A Farewell to Tonto National Forest at the Mogollon Rim

Arizona

May 2021

The Mogollon and the Lake

Our last activity in the Payson area was just a 30-minute drive away. We went to the Mogollon Rim for a few hikes, starting first at Woods Canyon Lake. It was very crowded with locals enjoying the water; at 7,510 feet, this is one of the most popular spots to escape the desert heat. We wanted to hike the Woods Canyon Lake Loop, but after searching for a while, we couldn’t find any trail markers. We decided to leave the lake behind because we prefer the quiet of nature, not the sounds of motorboats.

The Mogollon Rim and the Lucky Escape

So, we ended up at the “edge of the world,” the Mogollon Rim. The Rim forms the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau, and we were standing right on the fault that drops about 2,000 feet from the cliff. Our second choice was actually the better one, with spectacular views of the Tonto National Forest valley.

We walked about 3 miles on the trail that followed the Rim. We got quite a scare, though, when a large branch of a dead tree fell only a few inches in front of us! In the Southwest, these falling branches are called widowmakers. There is no fantasy in that name! Still, this hike was a beautiful way to say goodbye to the Tonto National Forest, which we had explored for the last two weeks.