edgear
aventurero, Overland Certified OC0012
Aravaipa has got to be one of my favorite places to backpack in Southern Arizona. There is a creek fed by a natural spring that flows year round, which provides for a lush green place to hang out in the middle of the desert. It's surprising how many Arizona natives have never heard of this places. Since it's a BLM Wilderness Area, permits are required for entry. They only allow 50 people in at any given time, but in my experience, it's rare to come across more than 10 or 15 on any given day. Here are a few photos from the weekend:
An ant colony decided to invade this shoe at our campsite. I think they might have just been thirsty for water:
These guys blend right in with the rocks:
On many past trips, I've explored the side-canyon Virgus Canyon. On this trip, we decided to check out Horse Camp Canyon. Not too far from the main Aravaipa Canyon, it became like a waterless moonscape:
Then we found a waterslide into a muck-pond!!
And another small amount of standing water:
The best thing about the weekend was just relaxing in the cool water & reading a good book:
On our last night, a pretty hefty monsoon storm rolled through. It turned the clear creek to a raging stream of chocolate milk:
In the past, I've mainly gone in May or September. July was a bit warm. I definitely would not go in August, due to the higher probability of monsoon storms (and increased heat!). I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to do a low elevation backpacking trip in Southern Arizona. Be prepared to get your feet wet! And reserve your permits a few months in advance: https://www.blm.gov/az/aravaipa/index.cfm
:camping:
An ant colony decided to invade this shoe at our campsite. I think they might have just been thirsty for water:
These guys blend right in with the rocks:
On many past trips, I've explored the side-canyon Virgus Canyon. On this trip, we decided to check out Horse Camp Canyon. Not too far from the main Aravaipa Canyon, it became like a waterless moonscape:
Then we found a waterslide into a muck-pond!!
And another small amount of standing water:
The best thing about the weekend was just relaxing in the cool water & reading a good book:
On our last night, a pretty hefty monsoon storm rolled through. It turned the clear creek to a raging stream of chocolate milk:
In the past, I've mainly gone in May or September. July was a bit warm. I definitely would not go in August, due to the higher probability of monsoon storms (and increased heat!). I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to do a low elevation backpacking trip in Southern Arizona. Be prepared to get your feet wet! And reserve your permits a few months in advance: https://www.blm.gov/az/aravaipa/index.cfm
:camping:
