The surrounding areas of the trail are very clean and the trail itself is wide with an attractive mix of meadows and dense foliage throughout the trail. Beware of the sometimes predictable weather and have your rain jacket at the ready- especially in the summer. Author. Directions to the Horton Creek Trail If you're coming from Phoenix, drive two hours up the AZ-87. This loop offers a lot of Arizona high country variety of foliage and terrain. My Garmin clocked the mileage right at 10 miles even though this says 10.4. Horton Creek Loop Mogollon Rim October 17, 2020 by Li Li GPS Map by Tom Simonick: Trailblazers ready to hike. Always very pretty there! Follow Horton Creek Trail #285 for your return down Horton Creek. This trail starts at Upper Tonto Creek Campground and follows Horton Creek, past waterfall, lush colonies of roses, wild grape, ferns and strawberries cover the forest floor when the trail gets close to the creek. The loop is not much more difficult than the more common Horton Creek out and back, a bit steep and more feisty, but it is very pleasant and it does offer some solitude before reaching the very popular Horton Spring. Easy for beginners and fun for experienced individuals. We went further up past the beginning of the creek. To reach Horton Springs you will continue on Highline Trail for about 300 feet and to your right you will see this unusual spring gushing from the side of the rim. The "puzzle piece" bark of Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa). It was a great hike. StevieValdez. The trail begins at the eastern end of the campground. Hike was challenging without being hard ! Early on a weekday morning the kids and I pulled into the Derrick Trailhead near Christopher Creek, one of only three vehicles parked in the normally busy lot. The trail with course the creek for another 2 mi with some rocky parts on the old wagon trail, but the grade is easy. The loop part of the trail was less shaded and not quite as pretty as walking along the creek. Think of the Rim as a huge sponge, and Horton Spring is the faucet. Horton Spring is an unusually large spring. A nice varied-terrain hiking loop but if I were to run it again I would stick to Horton Creek out and back. A tour of a Ponderosa Pine Forest Once we accomplished crossing the partially frozen Horton Creek, we had a leisurely "walk in the woods". My recording didn't kick in right away. Horton Creek Trail, Highline Trail, and Derrick Trail Loop is a 9.5 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Payson, Arizona that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. This is a gradual 4 mile descent, pretty exposed to sun, so i advise taking this loop trail clockwise in warm weather to avoid climbing up Derrick. We hiked it on a wednesday and only meet about 12 other people on the trail. At.75 mi the trail forks. This fun and flowing trail follows the beautiful Horton Creek to Horton Spring. We had cool wet weather, hiked at a strong pace with short breaks, took 5 hours, 9.4 miles, an easy hike with some moderate sections. I only hiked up 15 minutes and then back down. Horton Creek – Highline – Derrick Loop; Promontory; Bear Canyon Lake; Babe Haught to Knoll Lake; Knoll Lake Loop; Pinetop - Greer, Arizona. This was a lovely trail going along the creek. It was nice to have a little change in scenery from the Horton Creek Trail. Boyce Thompson Arboretum; Sedona, Arizona. Horton Creek Trail is a 13.4 kilometer heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Payson, Arizona that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. Didn't see anyone else the entire time and there was only one other parked car at the trailhead. Not a hard hike at all. Moderate. Only knocked one star because it is easy to get off trail....so be super careful and use the map on this app!! If you hike Horton Creek first, make sure to turn right at the end. The 0.4 mile section from 0.8 mile to 0.4 mile to the end of the out trail gains 1150ft elevation., Derrick looks like Sedona, red dirt and pinon juniper with plentiful red trunk manzanita trees, some are the biggest and oldest I have ever seen. The confluence is well marked but the sign only faces towards the Derrick trail, as if you were coming up that. Follow the stream for about 0.5 miles and come to a campsite where you can stay the night. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja sp.). Now Selling Phase 2! I decided to turn around. Most of the trail is rocky and hard to get good stable purchases. The trail is easy to follow, fairly flat except for a gradual hill towards the turn around point of the hike and follows a beautiful creek known as Horton Creek. Carrying bear spray would be smart, though I didn't carry it. Highline goes both ways and sign points to the left. Login. 