'The Crack' at Wet Beaver Creek
Yavapai County, Arizona
Details
Distance
7.61 miles
Elevation Gain
787 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Description
Added by The Outbound Collective
This 7-mile out-and-back hike will reward you with a rad swimming hole to cool off and perfect your cannonball.
'The Crack' is a cliff jumper's dream, but it also offers something for everyone, with smooth rocks for sunbathing and shallow waters for wading. To get to The Crack, it's about a 3.5-mile hike each way, making it slightly less popular than Sedona's more accessible swimming holes. While you only gain about 500 feet of elevation, the hot desert sun is what makes this hike tough - but the swimming hole makes it totally worth it.
You'll park at either the Bruce Brockett Trailhead or the Bell Trailhead in a well-marked parking lot (just follow the signs for Beaver Creek Work Center). There are pit toilets at the trailhead and no fee or permit required to park there. On nice days during fall and spring, the parking lot can fill up, in which case you can park in the overflow parking areas (you'll see signs before arriving at the trailhead).
From the parking lot, follow the signs for Bell Trail. There will be two times where you'll come to a fork in the trail - once at Weir Trail and once to pass the creek - stay to the left both times. Not long after you pass the second fork, you'll arrive at the swimming hole. All that's left to do is choose a spot and jump in! And then hike back, of course...
Sidenote: No cell service is available on the trail or at the swimming hole.
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'The Crack' at Wet Beaver Creek Reviews
Long hike, the way there is definitely tougher as it’s mostly going up the entire time. When you start climbing the mountain there are some spots of the trail that are breaking apart so just be careful. The scenery is absolutely insane, it is definitely worth the hike if you’re going early. My Shiba Inu got through it like nothing except wherever there was water involved lol. Way back is super easy as you’re mostly heading downwards but BEWARE of rattle snakes and tarantulas .. we made it back to the car in one hour and 23 minutes (yes we checked) my dog was almost bit by a damn rattle snake so as any dog mom would, I carried her the last 50 minutes back. Safe to say we had a huge work out and I can’t feel my arms today lol. Just be careful and leave way before the sun starts to go down so you don’t have encounters with dangerous wildlife like we did. Always keep in mind we are the visitors in their home and stay prepared.
5.0
Went about August 2020 , there was a bunch of asu people but it’s was nice and water was nice and cold after the hike there it was a amazing jump in.
4.0
There’s no shade so we brought an umbrella. TAKE PLENTY OF WATER. Packed a lunch and enjoyed the water. Would highly recommend. Go early.
5.0
We got stuck in a flash flood on top of the mountain. Other then that it was so worth it!!
5.0
The first 2.2 miles are easy almost flat on a Jeep path. the last 1.5 miles is single-track some of it on steep slopes... the last part is especially beautiful. It is a great place for swimming and cliff jumping. our teenagers LOVED IT
5.0
Leave No Trace
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