Tonto Natural Bridge State Park is beautiful, I'm so glad I had the opportunity to finally check it…read moreout! It costs $10/person and you can pay at the entrance booth with cash or go inside to pay with card. We did not hike down to the creek/observation bridge but will definitely check it out on another visit. There are four easily labeled viewpoints that show different angles of the bridge. There was a lot of wildlife when we went and we even got to see a Coati! This place is great, definitely check it out.

Awesome Father's Day at Tonto Bridge! Got there at 9am when the gate opens and even when we left…read morearound 11:30am on a Sunday there were plenty of parking spots still available in each parking lot. My husband had my 17 mo in a baby carrier and we did the whole loop. We spent a little over 2 hours here. Some parts were super slippery even without water present, esp more towards the bridge, but wear hiking boots and be sure of your footings and you're going to be just fine! Take your time. Stop every now and then and just look up. It's beautiful all the rocks and mountain cliffs. It's beautiful the whole loop trail. Under the bridge the breeze and spray from the water coming down is a treat after being sweating. We saw plenty of young children take on the rocky trails. If you can physically, do the entire big loop. It's worth it.

People really need to be better educated on the permit process and the strict requirements that are…read morenow being enforced. We had our permit that one of our husbands printed for us but since he was not in vehicle, they would not allow us to enter!! Worse than our problem were 2 women in thier turn around lot at thier gate and those 2 women were still stranded in the heat nearly 6 hours later. We the park rangers failed to relay a hugely important message to those ladies about thier spare tire being In the middle of the road 10 miles back !! Again a huge disappointment for those park employees who witnessed these women being stranded, and we feel with 3 employees and 2 trucks could have easily assisted these women or at the very least let them know where thier spare was located ! We were hugely inconvenienced by driving back several miles to pile into one car as the option they offered us, but these poor ladies we believe were clearly suffering unnecessary while not one of those employees told them where thier spare was located or possibly offered to get it for them .

FYI: If you're planning to go during the government shutdown, you can't drive all the way to the…read moreparking lot -- it's about an 8-mile hike (a lot of it on gravel). But honestly, it's worth every step! Just when you think you've reached the falls... you haven't. Keep going! The road in is pure washboard -- about 13 miles of bump city -- so make sure you have a 4-wheel drive and that nothing inside your car is loose. Fossil Creek is absolutely stunning, and bonus -- no permit needed after October 1st. The other thing says this trail is easy. No, it's not to be careful if you're taking somebody elderly over that doesn't have good mobility because there's some rocks you had a climb and what not also make sure you take plenty of water to drink and a little snack everything you pack in your pack. I would also suggest leaving the house by three 330. No later you don't wanna be hiking in the pitch dark.

This has been on my bucket list for the past 5 years and this weekend I finally made it! I was…read moreexpecting it to be busy since it was a Sunday and a holiday weekend, but we went in the afternoon and tons of people were leaving when we were parking. The downside to that is that you are hiking in at the hottest part of the day. Which makes the water feel that much more refreshing. The hike isn't hard, you just follow the creek. Some people were in flip flops- which is doable, but the rocks can be quite slippery in places. Bring lots of water. There's some shade, but not tons. Oh- and watch out for the random cow. He's not friendly.

There is an awesome hiking spot here. You don't need a pass you can just park and hike. It's a bit…read moresteep in some areas but lots of people of all ages with dogs too. It was so beautiful this time of year. Slightly off the beaten path from Payson but worth a fun day trip from phoenix to get out of the head and see so fall foliage. Highly recommend

Man I love coming here! And it's been too long since I did. Over the weekend on Saturday I decided…read morelast moment to drive up to Payson so I could put my feet in the creek and spend some time outdoors enjoying it versus hiding from the Phx heat. I had recently been back visiting the Reno Tahoe area and this gave me the same peaceful feeling of being at water with the blue skies and green trees. Plus all the big puffy white clouds! It was a beautiful drive up, I always like the drive to payson but this time due to all the rains, it's more green than I remember it. Since I went at the last moment with no real plan, I didn't look anything up, and one thing to know is that the Horton Creek Trailhead lot is closed due to construction work so if you go, park at the Derrick Trailhead just down the road, before it. I didn't hike, I just went to sit with my feet in the creek and listen to the soothing water sounds. If you want to hike, the Horton Trail is still open, just not the trailhead parking lot. I got there at 3:30pm and had no issue finding parking. Stayed until 6:30 and had a lovely ride home as it was sunset when I got back. I'll be going back up to cool off again, it was upper 80s when I was there.

