The Grand Enchantment Trail

Water Sources of the Grand Enchantment Trail

Historical Field Observations 2005 - Spring 2008

Location

Source Type

Field Observations*

shading = on alternate route

2005

2006

2007

2008

shading = >1 mi. off-route

Spring

Fall

Spring

Fall

Spring

(x = yes; blank = did not visit)

SEGMENT 1

First Water Creek

pools/creek

x

West Boulder Canyon

pools/creek

x

dry

x

East Boulder Canyon

pools/creek

x

Needle Canyon

pools/creek

x

Charlebois Spring

spring

x

LaBarge Spring

spring

x

Whiskey Spring

spring

Upper La Barge Box

pools

x

La Barge Spring #2

spring

Tortilla Creek

pools/creek

x

dry

x

Clover Spring

pools

x

dry

x

Mullin Spring

spring

Rogers Canyon

creek (MP24.7-28.7)

x

SEGMENT 2

Rogers Trough trailhead

cache location

Reavis Trail Canyon

creek (MP4-7.5)

x

Whitford Canyon

pools/creek

x

Superior

town

x

SEGMENT 3

Picketpost Trailhead area

windmill

x

no

x*

Alamo Canyon windmill/wash

trough/seep

x

Trough Springs

spring/pools

Walnut Canyon

artesian well

x

Section 30 spring

spring/pools

x

Gila River

river

x

Gila River

river

x

Kelvin

faucet/homes

x

SEGMENT 4

Ripsey Wash

stock trough

x

100 gallon stock trough

stock trough

x

dry

x

Old Ripsey Ranch

windmill & tank

x

Freeman Road

public cache

x

dry

x

SEGMENT 5

Antelope Tank

stock pond

x

Beehive Well

windmill & tank

x

Putnam Spring

artesian spring

x

San Pedro River

creek

x

Mammoth

town

x

SEGMENT 6

Aravaipa Creek (wash)

creek (MP0-4.8)

x

Brandenburg Ranger Station

faucet

SEGMENT 7

Aravaipa Creek

creek (MP0.1-12.3)

x

Turkey Creek

creek

x

SEGMENT 8

Aravaipa Creek

creek (MP0-4)

x

Forest Rte 94

stock trough

x

Klondyke

store/campground

x

S. Fork Buford Canyon

stock troughs

x

S. Fork Buford Canyon #2

solar well/trough

Cherry Tree Spring

spring pools

x

Laurel Canyon

spring pools

x

Reef Tank

stock pond

x

dry

x

Holdout Creek

creek (MP 13-16)

x

Black Rock Creek

creek (MP 16-17.5)

x

Sycamore Spring

spring & trough

x

Mud Spring

spring & troughs

x

Trail 65 stock pond

stock pond

South Fork Spring

spring?

MP 21.4 stock pond

stock pond

Black Rock Wash

wash / creek

Kane Spring

troughs/corral

x

Fourmile Spring

spring

Fourmile Canyon

creek/pools

x

Cottonwood Canyon

creek (MP 28-30)

x

Cottonwood Canyon

spring pools

x

SEGMENT 9

Klondyke Road

cache location

Register Tank

stock pond

x

Water Canyon/Indian Spring

spring

x

Underwood Wash

trough/corral

x

Deer Tank

stock pond

x

Holdout Canyon Tank

stock trough & tank

SEGMENT 10

Tripp Canyon

pools/flow

x

Bellows Canyon

drainage pools

x

Dry Lake Tank

wildlife pond

x

Sawmill Spring

spring/creek

Turkey Spring

spring

Government Spring

spring/seep

dry

no

Riggs Lake

reservoir

x

Peters Flat

creeklet

x

Ash Creek

creek (MP 18.8-24.2)

x

SEGMENT 11

Ash Creek

creek (MP 0.8-4.1)

x

Cluff Ranch

faucet / ponds

x

Thatcher

town / college

x

Safford

town (MP13.4-15.4)

x

SEGMENT 12

Gila River

river

x

Solomon

town

x

Gila River

river

x

Trans-line Tank

solar well/stock pond

Solomon Pass

windmill & tanks

x

Rattlesnake Tank

stock trough

x

Salt Trap Tank

stock pond

dry

Spring Canyon

solar-powered well

Boo Tank

stock pond

x

Bear Spring

spring pools

x

dry

x

SEGMENT 13

stock pond

stock pond/corral

x

Johnny Creek

intermittent pools

x

Bonita Creek

creek

x

Midnight Canyon

intermittent pools

x

dry

x

dry

South Smith Canyon

stock troughs

x

Smith Spring

spring/stock trough

x

SEGMENT 14

Eagle Creek

creek

x

Gold Gulch

stock trough / pools

x

Eagle Creek

creek (1.9-10.6)

