An Adventurous and Quiet Salt River Hike: Gateway Canyon
photo credit: @selma_explores
If you’re looking for an adventurous hike to connect to nature, this is perfect for you. It’s also a primitive trail, meaning minimal people- I didn’t see anyone else! Actually, when I stumbled upon this trail on AllTrails, I hadn’t known anyone else that has been on this trail. I thought it was fun and unique and I want to share this SALT RIVER HIKE with you!
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Who Should Do (Or Should NOT) This Salt River Hike?
You should hike Gateway Canyon if you’re looking for peace and quiet (trails without crowds), if you have a hiking buddy that is up for adventures, if you like the thrill of water crossings, if you like unique wildlife, and if you have a few hours to spare.
You should NOT hike this Salt River Hike if you have mobility issues as it requires steep rocky conditions and slippery water crossings. You should NOT hike Gateway Canyon in the summer as it is very exposed. You should NOT hike Gateway Canyon if you’re a beginner and not used to following trails on AllTrails or other apps.
Be Aware: Gateway Canyon Near the Salt River is NOTTTT a beginner-friendly trail.
Where Is This Salt River Hike?
Gateway Canyon Trail is not the easiest area to find. I included a 3D Google Earth and 3D AllTrails photo below for you for general reference. The trailhead starts within the Water Users parking region. This is where many people launch their personal tubes and kayaks. The Salt River Tubing busses also drop people off here. The trail begins near the covered picnic table area on the left of the main parking lot.
Salt River Crossing
You do need to cross the Salt River at the beginning of this hike. This is probably what kept me away from this hike for a while. You do need to be aware of the water speed and levels. Don’t hike this after heavy rain. It’s also better during Winter-Spring because water levels are lower and the sun isn’t scorching hot yet. When we hiked, the water never got to knee level. I have seen reviews where people got in to waist level. So be aware!
Things You Need to Cross The Salt River
Water Shoes: Teva Hurricane ($75)
Hiking Sticks: Trail Buddy ($27)
A Dry Sack: Sea-To-Summit ($22)
We decided to change shoes after crossing the river. I’m glad we did too. It was too rocky and there were too many cactus to hike in wet sandals. The dry sack we brought was perfect to hold our wet sandals until we came back. Bring a small microfiber towel too!
Gateway Canyon Trail Stats
Beginning of the Salt River hike
After you cross the river and change into dry shoes, you’re going to heard towards the mountain. There is no specific trail for the first couple hundred feet, just follow the general direction that AllTrails takes you. Shortly, there will be a skinny dirt road- I promise.
unmarked trail
After you find the skinny trail, it becomes much easer to follow. you will have some shade in the beginning of the trail. Some of this part of the trail is overgrown, but we saw some wildflowers while we were there. I liked this part of the trail. You’ll go 0.9 mi before turning left to start climbing up!
first 0.9 miles of the Gateway Canyon trail on this Salt River hike.
Gateway Canyon- The Incline
This Salt River hike will start making an incline after you turn at the 0.9 mile point. It starts gradual and is still pretty easy to follow the trail. At 1.7 miles, you’ll make a steep 600-700 ft gain within half a mile. It gets pretty rocky, so the hiking stick came in handy.
(Top Left): Bright Hiking Outfit. (Top Right): Gateway Canyon. (Bottom Left): Another Photo of Gateway Canyon. (Bottom Right): Wildflowers 3/5/24.
Colorful Hiking Outfit
Light REI Jacket: Swiftland Running ($95)
Hiking Shoes: Altra Timp 5 ($155)
Read More: Colorful Hiking Outfit Ideas
Cool Features on This Salt River Hike
There were a lot of cool things about this hike. A lot of it comes from this salt river hike being leser trafficked. For safety purposes, I always bring a first aid kit and 2 different weapons to protect myself (from people and wildlife).
Wildlife
When there aren’t a lot of people, there is more wildlife. For us, this meant seeing a Gila Monster and a few Javelina. You could also see Wild Horses, Rattlesnakes, or rarely a Mountain Lion. If you aren’t familiar with Javelina- they may look like innocent pigs but they aren’t. Usually they run away, but do not irritate them. Gila Monsters aren’t to be messed with either- they latch onto you strong enough to break bones. Let the wild stay wild.
Cave
There was one cave on this hike as you are climbing up Gateway Canyon, to your right. It’s large- you won’t miss it. We didn’t see a defined trail to it, and we were tired and hot, haha. It also looked steep inside. But maybe you want to check it out!
Canyon Views
When you’re climbing up the canyon, make sure to turn around because the views of the Gateway Canyon Hike are beautiful. I would love to see this area at sunset or sunrise, but I have a rule where if I’m exploring a new trail, I do it during daylight first. It has kept me save.
Wildflowers
This is very dependent on the year because winter rains are always different, but between March and the end of April you may see flowers. This photo was March 6, 2024. No matter how many there are, they are so fun to see.
Arches
There were apparently 2 arches on the Gateway Canyon Trail, but we only found 1. And I was satisfied with that, I don’t feel like I have to see everything! It was so cute too haha.
Final Thoughts About Gateway Canyon Hike
Loved this trail. So different and adventurous. Give yourself at least 3 hours to take it slow and carefully. Go with someone else. Be prepared. If you’re prepared, you’ll have fun!! Enjoy and happy hiking!
Want to Check Out a Few Other Hikes Nearby?
The East Valley is full of beautiful hikes, check out a few more!
Another Hard Hike: Flatiron- How to Hike
Another Water Hike: Butcher Jones Trail
My Favorite Salt River Sunset Spot: Coon Bluff
Want Something Longer?: Black Top Mesa
Another Local Fav: EJ Peak
