Gifford Canyon Wash Hike

The Gifford Canyon Wash trail sees little traffic and is a great place to spend a morning or evening exploring the desert. The start to this trail is hard to find and the path itself requires a bit of scrambling over large boulders and uneven terrain. The adventurous nature of this trail can be a lot of fun for kids to navigate, just make sure everyone is wearing good, sturdy shoes and is prepared for an unmaintained trail. This trail has small, harmless pockets of quicksand, so be prepared to get sandy or wet feet. Shoes that drain and an extra pair of socks for the car ride home are good items to have as you explore the Gifford Canyon Wash.

Finding the start of this trail can be deceiving. From the parking lot, find the path just next to the outhouse that heads down into Pine Creek. On the left hand side of the Gifford Canyon Dryfall, there is an unmaintained trail that leads up vegetated slickrock. Scramble your way up this trail until you are on even ground. Make your way around the shelf ahead to the mouth of Gifford Canyon. Follow the wash for the next mile, exploring the many nooks and crannies along the way. Keep an eye out for desert wildlife and enjoy the solitude this hike has to offer.

After about a mile, a large dry fall will make the trail ahead seem impassible. If you scramble up the west side of this dry fall, you’ll find a nice lunch spot on top of the sandstone. This is a great place to rest before turning back and following the wash back to the parking lot.