Thompson Trail in Arizona- The Greenest Hike in the State
It took me about 5 years of living in Arizona to know about the White Mountains. The White Mountains sit in northeastern Arizona, about 3 hours from Phoenix, which includes towns like Pinetop-Lakeside, Greer, and Show Low. It’s a high elevation range with beautiful flower-filled meadows, slow moving streams, and some of the tallest mountains in the state. If you’re looking to get out of the heat and the desert, hiking the Thompson Trail in the White Mountains is perfect.
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WHY SHOULD I HIKE THOMPSON TRAIL IN ARIZONA?
If you’re looking for a calm hike- a nice stroll in the forest, Thompson Trail is perfect. Because it is out and back with no specific destination, you can turn around as soon as you want. It’s pet friendly and family friendly. Depending on the time of the year, you may catch it full of wildflowers too! It’s perfect if you’re looking to get away from the city, but you don’t need to be the only one on the trail.
WHERE IS THE THOMPSON TRAIL?
Thompson Trail #629 is located 44 miles or 1 hour from Pinetop-Lakeside. It feels much shorter than that, because the views are incredible the whole way. You’ll drive about 25 minutes until you turn right on the 273. Then you’ll pass Sunrise Resort and a few miles after, turn right onto FR 409. From here it’s only about 4 miles to Thompson Trailhead. The Trailhead is well marked. The parking lot is small, but you can park on the side of the road if need be. The trailhead starts on the left side of the road.
WHAT TIME IS BEST TO HIKE THOMPSON TRAIL?
The best time to hike the Thompson Trail is in August. Any time of the year is beautiful, whether in the fall, in the snowy winter (yes this part of Arizona gets a lot of snow), or in the spring. August is when the trail is the most lush and green, and may have wildflowers too! Any time of the day is fine, whether sunrise or mid-day or sunset. I hiked around 11am on an early August day- it was beautiful! The White Mountains are 20-30 degrees cooler than Phoenix, which feels so nice.
BEST HIKES IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS OF ARIZONA: THOMPSON TRAIL
The Thompson Trail in Arizona is a wonderful hike for all ages. It’s low elevation gain and easy trails makes it perfect for kids, young adults, and older adults. I personally love seeing details and photos before doing hikes, so I’m doing that for you!
THOMPSON TRAIL HIKE STATS
HIKING THOMPSON TRAIL
You’ll start on the left side of the road on the Thompson Trail where you see the trail sign. You’ll see the river the whole time, which is beautiful. At the 0.4 mile mark, you’ll turn left to see a fish dam. We walked over and relaxed here a little bit- it’s nice!
RIVER VIEWS
All of the views on Thompson Trail in Arizona were beautiful. My favorite were about a mile from the trailhead. You’ll wind around the bend of the river and have magnificent views of the river and the tall grass and the trees. Spend some time at your favorite stops. Listen to the sound of the water over the rocks. Practice forest bathing- use al of your senses to embrace the forest. Meditate.
NEED HIKING OUTFIT IDEAS?
Check out my post: Summer Hiking Outfits That Will Make You Stand Out on the Trails
WILDFLOWER FIELDS
In another half mile or so, we noticed a field full of wildflowers. It was incredible. It’s hard living in Phoenix, with the insanely hot summer. It’s such a relief to enjoy the green mountains, the rushing river, and the flowers. We spent a half hour taking photos and frolicking in the flowers- couldn’t ask for anything better.
GEAR FOR THOMPSON TRAIL
BACKPACK: BUDGET ($50) OR SPLURGE ($100).
MENS HYDRATION VEST: (shown above) $120
SHOES: BUDGET ($50-80) OR SPLURGE ($200).
HIKING STICKS: BUDGET ($30)
FINISHING THOMPSON TRAIL
You can finish Thompson Trail whenever you want, which I like. We didn’tfeel like hiking 5.4 miles, so we turned around at the 2 mile mark, 4 total. There’s no specific end point- it just stops at a trail junction. All of the views are amazing, so you won’t miss out if you turn around a bit early.
WANT TO CONTINUE YOUR ADVENTURE?
22 miles past Thompson Trail, on the same dirt road, is one of the most beautiful and most remote waterfalls in Arizona- Pacheta Falls. This is quite the adventure, and is not for beginners.
Check out my post: Arizona’s Most Remote Waterfall- Pacheta Falls
Continue Your Trip: Fun Things to Do in Pinetop, AZ
NEED SOMEWHERE TO CAMP??
I’ve created a FORTY PAGE GUIDE outlining all the best free and paid campsites in Northern Arizona, including Pinetop-Lakeside and Arizona’s White Mountains.
It can be hard to spend hours researching campsites, trying to figure out were they’re located, what they look like, the price, and the amenities. With my guide, those days are over! I give you everything you need to know, with links to my Google Maps AND it’s in a PDF so you can access it any time!
FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT THE THOMPSON TRAIL
Thompson Trail is an easy, accessible, beginner trail. It’s worth the day trip from Pinetop and from Phoenix. While I suggest it in August, it’s beautiful at all times of the year. Don’t miss it.
