Fossil Creek Falls (Coconino)

Fossil Creek Falls is a beautiful waterfall on its namesake in Gila and Yavapai Counties.  The waterfall is located in the Fossil Creek Area in Coconino and Tonto National Forest.  A permit is required to visit in the summer.

Hike Length: 2.0 miles
Estimated Time: 1 to 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Location: Fossil Creek 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.  The water is deep and cold.
Trailhead GPS: 34.40499,-111.61405
Waterfall GPS: 34.41468,-111.60547

Directions:

From Payson, head north on AZ-260 W for about 24 miles and turn left to stay on AZ-260 past Strawberry. Drive another 24 miles and turn left on FR-708. Go about 14 miles on this rough gravel road to Fossil Creek and turn left to stay on FR-708, following the creek upstream. Go about 2 miles to the last parking before the road closure, which is the Waterfall Trailhead. The Forest Service recommends a high clearance vehicle for the roads. It doesn't really get too bad until you get to the creek.

Map:

Hike Description:

From the parking area, hike up the closed road a short ways to the Waterfall Trail on the left. The trail leads about a mile along Fossil Creek to the waterfall.

There are a number of scenic drops and cascades along the creek before the waterfall.

The big pool at the base makes a great swimhole, but the water is very cold.

Blog Entries:

18-Apr-2019: Fossil Creek Falls

External Links:

US Forest Service website for Fossil Creek: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=75356

Permits from Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/251863