Loved this 8 miles round trip trail…read more Easy access by a regular car to the parking. Be sure to arrive early as a parking is limited. We arrived around 7am and it was about a half full. When we were ready to go home around noon, this place was packed. Most part of the trail has tree shades, with nice water sound, I felt pretty cool in the hot summer. Trail is mostly flat. Less than 1,000 feet in elevation gain. Trail has access to the creek throughout, you don't have to hike all 4 miles to enjoy cool water. Bring lots of water. I carried almost a gallon of water with me and I think I consumed 2/3 of them. I saw a camper hiking down in the morning. They said they packed everything including water and spent a night in the woods. That sounded really intriguing, I think I should really thinking about camping here someday.

Convenient trail if you are staying in strawberry or pine. Trails are easy to follow and it was…read morevery peaceful early morning.

Was headed home from a great weekend in Strawberry and knew we wanted to hit the trails before…read moreheaded back so we stopped to do a quick hike on the Pine Trailhead. Pine Trialhead is clearly marked and is apx 3 miles around trip, its considered an easy hike with an elevation gain around 300/400ft feet. The views are beautifully and part of the trail is shaded which I appreciated , even though the weather stated it was 70ish outside it still felt warm. Glad to have stopped and hiked the Pine Trailhead, cant wait to come back to explore some more!

We had a blast! Easy to access, zero hiking required! Plenty of shade and areas to sit as well. The…read morejumping rock area isn't too too deep so I would caution when jumping from the rocks. We did not do the hike down to the "crack" we asked multiple people and they suggested since there's no shade it's not the best for a 5 year old. We will be back to this creek for sure :)

Really enjoy this swimming hole. BEWARE THE BLACK FLIES they bite :(( cover up well if you can?…read moreMaybe keep moving? Idk that kinda sucked, but otherwise love this hike.

Super fun hike and we got some really creative individual and group pics. It's a hike to remember…read more The last 300 feet is a climb but otherwise easy hike. Please come and create your own adventure.

We had help finding our way. GPS stops working so have it downloaded. Could use a sign but the…read morelittle scramble up and down is worth the view. Saw javelina on the way back to trailhead.

Beautiful hike meandering along the creek Very shaded with tall Ponderosa pines, ferns, and pretty…read morelittle waterfalls. We decided this was one of our favorite hikes in the area. We went on a Friday and didn't see anyone else so very nice.

Great place for a day hike and lots to do to keep it short or longer. You can camp and start the…read moreCabin Loop Trail once you get to the top of the Rum which also happens to be part of the Arizona Trail.

Overcrowded. People leaving trash and playing loud music. No chance of relaxing. Parking is $10…read morefor day use. Kids swimming next to people fishing. Every inch of southern shoreline is packed. Get a tetanus shot. No chance of going barefoot.

Have not been here for many years. Enjoyed an early morning weekday fishing trip. Lots of camping…read moresites available. Parked near the boat ramp and convenience store that has reopened. Got some tips on bait and purchased a few more lures. A couple of small snow packs still visible, and a few snow flakes in the morning. Caught and released a nice rainbow trout. Saw a bald eagle fly by and enjoyed the scenery. Had lunch near a scenic outlook. Place is likely crowded on weekends but that is expected, given the location and beauty of this place.

We parked at the Tuzigoot River Access point after visiting the National Monument. This is a large…read moreparking lot, suitable for boat trailers. We went in January to walk along the river. It was very scenic, even though most of the leaves had fallen form the trees. There is a small beach at one location and small rapids for kayaking. Several dog walkers and a few mountain bikes were using the pathways. This would be a lovely place in the spring to fall when the trees are full.

This natural area is located next to Dead Horse Ranch State Park near Cottonwood. There is no…read morecamping or campfires in the riparian zone, but you can camp at Dead Horse Park. The river is stocked with bass, catfish, and bluegill. In the winter they stock it with trout. There is a lot of wildlife in this region to see. The Verde River is a great spot to canoe or kayak because of all the twists and turns in the river. You can load your boat at the ramp at the Tuzigoot River Access Point which has plenty of parking nearby. Swimming is at your own risk.