Amazing, Spectacular Arizona Trail, Day 64: Tonto NF Boundary-Martinez Canyon

AZT Passage 16: Gila River Canyons
Arizona Trail Day 64, Part 2
Trans-Arizona/Utah Day 72, Part 2

Welcome back to Aspen’s Tracks, thruhiking the Arizona Trail southbound from Utah to Mexico. Today’s route covers backpacking the stretch of Passage 16, the Gila River Canyons, between the northern passage boundary at the Tonto National Forest’s southern edge to beginning of the descent toward the Gila River. You can find today’s hiking logistics below the photo documentation and trail journal of the route.

If you missed my last entry covering the leg through the last segment of the Alamo Canyon passage, that can be found here. The next entry will cover the descent to the Gila River and the week will conclude chronicling the continued journey along the Gila toward the crossing at the Kelvin-Riverside Bridge. If you enjoy these accounts, please do subscribe to follow along to make sure that you don’t miss out on here or any future accounts to come!

(Note: the photos herein are smaller and at 50% quality, however, full quality ones are available to those interested, please contact me separately if so. This change was made to speed page loading but if you would prefer the full quality images please leave a comment to let me know).

In the land of Arizona
Through desert heat or snow
Winds a trail for folks to follow
From Utah to Old Mexico

It’s the Arizona Trail
A pathway through the great Southwest
A diverse track through wood and stone
Your spirit it will test

Some will push and pedal
And some will hike or run
Others will ride their horse or mule
What else could be more fun?

Oh, sure you’ll sweat and blister
You’ll feel the miles each day
You’ll shiver at the loneliness
Your feet and seat will pay

But you’ll see moonlight on the borderlands
You’ll see stars on the Mogollon
You’ll feel the warmth of winter sun
And be thrilled straight through to bone

The aches and pains will fade away
You’ll feel renewed and whole
You’ll never be the same again
With Arizona in your soul

Along the Arizona Trail
A reverence and peace you’ll know
Through deserts, canyons, and mountains
From Utah to Old Mexico

“The Arizona Trail,” Dale R Shewalter

Arizona Trail: Tonto National Forest Boundary-Martinez Canyon Overlook

Having filled up on water, around 2-3 L, I head south through the Gila River Canyons. The trail hugs the cliff high above the canyon floors, winding in and out of side drainages and crossing ridgelines between canyons. As I hoped, the side drainages do indeed have trickling streams from the recent rain, so I’m feeling more confident about the water situation as the miles roll by.

At the southernmost point of the traverse along the canyons, a view into rugged Martinez Canyon appears before crossing a rugged pass. Colorful, rugged rocks seem to jut up from the entire landscape, the power of wind and water erosion on full display.

Arizona Trail: Passage 16 Logistics

	Passage 16 (Gila River Canyons)
AZTA Page and Map	Passage 16 (Gila River Canyons) Passage 16 Map Passage 16 Elevation Profile
Weather	Passage 16 Weather
Trail Surface	Dirt Singletrack
Length (Mi)	25.7
Season	September-May
Potential Water Sources	Gila River is unreliable and must be prefiltered and/or settled when flowing. Walnut Canyon may have water. Full sources & Current Status: Arizona Trail Water Sources
Trailheads	North: Tonto National Forest boundary South: Kelvin-Riverside Bridge
Trailhead Access	North: No vehicular access South: Vehicular access via paved road
Wilderness	No
Possible resupply points	Superior (north end) Kearny (south end, requires roadwalk or hitch)
ATA-Rated Difficulty	Difficult
Potential campsites	Terrain is pretty dry and rugged, but there are numerous campsites along the section paralleling the Gila River.
Ecosystems Traversed	Arizona Upland, mostly Riparian along the Gila River
Highlights	Rugged canyon scenery Gila River Walnut Canyon Wildlife
Dog friendly?	Yes
Bike friendly?	Yes
Hazards	One of driest passage on trail. Gila River is unreliable and must be prefiltered and/or settled when flowing. Walnut Canyon may have water. Extreme Heat in summer Flash flooding during monsoon (July-September)

Arizona Trail: Passage 16 Ecology

	Arizona Upland	Riparian
Common Trees/Shrubs	* Fairy duster * Blue and littleleaf palo verde * Fremont wolfberry * Graythorn * Ocotillo * Red barberry * Scrub-live oak * Snapdragon-penstemon * Turpentine bush * Velvet mesquite * Whitethron acacia	* Fremont Cottonwood * Tamarisk/salt cedar (invasive) * Goodding’s willow
Common herbaceous plants	* California flannelbush [rare in Arizona, Superstition Mountains included] * Bluedicks * Brittlebush * California poppies * Creamcups * Desert chicory * Desert rockpea * Desert windflower * Fringed red maids * Globemallows * Lupines * Sego-lily
Common succulents	* Arizona pencil cholla * Banana yucca * Soaptree yucca * Buckhorn cholla * Cane cholla * Chainfruit * Hedgehog cactus * Pencil cholla * Pincushion cactus * Prickly pears * Saguaro * Teddybear cholla