Arizona Water Fall Hike Chasers ( Hiking Bob Bear Trail, Our Mini Havasupai Falls Adventure)

My friends and I were devastated when our planned hike to Havasupai Falls was canceled due to Covid 19. We had been training for this hike for months and we all felt like we had just wasted our time the last few months waking up at 4:30 a.m. to try to squeeze in a hike before the daily Arizona hot temperatures arrived. I hiked this trail nine years ago was eager for my friends to also see this magical waterfall.

Thankfully, my quick google search of “AZ Waterfall Hikes” led us to Bob Bear Trail in Strawberry, AZ. The hike appeared to have the waterfall features we were looking for and it was about half the distance of Havasupai Falls. We decided to do this hike in early November when parking permits are no longer required, and when the temperatures are cooler.

We left Scottsdale around 6:30 a.m. and arrived at the trail around 9:00 a.m. We were pleased to see bathroom facilities, ample parking spots , and were greeted with perfect 40 degree temperatures.

As we started our hike, we saw warning signs noting over 200 hikers have to be rescued each year on this trail and to ensure we were fit enough to hike a 6000 foot elevation at 100 degrees. The signs said this was an 8 mile round trip hike with an elevation gain of 1500 feet. Prior to our hike, we also read several reviews on All Trails with some calling the hike back up as “treacherous” and “demanding” so we all were a little nervous about our upcoming trek.

We are in our late 50’s and pride ourselves on being fit for our ages, but made a pact that if one of us could not do the hike, they would head back to the parking lot, drive into Strawberry, and pick up the other two at a later time.

As we descended down the trail, my two friends initially lagged behind me as they used hiking poles to navigate the somewhat icy and rocky path. The views down were breathtaking and very “Sedona like”. The leaves on the trees were bright red and yellow. The path quickly turned into smooth red clay and we were pleasantly surprised to see the slight incline path even out completely in several places.The trail is well marked and we knew from reading All Trail reviews, that at mile three of the hike, to take the hike to the dam instead of the spring.

We could hear the waterfall roaring over the dam when we were within a mile of the waterfall. It took us just over an hour and 30 minutes to reach the dam. We were content to just sit and relax and take in the beauty of the waterfall and decided not to swim in the stream below as there were about 12 young adults partying in that area and were being very noisy. I would suggest doing this hike during the week when there are fewer crowds. We did however enjoy mingling with several other first time Bob Bear Trail hikers who were all on the same adrenaline high we were on after arriving at this beautiful destination.

On the hike back, we encountered two steep climbs within a half a mile of the waterfall, but experienced a relatively gradual incline over the last three and half miles . We stopped a few times to catch our breath and were delighted we made it back to the parking lot with relative ease. It took us about an hour and 45 minutes to hike back

We enjoyed talking about our adventure and having a couple beers with fellow hikers we met in the parking lot. We also stopped at “That Brewery” in Payson on the way back to our hotel and enjoyed another draft IPA on their patio.

Despite the steady climb out, I would highly recommend this hike to anyone who is an active hiker but would not recommend it during the hot summer months . The hike back will be tough in temperatures over 80 degrees.

If you are not in good shape, I would not recommend hiking this trail. The waterfall at the end makes the hike worth it along with great conversation with newly made friends.

To get there from Payson, drive 18 miles north on US 87 to Strawberry and then turn left on Fossil Creek Road. You will need a parking permit if you go April through October. Of all the places I have hiked in Arizona ( including Havasupai Falls) Bob Bear Trail is high on my list. The waterfall at the end is worth making the gradual four mile hike back up the hill. It wasn’t Havasupai but the hike held us over until we are able to hike Havasupai again ( hopefully by late 2021)