Bucket List: Hiking Mogollon Country
"Nature is not a place to visit. It is home." Gary Snyder
Nestled in a town of stately trees, with different shades of green, from short to the very tall, to delight all your senses are hiking trails to enhance your exploring ability. Arizona is known for its variety of scenic mountains, bubbling creeks, flowing rivers, and plenty of hiking trails to both challenge and encourage you to get moving. One particular area in Arizona is called, "Mogollon Country." Mogollon is pronounced, "muggy own," and is a 200 mile long cliff in northern Arizona, with an elevation of 5000-7000 feet.
Many people visit Mogollon country for its peace, views and just to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. Not only does it offer hiking, but plenty of fishing, camping and scenic drives. Let's take a hike along See Canyon Trail.
The See Canyon Trail, #184 is a moderate trail, a trail that brings you into the forest with all kinds of evergreens to look at. This trail is located in Christopher Creek, a wonderful area to camp, fish and hike. Once you enter the trail, you are immediately greeted with so much greenery and a clear path. As a gal living in the desert, I embrace the "green" things in life when I see it in nature. The creek is nearby much of the time and crossing it is a guarantee several times. Sometimes, the creek is like a roaring giant, and sometimes it is quiet as a mouse, as it flows down its natural path.
As you hike, make sure you have the following:
Good, sturdy hiking shoes.
A change of shoes for when or if you walk in the creek.
Socks!
Walking sticks for crossing the creek.
Camera is always a must on hikes! Or at least your phone.
Picnic lunch for eating near the creek.
The path is well marked and is soft to walk on, for anyone with tender feet. Stop and really look at your surroundings! Sometimes we get busy or in a hurry and just want to get to our destination as quickly as possible. My husband is sometimes this way, so I totally understand! Really, take a break and breathe in the cool, crisp air of the trees. This depends on when you go on this trail. We went in the fall to capture foliage of the season. In the summer, it will be very warm, but the shade of the trees will help to bring coolness on your hike.
How about a picnic right now? What would you pack for such delightful views as these? We did bring a lunch, full of sandwiches, celery sticks and something sweet to cap off the meal. For some reason, food seems to taste better when you are away from home and enjoying the great outdoors. This is a trail that is called an, "in and out" trail, that is, you go to the end of the trail and come back on the same trail. No loop for this one. That way, if you missed something, you can always come back to see it.
Do you like to go boulder hopping? As you cross the creek several times, there might be a good chance that you will do some boulder hopping. Nothing dangerous, but just be careful!
If you find yourself in Arizona, take a drive to this scenic area of Arizona. Find out more about this delightful part of Arizona here and really do serious exploring of this area. Whether it is camping or staying in a hotel, visiting this area will bring you peace and joy that nature has intended to do.
Share with us a hiking trail with an interesting name!