Album Home Guide to Parson Spring Topo Story
| Distance: | 3.7 miles to Parsons Spring |
| Difficulty: | Easy to Moderate - steep incline back up to parking area |
| Hike Time: | About 4 hours or more if you linger, and you should. |
| Elevation: | 3570 ft to 3770 ft |
| Season: | Year around |
| USGS Maps: | Sycamore Basin, Clarkdale, |
| Directions: From: I-17 |
Take I-17 to exit 287, follow highway 260 North to Cottonwood. Take highway 89A north toward the Tuzigoot National Monument turn off. Take the right turn toward the monument for about 1/2 mi. and take the first left beyond the bridge. The dirt road becomes Forest Road 131. Follow FR 131 for 10.4 miles to the trail head. See the access map. |
No camping is allowed in the first 4 mi. from the trail head (below Parson Springs).
Even though this trail is rather remote and accessed by over 10 miles of dirt road, it is popular and busy, although not crowded. This hike begins with a 200 foot drop in less than the first 0.2 mi. from the parking area down to the streambed. The return climb is moderately difficult and is the most difficult portion of the trip. Interestingly, the elevation at Parson Spring is nearly the same as the elevation of the parking area. The overall change in elevation is very mild but the trail has it's ups and downs with some areas of rough going. The trail occasionally is hard to follow and some rock hopping may be required. There are 6 crossings in total, with the last crossing being right at the pool formed by Parsons Spring. The crossings are marked with cairns and could be made in early May by rock hopping without getting one's feet wet. Overall it is a very gentle hike.
After reaching the level of the stream bed, the trail parallels the stream bed while passing through a densely wood habitat. Cottonwoods, Sycamores, etc. However, there are pools formed along the route of the stream and paths lead from the main trail down to them. These pools provide an environment for a rich variety of wildlife.
Summers Spring is found approximately 1.2 mile from the start. The trail past the first crossing is less shaded than might be expected, bring adequate water. I would not trust the cold, clear water from Summers Spring and the water from Parsons Spring appears to be heavily mineralized. Immediately after the second crossing there is a pool, frequented by swimmers, it is located after about 1.6 mi. from the trailhead.
The source of the flow at Parson Spring starts out in a still pool. There was no water flowing in the channel above the spring. I pushed on a little way past the spring and found the going very rough. The trail was hard to pick up. It is reported that there are adequate camp sites beyond the spring.