Second Water Trail

SECOND WATER TRAIL

Mountain vistas on Second Water Trail

Garden Valley, on the western edge of the 160,200-acre Superstition Wilderness, is one of those places that sears vivid images into the memories of those who trek through it. 

Chain fruit cholla in Garden Valley

Rife with otherworldly scenes of desert life in an environment sculpted out of ancient volcanic ash, the area’s story arc spools out from violent origins, cataclysmic geological events, erosion and resurgence.

Globemallow bloom year-round in Garden Valley

Between 25 and 15 million years ago the craggy backcountry was a roiling cauldron of molten rock and white-hot ash that eventually collapsed on itself forming a series of depressions called calderas.  The grand scale “super-volcano” activity was like what’s incubating beneath Yellowstone National Park right now.

Flatiron (center left) seen from Second Water Trail

Ringed by mesas, mountain ranges and bizarre pillars and piles of solidified ash or “welded tuff”, the yawning basins have settled into a quiet old age marked by a slow-motion epoch of falling apart.

Four Peaks viewed from Second Water Trail

 The Second Water Trail offers an approachable option for exploring this haunting hinterland of rugged terrain and mysterious tales of hidden gold caches and lost souls.

Lush desert plants on Second Water Trail

Beginning at the First Water trailhead that’s located roughly 45 miles from Downtown Phoenix near Apache Junction, Trail No. 236 is accessed by following the Dutchmans Trail 0.3-mile to the first signed junction.

Hackberry Mesa (left) rises over Second Water Trail

Twisting over slickrock and sections of crumbling stone, the trail bends northeast, flanking scoured gorges above the course of First Water Creek.

Petrified volcanic ash in First Water Creek

  Recent wildfire damage has left spots of charred cholla and scarred saguaros, but expansive views of the Goldfield Mountains, Superstition ridgeline, the Flatiron and iconic Weaver’s Needle remain as breathtaking as ever.

White bladderpod blooms Jan - May

 The trail swings by the junctions for Black Mesa and Hackberry Spring trails which may be used to build longer loop hikes.

Rugged terrain along Second Water Trail

Second Water trail continues through a series of rocky uphill segments that land hikers in the heart of Garden Valley—a sprawling flatland dominated by chain fruit cholla, prickly pear cacti, jojoba, mesquite, hackberry shrubs and fields of wildflowers.

Desert vegetation in Garden Valley

Superstition Ridgeline on the horizon

This once botanically lush plateau took a major wildfire hit, but many survivor specimens and green sprouts pushing out from deadwood hint at recovery.

Weaver's Needle stands out over Second Water Trail

Here, the massive forms of Hackberry Mesa, Four Peaks and the mountains around Canyon Lake to the north begin to stand out on the horizon. Plant life grows more robust as the route starts a spiral down into a reedy, damp gorge where it intersects the Boulder Canyon Trail, the turnaround point for the hike.

Jojoba shrubs and saguaros on Second Water Trail

A major geological upheaval notwithstanding, the slow-burn erosion and superficial smudges incurred regularly on the Second Water Trail are barely perceivable over a single human lifetime.

A rocky ascent on Second Water Trail

 

Fires, rock falls, flood displacements and seasonal transitions are like costume changes in a long-running show with ear worm tunes that hijack the mind but somehow never get old.

Saguaros clutter a ridge above Boulder Canyon

LENGTH: 7 miles round-trip (out-and-back hike)
RATING: Easy-Moderate
ELEVATION: 1,940 to 2,420 feet (878 feet of accumulated elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, go east on US 60 to exit 196 for Idaho Road (State Route 88). Turn left and follow Idaho to SR88, turn right and continue to First Water Road (Forest Road 78), which is located about a half mile past the entrance to Lost Dutchman State Park (between mileposts 201 and 202) and is signed for First Water Trailhead. Turn right and go 2.6 miles to the trailhead. Forest Road 78 is maintained dirt with some potholes and washboard sections passable by carefully driven sedan.

INFO: Mesa Ranger District, Tonto National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tonto/recarea/?recid=35525

 

Lower First Water Creek

LOWER FIRST WATER CREEK

The rugged course of First Water Creek near Canyon Lake

In the ragged wilderness below Canyon Lake, the gorge of First Water Creek embodies an otherworldly character that’s somewhere between Tolkien’s Middle- earth and the surface of an asteroid.  The raw, craggy waterway doesn’t spill its wonders easily—it takes work to get into the heart of the remote, obstacle-ridden north end of the creek that flows between the lake and the Garden Valley area in the Superstition Wilderness near Apache Junction.  But once inside, the journey serves as a sort of gateway adventure to technical canyoneering.

Water lingers in a cove south of Canyon Lake

Inside the narrows of First Water Canyon

While this hike doesn’t require climbing gear (at least in dry conditions), it does require a fair amount of scrambling and route-finding.  Right from the start, it’s a challenge.  At the parking area located on State Route 88, the trail begins by the wood power line pole at the south end of the dirt lot.  Cluttered with brush and loose rock, the first few yards can be difficult to find. After that though, the well-worn route that drops 400 feet to the creek becomes easier to follow.  A few sections of slick rock and some minor down-climbing are interspersed with easy passages and drainage jumps. 

