Hell's Gate
Payson, Arizona
| Address: | Nf-405A, Payson, AZ 85541, USA |
| GPS: |
34°13'16.0"N 111°5'58.1"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | Arizona |
Motorized Use
Backpack, Camp, Hike, and Swim
This Wilderness was established in 1984, and contains approximately 37,440 rough acres with a major canyon and perennial stream extending its entire length. Deep pools of water may be separated by impassable falls. Elevations range from 3,000 feet along the lower end of Tonto Creek to 6,400 feet on Horse Mountain. Spring and fall are ideal times to visit this area, however trails are rare and access is limited. The tiny area known as Hellsgate is not to be used by livestock due to inaccessibility and impacts.Courtesy of fs.usda.gov
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https://www.toddshikingguide.com/Hikes/Arizona/Tonto/Hellsgate2.htmBe courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.
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- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Directions
From Payson, Arizona
- Head northeast on AZ-87 N toward E Frontier St (0.7 mi)
- Turn right onto AZ-260 E (31.5 mi)
- Turn right onto Forest Service Rd 512/Young Hwy (21.3 mi)
- Continue onto Young-Heber Rd (3.6 mi)
- Continue onto AZ-288 S (1.5 mi)
- Continue straight onto Baker Ranch Rd (1.4 mi)
- Continue onto Nf-129 (2.8 mi)
- Turn right to stay on Nf-129 (2.3 mi)
- Turn left onto Nf-133 (4.0 mi)
- Continue straight onto Nf-134 (1.7 mi)
- Turn right at Nf-1045 (0.2 mi)
From Payson drive east on SR260 for about 11 miles to mile marker 263. Slow down as you pass Little Green Valley. The turn-off for FR405 is at the bottom of the down hill. Turn right into FR405, drive about 0.5 mile on a well graded dirt road. Recessed trail parking lot is off to the right. There is a sign next to a fence for the Hellsgate Wilderness. Courtesy of hikearizona.com
Other Swimming Holes, Hiking Trails, and Backpacking Trails Nearby
Christopher Creek Gorge
Payson, Arizona
6.9 miles NCold, clear swimming holes and rappellable waterfalls in a canyon just outside Payson — cold year-round, with a wetsuit recommended in cooler months.
Canyoneer, Hike, Swim 1.1 mi
Christopher Creek Campground
Payson, Arizona
7.2 miles NEA creekside campground east of Payson with swimming holes, small waterfalls, spring trout stocking, and cross-country skiing in winter — open for day-use and overnight camping spring through fall.
Camp, Canyoneer, Cross-country Ski, Hike, Swim
Haigler Canyon Campground
Payson, Arizona
7.8 miles EA 2007-built campground along Haigler Creek with 14 overnight sites, trout fishing stocked April through late August, and chiseled canyon swimming holes nearby.
Camp, Hike, Swim
Upper Tonto Creek Campground
Payson, Arizona
7.9 miles NA 9-site first-come-first-served campground at the junction of Tonto and Horton Creeks — with vault toilets, drinking water, and trailheads for Horton Spring and the Highline Trail nearby.
Camp, Hike 1.1-3.5 mi
Horton Springs
Payson, Arizona
8.2 miles NA spring on the Mogollon Rim where water emerges dramatically from the mountainside — hike the easy Horton Creek Trail through wildflowers and maples, splash in the cold creek, and camp near the spring.
Backpack, Camp, Hike 0.8 mi
Promontory Butte
Payson, Arizona
9.2 miles NSpectacularly scenic views from the edge of the Mogollon Rim, reached via old forest roads — a remote destination said to offer the best vantage over the forest below.
Hike 3.3 mi
See Canyon Trail
Payson, Arizona
9.3 miles NEA wooded Arizona trail climbing from Christopher Creek to the Mogollon Rim — easy and flat for the first mile (great for kids), then progressively steeper, with a side trail to See Spring for water.
Hike 2.3 mi
Gordon Creek Falls
Payson, Arizona
9.6 miles NEA secluded ponderosa oasis outside Payson with a seasonal waterfall that gushes in spring or after monsoon rains — dry or muddy when rainfall has been scarce.
Hike, Swim 1.7 mi
Meadow Trail #505
Payson, Arizona
11.8 miles NEMeadow Trail #505 is a short, paved, wheelchair-accessible path along the rim of Woods Canyon Lake, high on Arizona's Mogollon Rim.
Hike 4.0 mi
Woods Canyon Lake
Payson, Arizona
11.8 miles NEA trout-fishing lake near Payson with a scenic loop hike and Mogollon Rim views — swimming is not recommended, but the scenery and fishing make it well worth the visit.
Camp, Hike, Swim
Sinkhole Campground
Payson, Arizona
13.5 miles NESinkhole Campground sits in cool ponderosa pines atop the Mogollon Rim, a short walk from the trout waters of Willow Springs Lake.
Camp, Hike, Mountain Bike
Payson Area
Cornville, Arizona
13.5 miles NWThe Payson area northeast of Phoenix offers numerous swimming holes in the Tonto National Forest rivers, including Ellison Creek Falls, Christopher Creek Gorge, Fossil Creek, and Verde Hot Springs.
