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CLOVER CREEK
West Clear Creek Wilderness
A tributary of West Clear Creek, Clover Creek trickles
through a pristine, green canyon on the Mogollon Rim. The route is a primitive
path weaving back-and-forth across the shallow stream as it drifts through
berry-laden brambles, willows and alders. When warmed by the sun (or trampled
by the resident cattle) meadows of clover exhale an earthy-sweet perfume into
the air, soothing the senses and attracting swarms of honeybees. To add
physical challenge to this otherwise effortless hike, a campfire-stained cave
tucked high into a
LENGTH: 5 miles
roundtrip
ELEVATION: 6,700 –
6,800 feet
GETTING THERE:
From the junctions of SR260/87 in Payson, go north on SR87
to milepost 285 where you'll see a small parking lot and a series of forest
service signs in a meadow---do not park here. Instead, turn left onto Forest
Road 142, set your odometer and drive 0.5 miles to an unmarked road on the right—this
is easy to miss---look for a sign that reads “no trailers, dead end”, do not
take Forest Road 611---stay right. Continue on the unmarked road for 0.6 miles
to the trailhead marked by a brown metal cattle gate and a sign that reads
“closed to all vehicles”. Go through (or around/under) the gate and follow the
informal footpaths along the water. When you get to the ruins of an old
bridge/dam, veer left and follow the creek as far as you like.
INFORMATION: Coconino National Forest,
West Clear Creek Wilderness