101 51 34. Category Hiking; Posted August 23, 2020; by Jacob Emerick. Make sure you bring good boots! Coordinates 880 Uploaded November 6, 2019 Recorded November 2019. Here the trail turns right and begins a short half-mile climb to Horton Spring. Very steep but some great views. The spring runs year around. Absolutely gorgeous area and hike. The trail starts in the Upper Tonto Creek Campground. 7:00 am Depart Carpool Location 8:30 am Hike Start from Derrick Trailhead (directions below) Hike Route: Derrick Trail/Highline Trail/Horton Creek Loop Trail Hike Description: We will start from the Derrick Trailhead and find our way to the beginning of the trail that is East of the Parking lot. file_download GPX/KML . The second half of the loop enters a more Sedona-esque terrain, with little shade and the trail is more rocky and loose making it difficult to run on. It is an 8-mile down and back that showcases beautiful Horton Creek and its waterfalls among the largest stand of Ponderosa Pines in the world. Such a beautiful clump to the spring just past the confluence with the Highline trail. I went clockwise and think I may have liked it better counterclockwise. 260 to Forest Road 289. share Share . We enjoyed ascending a wide path through pine covered ground. Lots of picturesque spots along the creek. The trail is out and back, with the trail leading to the head of Horton Creek where the spring literally comes right out of the side of the mountain. Retrace your steps back to the Horton and Seneca Creek Trail intersection and continue following the Seneca Creek Trail in the other direction by crossing the Seneca Creek. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and backpacking. Would definitely recommend. Destinations; Tours and Packages; Members; Join. beautiful scenery! If you park in the parking lot you have to go back across the bridge and into the campsite to access it. Day 2: (6.8 miles) To start your day continue going south on the Seneca Creek Trail for 1.2 miles. Was beautiful and serene. This was fun and beautiful. We saw plenty of places to rest along the way if you need to. I am not in shape in any way. When I came to the really steep part of the trail where you can go up and look out, I realized I would also have to come back down and didn’t feel I’d be all that safe since I was alone. it was beautiful. However, I could not figure out where the trail continued to make it the loop with Derrick. After hiking the Highline Trail for two miles we begin a steep descent into the headwaters of Horton Creek. We started out early enough on Horton (6 am) that we only saw one other hiker on the trail, and then once we got on the Highline Trail we didn't see anyone. Horton Creek Trail is a 8.3 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Payson, Arizona that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. 8.27 mi. Beautiful trail, easy to follow and the creek was flowing and icy cold! The latter half when you get the to creek is absolutely gorgeous. Fall colors and the leaves falling in the late afternoon sun were picturesque. Derrick trail was more rocky and muddy. March hiking on a weekday is fabulous. Did this loop clockwise. Only problem I had is finding the trail head. It's definitely a moderate hike, Beautiful scenery and multiple environments. A couple of times we lost the trail because it's not well marked but we found our way back no problem. Length 8.3 miElevation gain 2431 ftRoute type Out & back Explore Touristlink . Residents are sure to enjoy the pool and cabana, community pond, walking trails, and more! It is a gradual 1200-foot climb from the trailhead. Distance 5 hrs 7 min. Beutiful greenery throughout and crystal clear water running alongside the trail (looks good enough to drink — DON’T do it tho). My toddler was able to do most of it. This is a good hike for families with children and pets. loved hearing the water the whole time. Star Va…, AZ . Lush colonies of roses, wild grape, poison ivy, ferns and strawberries cover the forest floor when the trail veers close to the creek. I set up camp about 3 miles in near the creek. The decline is a pretty nice steady decline, so no knee killer there. I’m glad I did it but I think keeping it to out and back would have been more enjoyable overall. That's why Segers Trail has been thoughtfully designed with private outdoor amenities and low maintenance living. When I got to where the trail splits and you could do the loop, I took it. The last 1 mile to the Mogollon Rim was very steep. RECOMMENDED ROUTE Mazatzal Peak Loop 15.1 mi 24.4 km • 2,868' Up 874.13 m Up • 2,841' Down 865.98 m Down. Lots of wildlife, including a black rattlesnake so keep a look out while hiking at higher elevations. Recommend doing it counter clockwise so you get the creek at the end. Horton Spring Loop via Horton Creek Trail #285 and Highline Trail #31 14. Broom Snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae). Cool weather and we saw not a single person! Once on the trail, travel until you pass through a gate. The trail ends at Highline Trail #31. Beautiful views. Gorgeous area. YouTube attached shows the fall colors taken along the trail. Scenery and fall