Directions to the Aravaipa Canyon East Side Trailhead

Directions to the Aravaipa Canyon East Side Trailhead

The trailhead is about 100 miles away by car and requires about 3 hours to get there from Benson, AZ.
Before driving all the way out there be sure that you know that to get to the trailhead you need to drive through a stream about 10 times and hiking in the canyon requires a permit and requires frequent wading in the stream.
See a map of the directions (Benson to Trailhead).
See a map of the direction (Willcox to Trailhead).
There is a Pit Toilet at the BLM Wilderness Area Sign In station.
From Benson, drive east on I-10 to exit 336.
Drive back across I-10 to N Taylor Rd.
Drive east on N Taylor Rd to the "T".
Turn left (north) onto Fort Grant Rd.
Drive north on Fort Grant Rd.
Fort Grant Rd will become S Brookerson Rd. (Fort Grant Road turns west)
Turn left (west) onto Ash Creek Rd.
Turn right (north) onto Fort Grant Rd. (This is correct, one reconnects with Fort Grant Road)
Drive north and east on Fort Grant Rd.
Just beyond Bonita Elementary School turn left onto Bonita Aravaipa Rd.
Drive north and west onto Bonita Aravaipa Rd.
Bonita Aravaipa Rd becomes Bonita Klondyke Rd.
Bonita Klondyke Rd becomes Klondyke Rd.
Klondyke Rd becomes Aravaipa Canyon Rd.
Continue on Aravaipa Canyon Rd.
You will drive through the stream 5 times before reaching the BLM Wilderness Sign In station.
Sign in at the Sign In Station.
Then, continue down to the "road" toward the trailhead. You will cross the stream 5 more times.
At the junction where Turkey Creek flows into Aravaipa Creek is the hiking trailhead.
There is very little parking at this trailhead and you will probably have to park in the Turkey Creek streambed. This is not too big a problem because there is very little flow in Turkey Creek.
The Aravaipa Canyon trail starts by the Turkey Creek Sign and heads down the canyon following Aravaipa Creek.