A hiker admires jasper band embedded in volcanic rock

A pair of good nubby boots, long pants, a hiking stick and the composure to spot your moves are all that’s needed to get through without a scratch.

At the half-mile point, the route passes a barbed wire fence that marks the wilderness boundary just a few drainage hops above the creek bed.

Desert tobacco blooms year round in the creek bed

A group of massive, round boulders mark the entryway to the creek.  The house-high volcanic globs that are replete with foreign rock inclusions and cavities, signal the start of a two-part exploratory trek that’s rich in geological interest.

Water pools in a rock cavity in First Water Creek

The first part is a short hike to a cove at the south edge of Canyon Lake. Head north (go left from the entry point) and hike 0.2-mile through a wide corridor of sand and cobbles surrounded by pillars of tuff--compressed volcanic ash flows.  Underfoot, look for colorful bands of jasper that fill cracks in the tuff and “lithic waves” of white ash worn smooth by millions of years of exposure and running water.  As the route snakes its way to the cove, the cliffs abruptly close in to contain a tiny green oasis where cottonwood, mesquite and ash trees, hackberry shrubs and buffalo bur soak up moisture from the ebb and flow of lake water that seeps into the damp box canyon. 

Inside the narrows of First Water Canyon

How far hikers can get into the stony lagoon depends on the season.  Dark stains and tell-tale wear on the vertical cliff faces record how water levels fluctuate over time in this finger inlet.  Make the last walkable sand bar your turnaround point and double back to the entryway big boulders. 

The hike into the canyon follows a sketchy route

The hike into and out of the canyon requires some scrambling

Part two of the hike is more challenging.  Head south following the creek bed into an imposing slot canyon and get ready to pick your way through a quagmire of stone.  From the entry point, it’s possible for experienced hikers to follow the creek bed south for 6 miles, give or take depending on workarounds, to where it comes out near Hackberry Spring at the horse trailer parking lot on Forest Road 78 (First Water Road).  But don’t be fooled by the short length. With continually changing conditions that require creative path finding and hand-over-foot maneuvers on an extremely rocky base, the full trek takes all day.  Know what you’re getting into and head out fit and prepared.  For a less arduous day hike, just go as far as you feel able and turnaround before the intimidating route overwhelms.

"Picture rocks" are among the hike's many points of interest

 

A hiker finds a workaround in the narrows of First Water Canyon

Within a few yards of entering the slot, the scrambling begins with a crawl over a six-foot boulder jam that lands above a scoured drop pool that usually has some water.  It’s slow going for the next half-mile where the creek course is completely bound by soaring columns of jointed volcanic stone, crusty, lichen-covered pillars, acres of rock slabs, flood debris and scattered “picture rocks”--boulders laced with brilliant inclusions that have been tossed and tumbled into gem-like specimens. 

The route goes south to the Hackberry Spring area

There's nteresting geology throughout the hike

Exiting the cove box canyon

Finding a route through the narrows is tricky

Cottonwood trees at the cove entry

Wildflowers like desert pea, desert tobacco and lavender add spots of purple and green to the rough, buff-and-russet colored gorge.  

Buffalo bur grows from the sandy creek bed

Regardless of how far you end up hiking along this fractured, fabulous desert creek, the stunning beauty born from tumultuous volcanic eruptions makes for a memorable trip.

Mounds of volcanic tuff line the course of First Water Creek

Huge boulders at the beginning of the creek hike

 

 

LENGTH:  3 miles roundtrip as described here or 6 miles one way to the First Water horse lot.

RATING: moderate-difficult

ELEVATION: 1,983 – 1,582 feet as described here or 2,300 to the horse lot.

GETTING THERE:

North end: Canyon Overlook Trailhead as described here:

From Phoenix, go east on U.S. 60 to the Idaho Road exit 196. Turn left at the bottom of the off ramp and go 12 miles on State Route 88 (Apache Trail) to the Canyon Overlook trailhead at milepost 208.

There are no signs or facilities at the trailhead.  Roads are 100% paved. 

South end: First Water horse lot:

From Phoenix, go east on U.S. 60 to the Idaho Road exit 196. Turn left at the bottom of the off ramp and follow State Route 88 to First Water Road (Forest Road 78) which is just past Lost Dutchman State Park between mileposts 201 and 202 on the right.

Follow FR78 for just over 2 miles to the horse parking lot (NOT the First Water trailhead) on the left and park there.  From the lot, hike 0.1 mile up FR78 to an unmarked dirt road on the left where there’s a closed gate. Pass through the gate and continue down into First Water Canyon and the corral area. From the corral, hike east (straight ahead) along the informal paths that lead to First Water Creek. Hike north in the creek bed. FR78 is maintained dirt with a few rough spots but suitable for all carefully-driven vehicles.