Comments on: Backpacking the Desert Oasis of Aravaipa Canyon https://thebigoutsideblog.com/backpacking-the-desert-oasis-of-aravaipa-canyon/ America’s Best Backpacking and Outdoor Adventures Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:33:22 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 By: Michael Lanza https://thebigoutsideblog.com/backpacking-the-desert-oasis-of-aravaipa-canyon/#comment-245715 Thu, 19 Oct 2023 16:00:38 +0000 https://thebigoutsideblog.com/?p=60529#comment-245715 In reply to John.

Thanks for your very kind words and sharing your own tales from Aravaipa, and again, for suggesting it to me, John.

]]> By: Michael Lanza https://thebigoutsideblog.com/backpacking-the-desert-oasis-of-aravaipa-canyon/#comment-245714 Thu, 19 Oct 2023 15:59:08 +0000 https://thebigoutsideblog.com/?p=60529#comment-245714 In reply to George.

Thanks, George. We all wore any kind of footwear that offered good traction and fit and protected our feet completely, including toes. I offer more details on that in the planning tips at the bottom of the story (which subscribers who are logged in can read).

]]> By: John https://thebigoutsideblog.com/backpacking-the-desert-oasis-of-aravaipa-canyon/#comment-245712 Thu, 19 Oct 2023 14:16:03 +0000 https://thebigoutsideblog.com/?p=60529#comment-245712 Michael, your story brought back many fond memories of our adventure in Aravaipa (and thank you for the acknowledgement). It really is a gem full of many surprises. One of the most memorable occurred early on our third day of exploring as we were cutting across a large bend in the river. I was leading and had bent over squeezing under a leaning tree when I suddenly realized the stick on the trail was in fact a rattlesnake. Fortunately it was a cool November morning and the snake was lethargic. We gently moved it off the trail with our hiking poles and carried on.

Another memory is when we met two grizzled veterans of the canyon who had been exploring the canyon and the myriad side canyons for 20 plus years and claimed they still had much more to see. As you noted the main canyon is only 12 miles long but the side canyons seem endless but mostly dry except for those rain events that can turn them into dangerous places. We spent a full day following one hoping to find a place to pop out of the canyon. While we were occasionally teased with success in our quest the next corner took us deeper once again.

Thank you for sharing another adventure with us! You do it better than anyone.

]]> By: George https://thebigoutsideblog.com/backpacking-the-desert-oasis-of-aravaipa-canyon/#comment-245705 Thu, 19 Oct 2023 00:38:03 +0000 https://thebigoutsideblog.com/?p=60529#comment-245705 Great story about a place that seems like fun. What did you wear on your feet when hiking in the creek so much?

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