I have some vacation time coming up, and I'll be in southern Arizona this March for a week or two. I'm looking for suggestions of places where I can do a 2 night backpacking trip. I would prefer somewhere without a lot of other people around, so NOT Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon. I also don't need established campsites with running water and bathrooms.

I do want somewhere with great scenery and sources of water.

Help me out Arfcom, where should I go? Any must-have gear suggestions or advice?

Where in southern AZ?

There are some random gem's all over the state.

The Grand Canyon is awesome this time of year. Contact the back country office. Go down Hermit's Rest trail. Make your way back to the Bright Angel trail and hike out.



Or just go into Mount Lemon and find a couple of trails.

If you were doing a 3 day trip, what trails on Mount Lemon would your route be? As far as I know, most of those are day hikes.


OPSEC bro If it's good, I'll drive to it. What's your suggestion?

AZ is vast, so with a reference point or an idea such as a county, kind of hard to help you out with that OPSEC paranoia.

Do you need the dates of my trip too, so you can tell me what wildflowers will be in bloom?

I don't remember any trail names. I would just string 2 or three trails together. I used to live at the entrance to Sabino Canyon so I could just walk out my front door and head to the top, or have somebody drop me off at the top and find the long way down.

The real determiner of the trails you take would be water availability.

Good luck then...you won't get much help either being difficult.

Nice reply to someone who is trying to help you out.
I'll refrain from posting any suggestions.

Quite simply, it's irrelevant. I have a car.
Someone suggested the Hermit trail, which is 4-6 hours away from Southern AZ. Looks pretty nice, remote, water access. Have to look into that one a little more.

Doing a section of the Arizona trail looks like a possibility. There are maps broken down into campground-to-campground sections, so I don't have to guess how far I can go in a day.

Fossil creek should be pretty vacant this time of year, though its not southern.

That looks amazing, but no camping is allowed on the Waterfall Trail.
This what you're talking about?

BTW, this trip is going to be in March.

I'll save my suggestions for people that are appreciative.

Only problem with the Grand Canyon is getting permits.  If that is what you want.. apply ASAP.  http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/backcountry-permit.htm  Also keep in mind that the North rim is closed sometime through May due to snow if one of those hikes tickle your fancy.  

March is an interesting time to hike here because March/April there is usually one last winter storm blast in the higher elevations and depending on snowpack, limits access.  This pushes you down lower changing things.  It is a crap shoot sometimes.

Top of the Mogollon rim is out until April sometimes due to snowpack and closed roads.

Also, a lot of hikes here are short, and the longer ones are just strung together shorter trails, some not very well maintained, so be wary.

This one is along the below Mogollon rim, there will most likely be snow along the trail in march, but it is at ~5500ft so dont know how much unless a late storm hits.
Need to drop a car at one end for this one.  Dont even have to do the whole thing, lots of exits, lots of creeks, and springs, lots of trees.
http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=757

Nice loop in the Superstitions.
http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=724

Sheep Bridge
http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=15975

Still looking for more, but there are a few.

Fort Huachuca. Go to the Sportsmans Center, they can give you maps ,etc.
IM me, I can hook you up.

You can camp as long as you are 1/4 mile from the creek north of the bridge, and south of the bridge you can camp on the creek. If youre going in March, and the weather is warm, you can expect a fair amount of yahoos. The lakes up on the rim are pretty too and deserted of pretty much everyone but fishermen.