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This trek has been moved to Astertiki, where it can and may have been updated.

The final 3.3 miles of road are pretty rough but can be easily made in all vehicles.  Other authors have reported the road may be nearly impassible after rains, but I drove out without any trouble as a small snow/rain front hit the area.  My only problem was a dead battery - fortunately a good Samaritan was willing to leave the relative dryness of his tent to give me a jump-start. Thanks!

It is hard to believe that I am just now getting this hike posted, 10+ months and over 2000 pictures after making the trek up West Clear Creek.  The trip was made near the end of April, 2001, at the end of a wet spring - the wild flowers were gorgeous and that is probably why I didn't post the trek sooner.  Last year it was my goal to identify each flower posted to the site which turned out to be a lot of work and seriously held up progress - now I post the pictures and identify what I can - comments from botanists and knowledgeable folks are always welcome.

West Clear Creek is reported as the longest drainage system on the Mogollon Rim making this trek of about 4.5 miles just a short introduction to the canyon.  The trail leaves from the Bull Pen camping area on the left side (North) of the creek which it will cross 4 times.  My turn around point was just past the fourth crossing.  The trail begins along an old road through the Bull Pen Ranch and a short distance down the trail, just prior to entering the West Clear Creek wilderness area, you will find an old stone cabin located north of the trail.  The old building with its earthen roof supporting a growth of cactus makes for an interesting photo-op. It will be necessary to ford the creek four times along this route - plan on getting your feet wet in the fast running stream and depending upon the time of year, the creek maybe impossible or dangerous to ford!  The first creek crossing will be encountered after about 1 1/4 miles from the trailhead with the fourth crossing about 4.5 miles from the start. Along the way, you may encounter trekkers who have started from Forest Road 214A and are making a one-way trek down from the top of the Mogollon Rim, an 1800 ft drop in two miles before reaching the creek.

The trail leaves the creek to traverse the bench a few hundred yards above the creek in a couple times along the way.  In these segments the trail leads through the desert terrain providing a hiker the opportunity to observe two distinctively different eco-systems.  In addition, these benches give you an opportunity to observe the rugged beauty of the canyon formations.  In late April, the riparian foliage was starting to leave out while many of the desert flowers where still in full bloom, making for one of the year's more memorable tours.

There was evidence of camping activity along the creek throughout the length of the trek.  Water is available from the creek year round - it should be treated.  During the monsoon months beware of flash flooding and as always, keep an eye out for rattle snakes and poison ivy. 

Enjoy,

Trekker