The only thing better than a waterfall hike in Arizona is a Copper State hike that requires little effort. Box Canyon Trail is less than a mile long and leads to the most breathtaking waterfall swimming hole in Arizona you’ll ever see. Get ready to make a splash! This box canyon waterfall in Arizona is one of the most splendid sights the desert holds. See for yourself:
At just 0.8 miles long, Box Canyon Trail just might be one of the shortest and sweetest hikes in Arizona.
AllTrails/Shannon Bernard You’ll find it near mile marker 271, about 18 minutes outside of Payson.
It’s a moderately difficult trail suitable for most ages and skill levels.
AllTrails/Sam Wise Some parts do require a bit of rock scrambling, so make sure to wear close-toed shoes with a good grip.
Despite an elevation gain of just 150 feet, the hike boasts some of the most incredible panoramic vistas you’ve ever seen.
AllTrails/Shannon Bernard The entire Tonto National Forest is laid out before your eyes, making for a truly picture-perfect scene.
Most people embark on Box Canyon Trail for one reason and one alone: the epic waterfall swimming hole.
AllTrails/Niki Williams It’s a great way to cool off on a hot summer day, and the whole family will have a blast.
The waterfall isn’t huge, but it’s impressive enough to warrant the short trek it takes to reach it.
AllTrails/Nick Clegg Your senses will be invigorated by the cold, refreshing waters, healing your body from the inside out.
Since the hike doesn’t take long, you’ll have plenty of time to splash around in the swimming hole.
AllTrails/Sam Wise It’s a dog-friendly adventure, too - you’ll just need to help your pooch down some of the steeper inclines.
All in all, Box Canyon Trail is a bucket-list-worthy hike perfect for the warm weather months.
AllTrails/Cindy Gomez-Parra It’ll quickly become one of your go-to nature spots!
This is one amazing hiking trail in Arizona you will never, ever forget.
AllTrails/Shannon Bernard
You’ll find it near mile marker 271, about 18 minutes outside of Payson.
AllTrails/Sam Wise
Some parts do require a bit of rock scrambling, so make sure to wear close-toed shoes with a good grip.
The entire Tonto National Forest is laid out before your eyes, making for a truly picture-perfect scene.
AllTrails/Niki Williams
It’s a great way to cool off on a hot summer day, and the whole family will have a blast.
AllTrails/Nick Clegg
Your senses will be invigorated by the cold, refreshing waters, healing your body from the inside out.
It’s a dog-friendly adventure, too - you’ll just need to help your pooch down some of the steeper inclines.
AllTrails/Cindy Gomez-Parra
It’ll quickly become one of your go-to nature spots!
Have you ever hiked Box Canyon Trail? If so, we’d love to hear all about your experience in the comments. Don’t forget to check out our previous articles for more Arizona swimming holes to make a splash in this summer!
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Box Canyon Trail, Arizona 85541, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Box Canyon Waterfall In Arizona May 08, 2022 Tori Jane What are the greatest Arizona waterfall swimming holes? People often confuse Arizona with the stereotype they see in their heads when they think of the desert: hot, dry, and incredibly arid, with no water in sight and parched cacti stretching for as far as the eye can see. Sure, there may be some places in Arizona that ARE like that, but did you know there are also plenty of epic swimming holes in Arizona, including ones with their very own waterfalls? It’s true! Check out two of our favorite waterfall swimming holes in Arizona, which are the incredible Havasu Falls (which requires a 20-mile round-trip hike and a permit reserved at least a year in advance) and the much easier to access Fossil Creek, which has numerous beautiful waterfalls, springs, and stunning swimming spots that’ll make you forget you’re in the desert at all. Where are the best swimming holes in Arizona? With more than 120 lakes scattered all over the state, as well as countless miles of pristine creeks, rivers, and canyons, Arizona is a place that’s wonderful for swimmers. It might seem a little counter-intuitive – swimming in the desert – but seriously, our swimming holes are the best. Check out the ones mentioned above, and when you’re through with those, be sure to look at some of these other wonderful places to go swimming in Arizona: Grasshopper Point in Sedona, which can get very crowded, so be sure to arrive early and preferably on a weekday, the Bull Pen at Clear Creek in Camp Verde, and, of course, the world-famous Slide Rock in Sedona. Where can I go to cool off in Arizona? What’s that you say? You need MORE places to cool off in Arizona? No problem: the list goes on! Saguaro Lake is lovely, and Lake Pleasant is one of the most popular things to do in Arizona year-round. Up north, there’s always Lake Mary, near Flagstaff, and Mormon Lake, which is nearby. If you’re a skilled hiker, the Havasupai Falls trek is one you’ll never forget, and while you’re at it, you’ll run into other incredible Arizona swimming spots, too, like Supai Falls. Beat the summer heat in the Sonoran Desert at any one of Arizona’s seemingly countless places to cool off.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Box Canyon Waterfall In Arizona
