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Best Riverside Hikes in Arizona

The directory currently contains 28 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Arizona. Their average mapped distance is 8.6 km and average recorded ascent is 421 m (1,381 ft); the longest route in the set is 38.4 km.

This subset represents 5% of the 593 quality-checked routes in Arizona. Its average distance is 8.6 km, compared with 16.8 km across the full local set.

These routes carry the river tag. The tag does not establish how much of the mapped line follows water or whether crossings are safe. Within this set, 2 routes (7%) are rated easy, 10 (36%) are rated hard or expert, and 1 (4%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

3.5 km

Lower Salt River Interpretive Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

7 m

Lower Salt River Interpretive Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

1 recorded loop

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

View of the Thunder River trail. North Kaibab Ranger District. 10-24-13. P1040030. Photo by Dyan Bone. Credit the U.S. Forest Service, Southwestern Region, Kaibab National Forest.
Hard

Thunder River Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
19.5 km
/ 12.1 mi
Elevation gain
343 m
Typical duration
4 hr 43 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Junction of Brookbank and Sunset Trails. Follow Sunset Trail downhill into a bowl between the Dry Lake Hills and Little Elden. Ascending from Schultz Pass through a peaceful ponderosa pine and fir forest, Sunset Trail drops into a cozy bowl
Moderate

Brookbank Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
4.8 km
/ 3.0 mi
Elevation gain
98 m
Typical duration
1 hr 8 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Horton Creek Trail, Payson, Arizona
Moderate

Horton Creek Trail #285

Arizona · United States

Distance
5.4 km
/ 3.3 mi
Elevation gain
365 m
Typical duration
1 hr 40 min
  • River
  • Forest
Moderate

Deer Creek Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
5.1 km
/ 3.1 mi
Elevation gain
194 m
Typical duration
1 hr 21 min
  • River
About three miles up the Clear Creek Trail Coleogyne ramosissima (Blackbrush) is the dominant plant in this habitat en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleogyne South2NorthRim day 3 sw2 172
Hard

Clear Creek Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
13.9 km
/ 8.6 mi
Elevation gain
848 m
Typical duration
4 hr 10 min
  • River
Moderate

Noon Creek Ridge Trail #318

Arizona · United States

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
735 m
Typical duration
1 hr 58 min
  • River
  • Mountain
  • Forest
This seldom used trail offers vistas and interesting geology. The unshaded trail winds in a southwesterly direction with some gentle ups and downs for 1.5 miles to Turkey Creek Tank on the left. The trail crosses normally dry Turkey Creek a
Moderate

Turkey Creek Trail #92

Arizona · United States

Distance
7.2 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
375 m
Typical duration
2 hr 4 min
  • River
Approaching the Monument walking east along the Tonto Trail from Hermit Camp. NPS Photo by Michael Quinn. The Monument in Monument Creek is along the Tonto Trail in Grand Canyon National Park. Just west of Mohave Point, in the side canyon f
Moderate

Monument Creek Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
96 m
Typical duration
35 min
  • River
Morning along the Bright Angel Trail and Colorado River with the Black and Silver bridge in the background in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona on December 10, 2013.
Moderate

River Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
520 m
Typical duration
1 hr 22 min
  • River
Moderate

Big Creek Trail #320A

Arizona · United States

Distance
2.5 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
261 m
Typical duration
54 min
  • River
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Hard

Grant Creek Trail #305

Arizona · United States

Distance
6.1 km
/ 3.8 mi
Elevation gain
900 m
Typical duration
2 hr 38 min
  • River
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Hard

Rock Creek Trail #259

Arizona · United States

Distance
12.2 km
/ 7.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,108 m
Typical duration
4 hr 12 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Near Flagstaff, AZ: Schultz Pass Road, View N, 2012
Moderate

Schultz Creek Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
9.9 km
/ 6.2 mi
Elevation gain
228 m
Typical duration
2 hr 25 min
  • River
Hard

Ash Creek Trail #307

Arizona · United States

Distance
10.8 km
/ 6.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,644 m
Typical duration
4 hr 43 min
  • River
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Moderate

Cottonwood Creek Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • River
Moderate

Hance Creek Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
180 m
Typical duration
45 min
  • River
Hard

West Pinto Creek Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
15.0 km
/ 9.3 mi
Elevation gain
893 m
Typical duration
4 hr 28 min
  • River
  • Forest
BLACK WHITES FROM NEAR FAR
Moderate

Sonoita Creek Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
13 m
Typical duration
29 min
  • River
Moderate

Tapeats Creek Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
3.7 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
189 m
Typical duration
1 hr 3 min
  • River
Moderate

Dry Creek #52

Arizona · United States

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
205 m
Typical duration
1 hr 10 min
  • River

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Thunder River TrailArizona19.5 km343 m4 hr 43 minHardJune to October
Brookbank TrailArizona4.8 km98 m1 hr 8 minModerateJuly to September
Horton Creek Trail #285Arizona5.4 km365 m1 hr 40 minModerateJune to October
Grand Enchantment Trail Segment 14: Eagle Creek - Painted BluffsArizona38.4 km514 m9 hr 29 minExpertJune to October
Lower Salt River Interpretive TrailArizona3.5 km7 m44 minEasyApril to October
Deer Creek TrailArizona5.1 km194 m1 hr 21 minModerateApril to October
Clear Creek TrailArizona13.9 km848 m4 hr 10 minHardApril to October
Noon Creek Ridge Trail #318Arizona4.1 km735 m1 hr 58 minModerateJuly to September
Turkey Creek Trail #92Arizona7.2 km375 m2 hr 4 minModerateApril to October
Monument Creek TrailArizona2.1 km96 m35 minModerateApril to October

Thunder River Trail, Brookbank Trail, Horton Creek Trail #285 currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

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Other shortlists covering the same area or the same kind of terrain.

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