Swim 0.2-0.6 mi
Ellison Creek Falls
Payson, Arizona
14.0 miles NWFour waterfalls, multiple swimming holes, and trout fishing along Ellison Creek near Payson — the most popular stop is a short walk from the parking lot.
Dive, Hike, Swim
East Clear Creek
Happy Jack, Arizona
23.1 miles NA Wild and Scenic river winding through the Mogollon Rim with canyon views, cliff-scaling canyoneers, trout fishing, and deep swimming holes for a full adventure day.
Canyoneer, Hike, Swim 0.8-1.8 mi
Kinder Crossing Trail #19
Happy Jack, Arizona
24.3 miles NA short but steep 0.75-mile hike dropping 500 feet to beautiful East Clear Creek — high-clearance vehicle required on FR 95T, no motorized vehicles past the trailhead, closed in winter snow.
Hike, Swim
Bearfoot Trail
Strawberry, Arizona
25.4 miles NWBearfoot Trail (#13) is a mellow, shady Mogollon Rim hike and mountain-bike ride linking Strawberry to Pine Creek, near Pine, Arizona.
Hike, Mountain Bike 1.0 mi
Maxwell Trail No. 37
Happy Jack, Arizona
28.9 miles NWMaxwell Trail drops from the Mogollon Rim down into West Clear Creek, ending at shaded swimming holes, small caves, and great fishing — water shoes required.
Hike, Swim 1.1-4.6 mi
Fossil Creek Dam (Toilet Bowl)
Pine, Arizona
29.7 miles NWA waterfall over an old Fossil Creek dam with a spinning natural rock slide that launches swimmers into the main pool — plus a shallow cave for shade on hot Arizona days.
Dive, Hike, Swim 0.1-3.8 mi
Fossil Springs Trail No. 18
Pine, Arizona
29.7 miles NWA 4.75-mile desert canyon trail to the springs and an old dam in the Fossil Springs Wilderness — little shade and a brutal uphill return make summer visits genuinely dangerous.
Hike, Horseback, Swim 0.6-2.9 mi
Tramway Trail No. 32
Happy Jack, Arizona
29.7 miles NWA steep, rock-scrambling descent through the Mogollon Rim to West Clear Creek, with deep fishing and swimming holes waiting at the bottom — not for beginners.
Hike, Rock Climb, SwimNearby Campsites
Christopher Creek Campground
Payson, Arizona
7.2 miles NEA creekside campground east of Payson with swimming holes, small waterfalls, spring trout stocking, and cross-country skiing in winter — open for day-use and overnight camping spring through fall.
Camp, Canyoneer, Cross-country Ski, Hike, Swim
Haigler Canyon Campground
Payson, Arizona
7.8 miles EA 2007-built campground along Haigler Creek with 14 overnight sites, trout fishing stocked April through late August, and chiseled canyon swimming holes nearby.
Camp, Hike, Swim
Upper Tonto Creek Campground
Payson, Arizona
7.9 miles NA 9-site first-come-first-served campground at the junction of Tonto and Horton Creeks — with vault toilets, drinking water, and trailheads for Horton Spring and the Highline Trail nearby.
Camp, Hike 1.1-3.5 mi
Horton Springs
Payson, Arizona
8.2 miles NA spring on the Mogollon Rim where water emerges dramatically from the mountainside — hike the easy Horton Creek Trail through wildflowers and maples, splash in the cold creek, and camp near the spring.
Backpack, Camp, Hike
Aspen Campground
Payson, Arizona
11.4 miles NEA large, popular campground near Woods Canyon Lake in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest — note that Rim Road closes in winter, so the site is inaccessible during that time.
Camp 4.0 mi
Woods Canyon Lake
Payson, Arizona
11.8 miles NEA trout-fishing lake near Payson with a scenic loop hike and Mogollon Rim views — swimming is not recommended, but the scenery and fishing make it well worth the visit.
Camp, Hike, Swim
Sinkhole Campground
Payson, Arizona
13.5 miles NESinkhole Campground sits in cool ponderosa pines atop the Mogollon Rim, a short walk from the trout waters of Willow Springs Lake.
Camp, Hike, Mountain Bike
Verde Hot Springs
Camp Verde, Arizona
35.2 miles WNatural hot spring pools beside the Verde River — the remnants of an old resort — reached by wading upstream from a dispersed camping area with no amenities near Sedona.
Camp, Hike, Hot Springs 0.4 mi
Clear Creek Campground
Camp Verde, Arizona
43.1 miles NWA grassy creekside campground shaded by tall cottonwoods on West Clear Creek — ideal for hiking, swimming, fishing for smallmouth bass and sunfish, and wildlife watching in a desert canyon oasis.
Camp, Hike, Swim
Beaver Creek Campground
Camp Verde, Arizona
46.7 miles NWBeaver Creek is a refreshing creekside oasis in the high desert of central Arizona, where the cool, clear waters of Wet Beaver Creek wind beneath big cottonwoods and sycamores in the Coconino...
Camp, Canoe, Kayak, Swim
Beaver Creek Dispersed Camping
Rimrock, Arizona
47.5 miles NWThis free dispersed camping area sits on the cliffs above Wet Beaver Creek in the Coconino National Forest of central Arizona, in the red-rock and juniper country near Rimrock and Camp Verde, not far...
Camp
