyon – Inner Gorge
Passage 39: Grand Canyon – North Rim
Passage 40: Kaibab Plateau South
Passage 41: Kaibab Plateau Central
Passage 42: Kaibab Plateau North
Passage 43: Buckskin Mountain
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is an extremely spiritual place and one of the most beautiful parts of Arizona. I want to thoroughly explore this wonderous landscape by completing a variety of trails in the canyon starting in 2020. As of right now, I am 7% there! (Wish me luck!)
South Rim
Tanner Trail
New Hance Trail
Tonto Trail- New Hance Trail to Grandview Point
Grandview Point to Horsehoe Mesa – This is an extremely challenging day hike that is worth the intense elevation gain if you are in the shape for it!
Grandview Trail Loop
Tonto Trail- Grandview Point to South Kaibab Trailhead
Shoshone Point
South Kaibab Trail to Bright Angel Campground
Bright Angel Trail to Bright Angel Campground
Clear Creek Trail
Hermit Trail
Hermits Rest to Dripping Springs – This day hike had me turn around before the end because of how narrow one section of cliffside trail was, but it was beautiful!
Boucher Creek to Hermit Creek Loop
Tonto Trail- Hermits Rest to Bright Angel Trailhead
South Bass Trail
North Rim
South Canyon
Nankoweap Trail
Ken Patrick Trail
Cape Final
Cliff Springs Trail
Widforss Trail
Uncle Jim Trail
North Kaibab Trail
North Bass Trail
Powell Plateau
Thunder River and Tapeats Creek
Deer Creek
Tapeats Creek to Deer Creek
Other Arizona Hiking Trails
In order to explore the rest of my state, I’ve committed to completing Falcon’s Hiking Arizona list of 120 hikes. I started the trails on this list in 2016 with Brown’s Peak, and I am currently 8% done with this challenge.
Northeast Plateau
Rainbow Bridge Trail
Keet Seel Trail
White House Ruin Trail
Wupatki Ruin
San Francisco Peaks
Bill Williams Mountain Trail
Bull Basin-Pumpkin Trails
Kendrick Peak Trail
Walker Lake
Bear Jaw-Abineau Canyon Loop
Humphrey’s Peak Trail – This trail will take you to the Arizona Highpoint, the crown of the San Francisco Peaks outside of Flagstaff.
Kachina Trail
Weatherford Trail
Inner Basin Trail
Sunset-Brookbank Loop
Walnut Canyon Rim
Mormon Lake
Mogollon Rim Country
Sycamore Rim Trail
Kelsey-Dorsey Loop
Taylor Cabin Loop
Parsons Trail
Secret Mountain Trail
Loy Canyon Trail
Secret Canyon
Bear Sign Canyon
Thomas Point Trail
West Fork Trail – Near Sedona, AZ, this trail is a wonderful place to experience fall colors in the desert, but it will require several creek crossings to complete.
AB Young Trail
North Wilson Mountain Trail
Wilson Mountain Trail
Huckaby Trail
Munds Mountain Trail
Tramway Trail
Bell Trail
West Clear Creek Loop
Fossil Springs Trail – This popular trail near Payson, AZ will take hikers down to a lush spring with a swimming hole. This trail requires a permit, and is 8 miles long.
Kinder Crossing Trail
Cabin Loop
Chevelon Canyon
Tunnel Trail
Highline National Recreation Trail
Horton Creek
Hells Gate Trail
Central Highlands
Yaeger Canyon Loop
Woodchute Trail
Granite Mountain Trail
Pine Mountain
Y Bar Basin-Barnhardt Canyon Loop
Deer Creek
Browns Peak – Brown’s Peak is the highpoint of Four Peaks, the iconic mountains in Phoenix’s skyline. It requires 4WD and scrambling to summit.
Hells Hole
Barks Canyon
Dutchmans Loop
Fireline Loop
White Mountains
Escudilla Mountain
Apache Railroad Trail
Mount Baldy
KP Creek
Bear Mountain
Bear Wallow Trail
Phoenix Area
Cave Creek Trail
Go John Trail – A six mile loop that features beautiful Sonoran Desert and now a burn scar from the 2020 wildfire season.
Lookout Mountain – Lookout Mountain is a small but wonderful mountain in the middle of Phoenix-metro. It’s the perfect place to go for a short walk for all-encompassing views of the city.
Cholla Trail
Pass Mountain Trail – The perfect day trip trail for the Phoenix-metro area; this trail boasts views of several unique mountains, including the mysterious <Phoenix mountain.
Baseline Trail – This is a short trail in Estrella Mountain Regional Park that is great for families and solo adults alike.
Quartz Peak Trail – This trail outside of Phoenix leads to a unique (but hard to get to) quartz formation.
Margies Cove Trail
Table Top Trail
Tucson Area
Hunter Trail
Wilderness of Rocks
Butterfly Trail
Finger Rock Trail
West Fork Sabino Canyon
Mica Mountain
Tanque Verde Ridge
Hugh Norris Trail
Southern Mountains
Aravaipa Canyon
Powers Garden
Ash Creek Falls
Webb Peak
Safford-Morenci Trail
Cochise Stronghold East
Sugarloaf Mountain
Echo Canyon
Heart of Rocks
Buena Vista Peak
Silver Peak
Chiricahua Peak
Monte Vista Peak
Rucker Canyon
Mount Wrightson
Santa Rita Crest Trail
Carr Peak
Ramsey Canyon
Miller Peak
San Pedro River Trail
Summit Trail
Sycamore Creek
Atacosa Lookout
Western Deserts
Cherum Peak Trail
Wabayuma Peak
Harquahala Mountain Trail
Vulture Peak – South of Wickenburg, this steep peak offers some of the most beautiful views of the Sonoran Desert.
Ben Avery Trail
Palm Canyon
Squaw Lake Nature Trail
Betty’s Kitchen Interpretive Trail
Muggins Peak
Bull Pasture