x

Lower Cottonwood Corral

spring pools

x

Cottonwood Corral

drainage pools

Cottonwood Spring

spring / flow

x

Pinto Spring

cement trough

dry

Curve Spring

drainage pools

dry

x

SEGMENT 15

Morenci & Clifton

towns

x

Granville Recreation Site

campground

no

Frye Spring

spring

x

Sardine Creek

pools

dry

Mud Spring

cement trough

x

McBride Spring

spring

x

Wing Tank

stock pond

x

Pigeon Creek

drainage flow

dry

x

SEGMENT 16

Pigeon Creek

drainage flow

x

Turkey Creek

creek

x

Bear Creek

creek

x

Clear Creek

drainage flow/pools

x

Pigeon Creek

creek (MP 8.8-9.1)

x

Blue River

river

x

Johnson Canyon

drainage flow

x

SEGMENT 17

Wild Bunch Tank

stock pond

dry

Wild Bunch Canyon

creek pools

x

Morris Day Gap

spring

x

ridge above Morris Day Gap

developed spring

x

Snare Canyon

earthen pond

x

SEGMENT 18

Vigil Canyon

pools

x

San Francisco River

river

x

dry

x

Alma/Glenwood

towns

x

SEGMENT 19

Mineral Creek

creek

x

SEGMENT 20

Whitewater Creek

creek (MP2-3.2)

x

S. Fork Whitewater Creek

creek (MP3.2-7.2)

x

E. Fork Whitewater Creek

creek (MP7.2-9.1)

x

Nabours Spring

spring

Black Mountain Spring

spring

snow

x

Apache Spring

spring

x

Hobo Spring

spring

snow

x

Little Hobo Spring

spring

snow

x

West Fork Saddle

spring

Black Tail Spring

spring

Mogollon Baldy Lookout

rainwater well

no

Snow Park

spring

White Creek

creek

x

West Fork Gila River

creek

x

SEGMENT 21

West Fork Gila River

creek (MP0-16)

x

Gila Cliff Dwellings

faucet/river

x

SEGMENT 22

TJ Corral trailhead

spigot

x

Dump station

spigot

x

Gila Hot Springs

community

x

Visitor's Center

water fountain

x

Middle Fork Gila River

creek (MP1.3-2.8)

x

Adobe Canyon

intermittent pools

x

East Fork Gila River

creek

x

Diamond Creek

creek (MP8.2-12.5)

x

lower Tom Moore Canyon

pools

x

Tom Moore Canyon

pools / ponding

x

Me Own Admin Site

spigot / trough

x

SEGMENT 23

Upper Mesa Tank

stock pond

South Diamond Creek

creek (MP3.7-8.2)

x

Burnt Canyon

creek (MP8.2-10.1)

x

SEGMENT 24

Diamond Peak Spring

spring

x

drainage along Divide

drainage rill

x

Fisherman Canyon

creek

Chloride Creek

creek (10.1-12.0)

x

SEGMENT 25

saddle south of Kline Mtn

springs

x

SEGMENT 26

drainage along Divide

drainage pools

x

Adobe Spring

spring pools

x

Dry Time Tank

earthen tank

x

SEGMENT 27

Duck Canyon

solar well/stock pond

x

Ridge Windmill corral

stock troughs

x

dry

x

Knisley Canyon

windmill & tank

x

Alamosa Creek

creek (MP11-17)

x

Alamosa Creek

creek

x

Monticello

village

Garcia Falls Canyon

creek

x

San Mateo Canyon

stock trough

x

SEGMENT 28

Shipman Canyon

creek

x

Myers Spring

spring / creek

x

Nave Spring

spring

x

San Mateo Spring

spring

x

Cowboy Spring

spring

x

Twenty-five Yard Spring

spring

Cub Spring

spring & trough

x

Pothole Spring

spring/creek

x

Toolbox Spring

spring

SEGMENT 29

Indian Spring

spring-fed trough

x

New Lava Spring

spring

x

Grassy Lookout

rainwater well

x

no

Sanchez Trough Spring

spring trough

Potato Canyon

creek / pools

x

SEGMENT 30

Cooney Windmill

windmill & tank

x

west of Milligan Gulch

pools (6.9-7.6)

x

Alameda Spring

spring & trough

x

north of Squaw Peak

stock trough

x

SEGMENT 31

Hardy Spring Tank

wildlife pond

x

Hardy Spring drainage

box spring, pools

x

W Fork Sawmill Canyon

creek/pools(0.6-1.9)

x

E Fork Sawmill Canyon

creek/pools(2.2-4.9)

