Mount Baldy Trail
Greer, AZ
The Mount Baldy Trail climbs through old-growth spruce-fir forest and alpine meadows toward the 11,420-foot summit of Mount Baldy, the second-highest peak in Arizona. The trail follows the West Fork of the Little Colorado River through wildflower-filled meadows in summer. The summit itself is on the Fort Apache Reservation and is closed to non-tribal members, but views from just below the peak are expansive.
Photography Guide
- Best Time
- morning
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Shot Types
- widelandscapedetail
- Best Seasons
- summerfall
Author's Comments
Most people do not associate Arizona with spruce-fir forest, and that is part of why I keep returning to Baldy. The trail starts high, above 9,000 feet, and the air has a different quality up there - thinner, cooler, scented with conifer in a way that feels borrowed from Colorado or further north. In late July the meadows along the West Fork are full of wildflowers, and the Little Colorado is small enough up here to step across in places. It does not look like the river it becomes downstream. The hike is long. Fifteen miles round trip if you go to the boundary, and you must turn back there - the summit belongs to the White Mountain Apache and is not yours to stand on. I have made peace with that. The view from just below is enormous, and the knowing where you are not allowed to go gives the place a quiet I appreciate. Morning is when this trail asks to be walked. The light comes sideways through the spruce in the first few miles and the meadows hold mist longer than you would expect at this elevation. By afternoon the monsoon clouds build fast in summer, and being above treeline on an exposed ridge when that happens is not where you want to be. Start early. Watch the sky. Come down before the storms. Fall arrives early up here. By late September the aspens lower on the mountain are turning, and the meadows have gone to seed and gold. The trail is quieter then. I prefer it that way.
Gallery
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Greer, AZ
Sunrise Park Resort Overlook
Sunrise Park Resort sits at over 9,200 feet elevation on the slopes of Mount Baldy in the White Mountains Apache Reservation. The area offers sweeping views of three ski peaks and surrounding ponderosa and spruce forests. In summer, the ski lifts operate for scenic rides providing elevated vantage points.
Greer, AZ
South Fork Trail
South Fork Trail follows the South Fork of the Little Colorado River through a narrow canyon lined with old-growth Douglas fir and Engelmann spruce. The trail crosses the river multiple times over a 4-mile stretch, passing through dappled forest light and moss-covered boulders. It is considered one of the most scenic streamside hikes in the White Mountains.
Greer, AZ
Lee Valley Lake
Lee Valley Lake is a small 9-acre impoundment at 7,500 feet elevation along the West Fork of the Little Colorado River north of Greer. The lake is stocked with trout and surrounded by aspen groves and mixed conifer forest. In autumn, the aspens turn vivid gold and are reflected in the lake's still waters.