May 08, 2022
Tori Jane
What are the greatest Arizona waterfall swimming holes? People often confuse Arizona with the stereotype they see in their heads when they think of the desert: hot, dry, and incredibly arid, with no water in sight and parched cacti stretching for as far as the eye can see. Sure, there may be some places in Arizona that ARE like that, but did you know there are also plenty of epic swimming holes in Arizona, including ones with their very own waterfalls? It’s true! Check out two of our favorite waterfall swimming holes in Arizona, which are the incredible Havasu Falls (which requires a 20-mile round-trip hike and a permit reserved at least a year in advance) and the much easier to access Fossil Creek, which has numerous beautiful waterfalls, springs, and stunning swimming spots that’ll make you forget you’re in the desert at all. Where are the best swimming holes in Arizona? With more than 120 lakes scattered all over the state, as well as countless miles of pristine creeks, rivers, and canyons, Arizona is a place that’s wonderful for swimmers. It might seem a little counter-intuitive – swimming in the desert – but seriously, our swimming holes are the best. Check out the ones mentioned above, and when you’re through with those, be sure to look at some of these other wonderful places to go swimming in Arizona: Grasshopper Point in Sedona, which can get very crowded, so be sure to arrive early and preferably on a weekday, the Bull Pen at Clear Creek in Camp Verde, and, of course, the world-famous Slide Rock in Sedona. Where can I go to cool off in Arizona? What’s that you say? You need MORE places to cool off in Arizona? No problem: the list goes on! Saguaro Lake is lovely, and Lake Pleasant is one of the most popular things to do in Arizona year-round. Up north, there’s always Lake Mary, near Flagstaff, and Mormon Lake, which is nearby. If you’re a skilled hiker, the Havasupai Falls trek is one you’ll never forget, and while you’re at it, you’ll run into other incredible Arizona swimming spots, too, like Supai Falls. Beat the summer heat in the Sonoran Desert at any one of Arizona’s seemingly countless places to cool off.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
People often confuse Arizona with the stereotype they see in their heads when they think of the desert: hot, dry, and incredibly arid, with no water in sight and parched cacti stretching for as far as the eye can see. Sure, there may be some places in Arizona that ARE like that, but did you know there are also plenty of epic swimming holes in Arizona, including ones with their very own waterfalls? It’s true! Check out two of our favorite waterfall swimming holes in Arizona, which are the incredible Havasu Falls (which requires a 20-mile round-trip hike and a permit reserved at least a year in advance) and the much easier to access Fossil Creek, which has numerous beautiful waterfalls, springs, and stunning swimming spots that’ll make you forget you’re in the desert at all.
Where are the best swimming holes in Arizona?
With more than 120 lakes scattered all over the state, as well as countless miles of pristine creeks, rivers, and canyons, Arizona is a place that’s wonderful for swimmers. It might seem a little counter-intuitive – swimming in the desert – but seriously, our swimming holes are the best. Check out the ones mentioned above, and when you’re through with those, be sure to look at some of these other wonderful places to go swimming in Arizona: Grasshopper Point in Sedona, which can get very crowded, so be sure to arrive early and preferably on a weekday, the Bull Pen at Clear Creek in Camp Verde, and, of course, the world-famous Slide Rock in Sedona.
Where can I go to cool off in Arizona?
What’s that you say? You need MORE places to cool off in Arizona? No problem: the list goes on! Saguaro Lake is lovely, and Lake Pleasant is one of the most popular things to do in Arizona year-round. Up north, there’s always Lake Mary, near Flagstaff, and Mormon Lake, which is nearby. If you’re a skilled hiker, the Havasupai Falls trek is one you’ll never forget, and while you’re at it, you’ll run into other incredible Arizona swimming spots, too, like Supai Falls. Beat the summer heat in the Sonoran Desert at any one of Arizona’s seemingly countless places to cool off.
