See Canyon Trail in Arizona: A Hiking Guide
Looking for a beautiful hike alongside the water, in the forest of Northern Arizona? See Canyon Trail is perfect anytime of the year, especially in the fall! I’ve created this post to help you find See Canyon and feel prepared!
See Canyon Trail in Arizona
Thank you SO MUCH for reading my blog post! The support means the world to me. You came here wanting to learn about See Canyon Trail, so I can’t wait to help you out. I have lived in Arizona for a decade, and didn’t know about this beautiful trail until last year. So let’s get started!
other things to do near payson
Where is See Canyon Trail?
see canyon trail is outside payson, arizona
Payson, Arizona is located a little over an hour and 15 minutes from Phoenix. It feels like a quick drive! I love how the landscape changes so dramatically and so quickly from cactus to Ponderosa Pines. Payson is one of the most concentrated areas of pine trees in the whole USA, actually!
before you leave payson
Once you leave Payson, there are a lot less options for food, so make sure to fuel up! One of my favorite things to do is stop for local coffee. Check out my recommendations below for that. Outside of coffee, I recommend Danzeisen Dairy for ice cream, Rim Country BBQ & Pizza, and the Pinon cafe their GIANT delicious cinammon rolls.
How to Get to See Canyon Trail
address
I have found it accurate to use the AllTrails “directions” feature that opens up a map on Apple Maps. Coordinates are 34.33606 N, 111.01402 W.
payson to see canyon
From Payson, you’re going to go east on highway 260 to Christopher Creek Loop. You take this until you see the Christoper Creek General Store, and you will turn LEFT onto Forest Road 284 directly across from it. You will be on this well-maintained dirt road for about 2 miles until you get to the trailhead. Below is the Google Earth view looking at FR 284 from the General Store. You can check the status of this road on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest website.
See Canyon Trailhead
The trailhead is medium sized. It’s a little loop, and there is overflow parking down the road a little bit. For the most part, it should be easy to find parking, unless you’re hiking during peak fall colors.
There is a trailhead sign, map, and pit toilet availabe for you. It’s easy to navigate, which is nice!
when are peak fall colors?
Peak fall colors are around the 3rd weekend of October to the first 2 weeks of November. Obviously, it changes every year. Recent tags at See Canyon on Instagram or recent reviews on AllTrails will help the most!
See Canyon Trail: The Hike
see canyon trail info
The length and stats of your hike depends on a few things. See Canyon Trail starts as a single trail for 0.7 mi until you reach a fork in the trail. If you go right, you will go to See Spring. If you will go “left” this is technically See Canyon Trail.
See Spring Trail is 2.5 miles and 492 ft gain. See Canyon Trail is 7.4 miles and over 2,000 ft gain. It is steep because it goes up the Mogollon Rim to Rim Road 300.
Either option is great! I just did the See Spring Trail. Both sides are great during the fall. Just depends on how long you want to go and how steep. For an easier hike, I suggest See Spring.
see spring
I love natural springs. I think it’s magical the earth can spit up this super pure, super cold water. Yes, it’s not always the best to drink water from the earth without filtering, but I love springs. There were not many people hanging out by the spring. We hung out there for a half hour with only 1 other person around.
My Outfit & Gear for the Hike
here’s what i brought
VEST: REI Co-Op 650 Down Vest
PULLOVER: The Landmark Project “Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute”
LEGGINGS: Paragon Reluna Sculptseam
SHOES: Danner Mountain 600
FANNY PACK: Topo Designs
SUMMARY of SEE CANYON TRAIL
I know it might be a short list, but Payson, Arizona is a small town! And ALL THREE OF THESE LOCAL COFFEE SHOPS deserve a visit and are special in their own ways. I hope you grab a drink, support local business, and enjoy everything nature has to offer nearby :).
