This hike was originally scheduled for Saturday 4/26, but a large storm was bearing down on Arizona with a high potential for rain, particularly in the higher country of central Arizona. So we rescheduled for Sunday. Unfortunately not everyone could make the change of plans, but we had five Trailblazers and one guest meet at 7:00 AM to make the trip.

We arrived at the trailhead which is just off I-17 at the SR 179 interchange before 8:30 and got underway by 8:45. What a great day for a hike! The sky was perfectly clear and the temperature in the mid 50s. We saw no evidence of rain from the day before, but I am sure it was very windy and much colder on Saturday. We were all happy with the shift in plans.

The hike leader had not hiked Bell Trail for probably 15 years. A lot has changed. The road from I-17 is paved, the signage is much better, the parking lot is greatly expanded and there are pit toilets. A Red Rock Pass is not required. I also noticed that there are several trails that depart to the north from Bell Trail that look like good future hike prospects.

We proceeded up the trail for 3.3 miles to the Bell Trail crossing of Wet Beaver Creek. The scenery is spectacular, with red rock outcroppings and cliffs, abundant vegetation along the trail and especially along the creek. It took less than 2 hours. After taking photos and looking around, we ate our lunches and then proceeded back up the trail to continue upstream a few hundred feet to the swimming hole which comes complete with “diving board” and rope ladder to get back out. No one was tempted to jump in or even wade in. Air temperature at the crossing was still in the mid 50s at 10:30 AM.

We scrambled around on the rocks, and took a lot of pictures of each other and the scenery. Then we headed back down the trail. We got back to the trailhead before 1:00 PM. The hike was 4 hours, 7 miles long and had a net elevation change of approximately 450 feet.

Half the hiking group decided they needed to get home early, so they departed. The other half, consisting of Chuck, Barbara and David, continued southeast on the forest road to the VBarV Heritage Site operated by the Forest Service. A Red Rock Pass is required at this site. We went to the Visitors’ Center and signed in, then proceeded down the path adjacent to Wet Beaver Creek to the petroglyph site where we had a nice talk with the volunteer host and learned more about the site and the Native Americans that occupied it over thousands of years. This site is well worth going to as an addition to another trip or a drive by.

The three of us continued south on the unpaved forest road to SR 260 east of Camp Verde. We encountered one stubborn cow in the road but were able to pass safely. We had lunch at Las Margaritas in Camp Verde and got back to the meeting area at 5:30 PM.