Ellison Creek Cascades (Houston Mesa)

Ellison Creek Cascades is a cascading waterfall on Ellison Creek, a tributary of East Verde River, in Gila County.  The waterfall is located in the Houston Mesa Recreation Area in Tonto National Forest.

Hike Length: 1.6 miles
Estimated Time: 1 to 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Location: Houston Mesa Recreation Area (Payson Ranger District of Tonto National Forest)
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: High
Warnings: The rocks around waterfalls are slippery.  There are multiple creek crossings to reach the waterfall.  This area is prone to deadly flash floods, stay away during flood warnings.
Trailhead GPS: 34.35013,-111.28542
Waterfall GPS: 34.35013,-111.27721

Directions:

From Payson, head north on AZ-87N/AZ-260W for about 2.5 miles and turn right on Houston Mesa Road/Forest Road 199. Drive 7.5 miles and the Water Wheel Recreation Area is on the right. There is a day-use fee to park from April through October, but it's free in the winter.

Map:

Hike Description:

There's no official trail, but an obvious path follows East Verde River upstream. You'll pass the water wheel and then turn right to follow the river.

There are some great swim holes along the way and you pass through a rocky gorge.

In about a half-mile, reach the confluence with Ellison Creek, which flows in from river left.

Cross here and follow Ellison Creek upstream.  You'll have to cross several times.  It's less than a half-mile to the waterfall, which has a great swimhole at the base.

Blog Entries:

18-Apr-2019: Fossil Creek Falls