West Clear Creek

Weather:  81º, sun 

About this Hike:  The hike down to West Clear Creek sounded intriguing and the photos of this canyon looked absolutely stunning. 

I researched several trail options including Tramway, but ultimately settled on The Point trail from the West Clear Creek trailhead. This one looked to have the easiest access. 

The forest roads in were bumpy but not too bad. The parking area was pretty full when I arrived in late morning. 

The hike down was easy to follow but very steep. There was definitely some scrambling involved. 

Descending into the canyon, I took my time to appreciate up close the striated rock formations that West Clear Creek is known for. 

Coming off a very dry winter, I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of water level. I wondered if it would be possible to hike along a dry portion of the creek bed. I was wrong on this. There was plenty of water flow in the creek. Plan B was in my hiking pack and included river sandals. I zipped off the pant legs on my convertible hiking pants and put on my sandals. 

I hiked through the creek, never going out further than above my knees in water. I reached a beautiful grotto-like area with towering cliffs, blue-green water, and hanging gardens. At this point I opted to turn around and hike upriver. This proved to be less enchanting. There were beautiful views of striated cliffs and old growth forest. However, there were more big boulders to navigate around. And while I was being extremely careful, the rocks in the creek were often very slippery. I had a few close calls and then finally a few (minor) injuries. I had enough.

Upon reaching the West Clear Creek trail, I sat on a rock to bandage my wounds, dry off, and change my footwear. The steep hike up was the only strenuous part of today's adventure.

West Clear Creek is really pretty, and I know many hikers love hiking, wading, and floating their way through the canyon. But the thing with Arizona waterways is they seldom are easily passable. They quickly go from an easy creekside hike to overgrown with prickly plants, littered with huge boulders, and covered in slick rocks. A treacherous hike like this often makes me reconsider... I don't know if I'll be back anytime soon to do any other West Clear Creek trails.