Hiking flower-filled Pumphouse Wash
Pumphouse Wash is a tributary gorge of Oak Creek Canyon that runs between Sedona and Flagstaff, roughly paralleling State Route 89A.
Its rugged lower channels, which can be accessed from SR 89A just south of the switchbacks 12 miles north of Sedona, are popular destinations for backcountry hiking and technical canyoneering.
From the looks of this tangled corridor’s boulder-choked base, vertical walls, slots and pools of dubious depths, it’s difficult to imagine that its headwaters are 600 feet uphill in unassuming meadows around the tiny community of Kachina Village.
An easy-to-reach hike
This mountain hamlet, 9 miles south of Flagstaff off Interstate 17, is an idyllic residential area of log cabins, A-frame summer homes and a hub of nature
trails in the Pumphouse Wash County Natural Area.
Less than a mile from the freeway, Raymond Park and Pumphouse Nature Trail offer short, effortless walks with observation decks overlooking acres of wet meadows that help with natural flood control and groundwater recharge while providing rich wildlife habitat.
Just steps off the pavement, these two easy-access sites provide excellent opportunities to view elk, foxes, waterfowl and deer.
For a longer hike, farther away from the asphalt and parking lots, the Pumphouse Wash Trail dives deeper into the woods, following damp swales that drain into Oak Creek and the Verde River.
This venture into the softer side of the wash doesn’t challenge hikers with harsh terrain navigation, rock scrambling or water obstacles. Instead, the smooth trail that traces vivid strips of sensitive wetlands is all about low-impact travel.
A delicate ecological area
The last thing delicate riparian plants and aquatic species need is human boots and loose dogs trampling their precious environments. The Coconino County Parks and Recreation Department, which oversees the site, advises visitors to “hike on the brown, stay out of the green.”
Sticking to designated trails is always a good idea, but staying out of the weeds is especially important to help protect the health of rare watershed areas like this one.
From the roomy trailhead, the route departs in two directions. The 0.3-mile north segment follows a closed road above a scenic marsh area, but it’s the 1.4mile south leg that leads to the best parts.
Just beyond the rustic fence entry, a sunny field flanked with limestone cliffs glows with summer wildflowers.
Showy sunflowers, blue flax and fleabane bloom among tall grasses and fruit-laden wild rose and currant shrubs.
The end of the trail
The trail stays on the pine-shaded high banks of wide greenway as it twists past scoured embankments and spongy cienegas with water-loving patches of New Mexican checker-mallow, shrubby cinquefoil and moth mullein. At about the 1-mile point, the corridor begins to narrow and thickets of willows and oaks gradually close in on the path.
The route ends where the meadows morph into a jumbled, overgrown watercourse where Woody Wash comes in from the northwest. Underbrush, log jams and thorny brambles preclude further exploration.
If you need further incentive to hike on the brown and return the way you came; most of the green stuff ahead is poison ivy.
Hiking Pumphouse Wash natural area
Length: 3.4 miles round trip. Rating: Easy.
Elevation: 6,670-6,600 feet.
Getting there: From Interstate 17 just south of Flagstaff, take Exit 333 for Kachina Village. At the bottom of the off ramp, turn left onto Kachina Boulevard and go 0.1 mile to Kachina Trail. Turn right, go 0.3 mile, turn left onto Ancient Trail and continue 0.9 mile to the trailhead on the left, across from Oraibi Ovi. Dogs must be on leash.
Details: www.coconino.az.gov/277/ Parks-Natural-Areas. See more of Mare Czinar’s hikes at arizonahiking.blogspot.com.