x

Magdalena Ridge Observatory

faucets

Baldy Spring

spring-fed trough

x

Magdalena

town

x

SEGMENT 32

east of Bear Mountains

windmill & tank

x

west of La Jencia Creek

cistern & troughs

La Jencia Creek

pools / flow

x

east of La Jencia Creek

windmill & tank

x

west of San Lorenzo Wash

stock troughs

x

San Lorenzo Spring & Canyon

wash flow

x

San Lorenzo slot side canyon

pools & seep

x

SEGMENT 33

Polvadera

village

x

Rio Grande Main Conveyance

irrigation channel

x

Escondida Lake Park

spigots

x

Escondida Grill

restaurant

Rio Grande

river

x

Arroyo de Alamillo

cistern & troughs

waypoint 944 windmill

windmill & tank

dry

x

solar-pump stock trough

solar-powered well

x

solar-pump stock trough

solar-powered well

x

waypoint 951 tank

stock pond

dry

waypoint 949 well

windmill & tank

x

waypoint 952 tank

stock pond

x

windmill & tank

windmill / tank

Thompson HQ

faucets

Montosa Canyon

pools (MP39.2-41.2)

x

County Route 115

cache location

US 60

town, Nat.Mon.

SEGMENT 34

wash north of Hwy 60

stock pond

Abo Canyon

creek / pools

x

La Casa Spring

spring / pools

x

dry

Rattlesnake Spring

spring / pools

x

Pine Shadow Spring

boxed spring

x

SEGMENT 35

Upper Ox Spring

spring

no

Spruce Spring

spring & trough

x

Sand Spring

spring

no

Capilla Peak Campground

spring/campers

x

SEGMENT 36

Albuquerque Trail Spring

spring pool

x

Largo Trick Tank

wildlife tank & trough

waypoint 120 troughs

spring & troughs

x

waypoint 725 spring

spring

dry

David Canyon pond #1

wildlife pond & trough

SEGMENT 37

Ponderosa Pine

store/village

x

Oak Flat Picnic Area

faucet

x

David Canyon pond #2

wildlife pond

Cedro Creek

creek/pools

Sandia Ranger Station

faucet

x

Tijeras

town

x

SEGMENT 38

Hondo Canyon

waterfall & creek

x

South Sandia Spring

piped spring

x

Sandia Tram summit station

faucet

x

SEGMENT 39

Sandia Crest

faucet

x

La Cueva Canyon

creek

x

dry

x

lower La Cueva Canyon

creek

x

dry

x

dry

Jaral Cabin Spring

piped spring

lower Tram Station

faucet

x

* Field Observations

All water source information & observations based on first-hand accounts from Brett Tucker, except where otherwise noted. Table begins at Segment 1 near Phoenix and reads down to Segment 39 at Albuquerque. An "x" indicates that water was observed or otherwise obtained at a particular source; "dry" means a source was verified to be dry; "no" is used for sources where the water was unavailable (eg., locked holding tank), unusable (such as a damp spot) or status was unconfirmed despite an attempted observation; "off" refers to mechanical pumping systems (windmills, solar arrays, etc.) or faucets turned off and unavailable; a blank cell means that the source was not visited ("DNV") and thus its status was unknown at that time. Location cells highlighted brown represent water sources along alternate routes of the main GET. Peach-colored highlighting is used for water sources located more than 1 mile off the main route or alternate routes.

** Reliability scale (0-4, F, W or C)

Reliability scale is intended to offer a general idea of each source's reliability, although actual conditions may vary considerably from season to season, and even in the course of a season (eg, early spring vs late spring). Long-distance hikers should consider following a recommended itinerary for best odds, spring or fall, and especially don't start too late. A zero (0) = no water likely available; 1 = seasonal and/or chancy; 2 = probable except in times of prolonged dry weather; 3 = fairly dependable; 4 = a definite source. In terms of strategy, a 0 or 1 source should never be counted on. Always carry enough water to reach a 2 source, or in drier times - such as following a dry winter or weak summer rainy season - a 3 or 4 source. Water sources at 3 or 4 on the reliability scale are color coded blue for easier reference. In addition to the numerical codes, the letter (F) is used for facilities where a faucet or spigot is the only, or the primary, source of drinking water. (F) sources highlighted in blue are considered to be fairly reliable (within their stated daily and/or seasonal window of availability, if any) based on historical observations. The letter (W) is used for all sources that are entirely dependent on the mechanical pumping of ground water, including tanks & troughs filled by windmill, solar array, or electric pump, and all tanks & troughs with a float valve filling system [however, (W) is not used for stock ponds & similar rainwater catchments, which are instead rated numerically]. The (W) sources are neither rated nor are any highlighted in blue, regardless of historical reliability, which the user is encouraged to reference (via the Historical Water Observations Chart as well as the Comments field) in determining independently how much (or how little) faith to place in each. Keep in mind that all man-made sources are subject to being turned off or rendered unusable irrespective of how wet or dry a particular season happens to be. In a few places along the route, especially in dry times, placing a cache of drinking water in advance may be a reasonable option, or a public cache may be provided seasonally or sporadically, and the letter code (C) on the water chart is used to denote these potential personal or public cache locations.

Free for personal use; Not intended for sale or public distribution without permission