Aravaipa Canyon itinerary
Every published mile marker on the Aravaipa Canyon route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one — and which permit each stretch needs. To watch dates and set alerts, go to the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The Aravaipa Canyon. One reservation is a trailhead or zone plus an entry date; you roam after that, issued by reservation.
- Stops mapped
- 13
- Across the markers
- 12.3 mi
- Published route length
- 12.25 mi
- Published ascent
- 430 ft
How long it takes: 1-3 days. That is the figure the permit publishes — this page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
These two figures disagree. Adding up the climbs between the markers gives 469 ft, which is more than the 430 ft published for the whole route — and the marker sum can only ever be a floor. Both are printed as the catalogue records them rather than one being quietly dropped.
The Aravaipa Canyon route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
2,630 ft
Aravaipa Trail West (west trailhead)
0.3 miles · 39 ft down to Whitewash Canyon
Mile 0.3
2,591 ft
Whitewash Canyon
0.4 miles · 17 ft up to Buzan Canyon
Mile 0.7
2,608 ft
Buzan Canyon
1.3 miles · 46 ft up to Hells Half Acre Canyon
Mile 1.9
2,654 ft
Hells Half Acre Canyon
0.3 miles · 16 ft up to Cave Canyon
Mile 2.3
2,670 ft
Cave Canyon
1.1 miles · 57 ft up to Javalina Canyon
Mile 3.4
2,727 ft
Javalina Canyon
1.0 miles · 78 ft up to Virgus Canyon
Mile 4.5
2,805 ft
Virgus Canyon
0.4 miles · 9 ft up to Horse Camp Canyon
Mile 4.8
2,814 ft
Horse Camp Canyon
1.5 miles · 65 ft up to Booger Canyon
Mile 6.3
2,879 ft
Booger Canyon
0.7 miles · 33 ft up to Paisano Canyon
Mile 7.0
2,912 ft
Paisano Canyon
1.3 miles · 61 ft up to Deer Creek
Mile 8.3
2,973 ft
Deer Creek
0.5 miles · 21 ft up to Parsons Canyon
Mile 8.8
2,994 ft
Parsons Canyon
3.4 miles · 66 ft up to Aravaipa Trail East (east trailhead)
Mile 12.3
3,060 ft
Aravaipa Trail East (east trailhead)
Getting a Aravaipa Canyon for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. Aravaipa Canyon dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations — they return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag watches Aravaipa Canyon around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.