big man tips

COLONEL DEVIN TRAIL #290 View from near the top of Col. Devin Trail. For casual travelers, the East Verde River is synonymous with water play destinations along Houston Mesa Road north of Payson. The Water Wheel, First, Second and Third Crossing recreation sites offer walk-up access to the canyon-bound water course. The trail ascends through the E. Verde River watershed. A tributary of the mighty Verde River, the slim waterway begins as trickling springs that emanate from rugged escarpments below the Mogollon Rim. Boxelder trees thrive along the E. Verde River. Bigtooth maple leafs float in the E. Verde River The river�s enchanting watershed area can be explored by way of the Colonel Devin Trail #290 that follows its course from Washington Park to the springs that feed it. Named for Colonel Thomas C. Devin who used the route for military endeavors in the 1880s, the dirt trail that alternates between a rutted two track and slender path also makes up the last two miles of Highline Passag...

Three Ways to Explore Payson's American Gulch End of American Gulch South Trail American Gulch is a tributary gorge of the East Verde River that encompasses an area of juniper-studded hills and riparian corridors on the west side of Payson. Replete with natural springs, stock tanks and a maze of dirt roads, the rugged terrain offers a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities. Juniper-shaded South Trail Three disjointed but thematically cohesive trails---all named American Gulch--- explore this strip of high desert and chaparral. The American Gulch North, South and Loop Trails anchor the western edge of the 20-plus-mile Payson Area Trails System ( PATS) network of interconnected city and forest service paths.  Together, the name-sharing threesome are like a flyover of the area's natural history and the town's efforts to restore and protect its sensitive fringe habitats.  North Trail follows Forest Road 508 All three can be easily hiked in an afternoon and a good way to ta...