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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...

BOULDERS LOOP Payson Stewart Creek trickles along Boulders Loop Sometimes, a trail�s name and its reputation dovetail like a fine hewn joint. The Boulders Loop Trail in Payson is such an excellent example of this that it has earned a local moniker: �Boulderpalooza�.   And that�s not the only home-grown terminology inspired by this twisted little trail that whirls through creek-scoured back country a few miles southeast of town. Resident trail maven, photographer and hike-stick-maker Randy Cockrell, who leads treks for the Payson Packers hike group, shared some insight into the informal names locals have bestowed upon landmarks along the route. Hikers navigate "Boulderpalooza". But first, let us discuss why this entertaining Payson Area Trails System (P.A.T.S.) route might also be dubbed, �Boulder Confusion�. Finding the trailhead is the first of several challenges. To get to the loop from the Monument Peak trailhead, hike 0.5 mile down FR 435 to where the gorge of Stewart Cre...

HOUSTON LOOP Payson Area Trails System View of the Mogollon Rim from Houston Loop For a short, moderate-rated trail, this one really packs a punch. It's wide, well-signed and within shouting distance of suburbia, but what's not advertised about Payson's Houston Loop is its unrelenting ups-and-downs that can catch the first-timer off guard. The quad burning workout pays off with high point vistas of the Mogollon Rim hovering above the metal rooftops of woodland retreats. Where the trail dips into the canyons around Houston Creek, Ponderosa pine trees throw shade over moist drainages imprinted with elk tracks. Elk rarely venture more than a quarter mile from water sources, so keep an eye out for them where the trail hops over rivulets and puddles. The trail's bonus attraction is a Cold War Era curiosity known as a seismic bunker. The metal structure built into a hillside has been abandoned for years and is now under siege by local graffiti rebel forces. It's a dank,...