colors were amazing, particularly at the Creek. Horton Creek Loop Hike Tonto National Forest, AZ September 11, 2005. A Romain 17 views. Arizona Trails Payson, Arizona. Horton and Highline trails were covered in snow but still easy enough to navigate. Parking was very full but luckily got a spot. The spring runs year around. We loved it! This was the first trail we backpacked! The trail drops quickly into Horton Creek. This is the turn off for the Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery. Beautiful trail... fall foliage just poppin' in pockets along the way. Then once back at the creek I ran east on the Highline trail and down the Derrick trail. Toggle navigation. After lunch we will hike the scenic Horton Creek Trail for 3.5 miles back to the trailhead. GPX; KML 10.4 mi. Loved this loop. First time backpacking. All distances were measured from my GPS track. Horton Creek Trail #285 Loop . Plenty of ups and downs. Horton Creek Trail – Yellow Section. I wanted to camp near the creek and needed the water to filter. https://youtu.be/Scyc_Y4vnUM. Highline is a darker and denser forest, fog and mossy trees, steep for 30 minutes or so, nice views up high. Excellent views and rewarded w the Horton Springs at the end point. The trail ends at Highline Trail #31. I was initially just going to do the out and back Horton Creek Trail map. If I had to redo it, I would start on the Derrick trail so I can have the shade and cold water from Horton Creek on the latter part of the hike. Normally I hike alone but I hiked this trail with a buddy and we kept talking throughout the hike so as to not sneak up of them. Packed up and started out by 7:30 and didn't see another soul until 10 AM near the Derrick trail head. Would definitely recommend if you’re in the area. Both Horton Creek and Tonto Creek have trout. My dog, Duke, was the MVP!! Gorgeous trail! DId the trail on this past Saturday. It finally sauntered away. Watch out for poison ivy and oat right along the trail on the Horton Creek stretch. The distance on Highline to the Horton Creek crossing is 0.4 miles, the distance from the creek to the beginning of Derrick Trail is 2.9 miles and the distance on Derrick to the parking lot is 2.2 miles. Started late and spent too much time at the Creek to view the fall colors and did not complete the last 0.6 mile. based on 7 tracks & routes | | DIFFICULT #10 hike out of 40 in | DIFFICULT. The Horton Creek Trail to its end at the Highline Trail is just over three miles long. This is a more scenic and bit more strenuous loop hike to the spring, taking in the Derrick Trail, part of the Highline Trail, and the Horton Creek Trail.After parking the cars near Upper Tonto Creek Campground follow the Derrick Trail and hike gently uphill for 1.4 miles through the rim country to the Highline Trail junction. Pretty challenging considering the first 4 miles is all uphill and hardly any shade but it’s a good workout if that’s what you are seeking. Great for kids and dogs too. But the varied terrain is nice, and certainly interesting. Lots of places to have a picnic or just hangout! Bring bear spray if you do this one. Africa. Because of Wednesday’s forest fire, I almost canceled the hike. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and backpacking. Fourth time on the Horton creek trail, second time completing this loop, first time in 4-6 inches of snow. Water gushes from the side of the rim, supplying Horton Creek. Fun trail, perfect weather and no complaints! I had started too late, so ended up needing to turn back. Started at Horton, then ended up going the wrong way on highline (so basically when you see a sign for highline, do not follow it... go the opposite way - which was to the right). Like Mother Nature’s “water cooler”, Horton Spring gushes cold, crystal-clear water and chilly air year-round. I then took the left side trail up past the waterfall as this trail the connects way up with the rim road. The left fork is the official trail and you’re more likely to encounter other hikers on this route. constant sound of water flowing and hike wasnt difficult. I started with that path. Horton Creek was beautiful, nice flow of water with many small falls and mature ponderosa and fir trees. Beautiful hike with lots of diverse terrains. super easy hike, with lots of beautiful trees and animals... 10/10 would go again, Fish Hatchery to Knoll Lake via Babe Haught Trail, Horton Creek Trail, Highline Trail, and Derrick Trail Loop, Military Sinkhole, Rim Lakes Vista and Highline Loop, Mogollon Rim and Woods Canyon Lake MTB Loop [CLOSED], https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tonto/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=35613&actid=50. I've done this trail. Would love to do this one again. There was a good mixture of sunny and shade spots. The easy Horton Creek Hiking Trail follows the banks of beautiful, spring-fed Horton Creek (to its fresh water source). 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