Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness

For our Memorial Day weekend, we(Shan, I and our friends Matt and Juile) ventured southeast of Phoenix for a backpacking trip that seemed to be in a completely different part of the country. Nestled in the heart of the desert is one of Arizona's few perennial riparian areas, created by Aravaipa Creek. Our trip started on Saturday morning with a 2 1/2 hour drive to the trail head. Once at the trail head, we readied ourselves for a hike through the canyon, and the creek itself. The entire canyon is about 12 miles long with dispersed camping allowed anywhere. Meaning you can make the hike to your campsite as long or as short as you would like.

map of Aravaipa

trailhead

We were blessed with amazing weather considering the past week it had been over 100 in Tempe. A large storm system moved through the state and we hiked in under a cloudy sky and 85 degrees. Hiking at a steady pace, we stopped once for lunch and then arrived at what we thought would be our campsite. Upon arrival, we all dropped our packs and laid down for a little siesta. Shannon grew restless and hiked up stream to read. After our naps, Matt and I ventured to find Shannon and check out the territory. After a short chat, we three decided to explore upstream a bit and happened upon what would be our campsite for the next two nights. We returned to fetch our gear and Julie and we were off to the new site. It was a nice sandy patch nestled above the bank of the creek in a natural "amphitheater".

Our first night we enjoyed "Texas Taters" prepared by Matt and Julie. The consisted of baked potatoes from the fire, chili, onions and cheese. We recommend this to all backpackers/campers/everybody. Dessert was fresh brownies baked by Julie.

Sunday morning breakfast was pancakes with freeze dried strawberries and maple syrup and coffee. Sunday was our day to explore deeper into the canyon. About midday, under a cloudless sky, we decided to put the tubes we brought along to use and cool down. After lunch that is.

Night two's dinner consisted of Indian Fare and Pitas from Trader Joe's. Dessert was what Shannon considers her "snob s'mores". They are made with vanilla marshmallows(although we used original mallows this time), old fashioned graham crackers, and dark chocolate. They are super rich but very delicious.

On Monday morning we were treated to an early morning wake up call by Matt. He had coffee made and water for oatmeal on the stove before we even got out of our tents. This ensured we would be hiking out during the coolest part of the day, which was a very good thing as it was in the 90's by the time we got to our car. We stopped in a small mining town on our way back to Tempe in order to indulge in burgers and beers, well deserved.

It was very nice to get away from the city and enjoy this great state. Our time outdoors with our friends was very much enjoyed. We will most definitely take requests from those who would like to venture down here and experience this great place!