Hiking Near Yuma

Deborah · Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Posts: 297 Location: Tucson

Planning a trip for Rodeo Break. We are heading toward Yuma to visit some Rv'ing Canadians. I was looking for some nice hikes. Table Top Wilderness comes to mind, as well as some short hikes listed near the Colorado River.
Anyone have any suggestions?
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Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. - Rachel Carson

azbackpackr · Posted: 2/21/2010, 4:11 pm Post subject:

Table Top is a LOOOONG way from Yuma. Not even close. Check out HAZ. I have posted a lot of hikes on there because I spent 4 months of last winter and spring of 07 there. I recommend Yuma River Tours jetboat ride in the Imperial national wildlife refuge.

Two hiking guidebooks, by Tom Nunn, privately published, for a few bucks apiece, available sometimes at Yuma visitors center downtown.

Indispensible is the Scott Warren book, Exploring Arizona's Wild Areas. You can probably pick it up at Summit Hut.

Are your friends in Foothills or in Yuma? Most RVers are in Foothills. We lived in Foothills as well, and I belong to the bicycle club there.

North Fortuna Wash is nice if you can find it. Telegraph hill is popular, great views. It is at the east end of North Frontage Rd, east of Foothills Blvd.

Don't forget to go down to the river, because that is what Yuma is all about. The river is the heart and soul of that area, and the reason the town is there to begin with.

Betty's kitchen is an easy stroll, find directions on HAZ. Then you can stroll all around the area near there as well, then go on up to Mittry Lake. You didn't mention having a canoe or kayak, because that is the best thing to do in Yuma. Also, road biking can be fun there.

Look for my writeup about backpacking in the muggins mtns. wilderness.
http://www.arizonahikers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8048&highlight=muggins

Martinez Lake to the north is near the Little Painted Desert Trail. If you go to Martinez, do not miss going up on the bluff to see the river. That part of the river is above the dams and it is huge.

Near Martinez Lake you can enter the south side of the Kofa. You must go to the Kofa! It is one of the premier desert wilderness areas in the entire state. It is huge and rugged, but you can drive in on gravel roads. Horse tanks is a nice area. The Kofa National Wildlife Refuge office is in the Foothills area of Yuma, so you can go there and get brochures and maps. 9300 E 28th St.
http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/kofa/

SEE MY POST BELOW FOR HIKING URLS AND DIRECTIONS

Here's a photo of me kayaking past the Territorial Prison

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azbackpackr · Posted: 2/21/2010, 4:24 pm Post subject:

Muggins Mountains Wilderness
http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/wildareas/muggins.html

Painted Desert Trail near Martinez lake
http://www.americantrails.org/nationalrecreationtrails/trailNRT/PaintedDesert-AZ.html

Betty's Kitchen (very short but it is by the water)
http://www.americantrails.org/nationalrecreationtrails/blm/bettyskitchen-az.html

IMAGINE THAT: I did an actual hike write up for North Fortuna Wash:
http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=1918

Another for Betty's kitchen
http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=368

Telegraph Pass
http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=2009

Palm Canyon in the Kofa
http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=84

azbackpackr · Posted: 2/21/2010, 5:12 pm Post subject:

PS, my husband told me the other day he doesn't really want to spend another winter in Yuma because he never finds anyone there he has anything in common with. I love it there, and feel sad that he doesn't want to go back, but what he says is generally true. The snowbirds are mostly from the Upper Midwest, and they like to go to the casino, play bridge and bingo, and eat horrific greasy foods. I did meet a few people there, though, that I had something in common with. Bike club people, hikers, kayakers, etc.

Do you like Colin Fletcher? He walked through that area, and camped near Palo Verde California, on his 1,000 Mile Summer walk in the late 50s. We looked for echos of Colin near one of his campsites:

Deborah · Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Posts: 297 Location: Tucson

Thanks for all the great information!
_________________
Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. - Rachel Carson

azbackpackr · Posted: 2/21/2010, 6:08 pm Post subject:

Oh, I had fun finding it all for you! Beats writing a research paper! I just found one of my own articles online from the White Mtn. Outdoors Magazine:

http://www.wmicentral.com/site/dav.cfm?brd=2264&pag=1027&fd1=18,1027&ssid=16572&ssp=16

Deborah · Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Posts: 297 Location: Tucson

Nice article! Thanks for all your help planning this little trip! I will let you know what we get to do.
Last time we did the Prison and camped in the Kofa at Palm Canyon which was "COLD"! One of the coldest nights of my life outside. This time we decided just to stay in the RV and do some dayhikes.
_________________
Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. - Rachel Carson

azbackpackr · Posted: 2/23/2010, 1:33 pm Post subject:

Nights can be awfully cold in the low desert. The dry air holds no heat. And several times over the last couple of winters there have been freezing temperatures at night, killing citrus trees, burning the lettuce crop, etc.

I'll be excited to see your trip report!

Deborah · Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Posts: 297 Location: Tucson

Plans come to naught, I was looking forward to a trip outside of Tucson, but my husband's friends are coming here after a trip to PhX...
Thankful that Tucson has so many adventures locally!

I will save the info for another time.
_________________
Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. - Rachel Carson