The Apache Maid Trail skirts the rim of Wet Beaver Creek Canyon, one of the scenic red rock gorges that cut the southern rim of the Colorado Plateau. The trail starts at the mouth of the canyon and continues up this picturesque drainage, offering glimpses of the clear, cool stream, until it branches off from the Bell Trail to climb the canyon's north wall. Once atop the basalt flows that form a caprock in this area, the Apache Maid Trail winds along primitive jeep tracks across the grassy, juniper flats. From the trail, the canyon appears off to your right as an eroded rift in the ancient lava flow.
Some choose to hike just a part of this trail, enjoying overlooks of the canyon and a panorama that includes Casner Butte and the San Francisco Peaks. Others arrange a car-shuttle and continue all the way to trail's end near the lookout tower on Apache Maid Mountain.
Hiking Time: 7 hours
USGS Map(s): Casner Butte
Notes: No motor vehicles, no mechanized vehicles in the Wilderness.
For more information contact:
Red Rock Ranger District, P.O. Box 20429, Sedona AZ 86341, (928) 203-2900
At a Glance
Open Season:
Year 'round
Usage:
Light
Best Season:
April to November
General Information
Latitude:
Longitude:
Area/Length:
General Notes:
Directions:
Location: 43 miles south of Flagstaff on paved and all-weather graveled roads.
Drive 40 miles south from Flagstaff on Interstate 17. Leave the interstate at the AZ 179 interchange. Turn east under the highway and drive 2 miles east to the Old Beaver Creek Ranger Station turnoff. Instead of turning in to the station, keep going straight (north) about a hundred feet to the Bell Trailhead and parking lot. Hike the Bell Trail for about 3 miles to the Apache Maid Trail.
