When Lynda and Susie drove off for their return drive to Oregon (for which they had given themselves five days), I drove straight to the SARA (Special Activities and Recreation Area) park just south of Lake Havasu City. I had nothing else to do at the camp site or in town now that Lynda was gone. The SARA park is the one hiking area I wanted to explore and I wanted to hike the slot canyon.
The SARA is just south of Lake Havasu City. I turned right (west) on McCoullough Drive off AZ95 and found the trail head parking lot within a half mile. McCoullough Drive curves around the park with all its attractions right off the road. By 10am the parking lot was already filling up with hikers of all ages. Parking is free here but there is a fee if one spends more than 20 minutes along the lake at the end of the hike.
The late morning was partially overcast, near perfect weather for an exposed hike through the dry Mohave Desert. I chose to hike through the wash via the "Yellow Trail," a well-marked 2.4-long trail that ends at Balanced Rock Cove on Lake Havasu. Another young couple with their Black Lab Buddy started just ahead of me. I told the couple our dogs would get along better if they were all off-leash, and indeed they were. Minnie stopped barking and hiked with Buddy and Sadie with no problems.
There are so many trails that lead off the parking lot, and all are well-marked with the distance on the marker. There's no way one can get lost in this network of varied trails.
The dogs were excited to finally get some real exercise. They stayed by my side. A lot of the wash was still in the shade, which I'm sure gave their paws some relief. I would not want to do this hike in the summer!
The actual slot canyon part is not very long or that difficult. There is one 7-foot dry waterfall one must get down, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has installed a rope to help hikers down. This slide was the one barrier for Minnie and Buddy. While Sadie jumped down with ease, Minnie stalled and started whining for help, which got Buddy whining as well. Luckily the couple with me helped me out as I helped them with Buddy. I leaned up against the rock to break the fall from seven feet to three, and both dogs used my shoulders as a spring board to get to the ground
There is one section where the rock clearance is a foot wide at the bottom. This could be a precarious position for those with heavy, wide packs, or for those not in good shape. But the dogs had no problem here and hiked on ahead of me. The slot canyon was cool and shaded. But I would not want to be here during a downpour.
The couple stopped here to chat with other younger people outside the slot. I hiked on, giving the dogs their space. I was now alone for the next .2 miles to the cove, which quickly came into view and which immediately awed me. This is indeed a beautiful, pristine place and the water looks so blue here. It's well worth the 2.4 mile hike for a piece of solitude. Another couple had found a hidden rest area around a rock and was therefore out of site of any park rangers (who allegedly do patrol the area for any non-paying users). The city website does say one can stay for 20 minutes before a fee is required. That is what I did. Those 20 minutes was to allow the dogs to splash in the water.
There were boaters on the lake a distance away, but in the cove all I saw were waterfowl. A bathroom and picnic area with fee slot were at the trail end. I watched my time here, however, as I didn't want to pay a $10 fee for the 20 minutes I was here. The dogs, as expected, took advantage of the water and chased sticks. The return hike on the Blue Trail promised to be high and dry and completely exposed.
This hike is highly recommended. It's not that long, not that challenging, but on a hot, sunny day this hike could be torture for woman and dog. I could see other people in the distance both coming and going, but there was never any large group. I had the Mohave desert all to myself for a while, and this made the long, exhausting drive after seeing Lynda worth it.
The hike back was not nearly as spectacular as the slot canyon, which the Blue trail followed above the rock. The scenic views of the river were nice, but by now I was just focused on getting back to the car. The balloons rising from sun rise were long gone. A few people were coming out as I was going back into the parking lot, and many had their dogs off leash as well. (All dogs were well-behaved and stayed close to their owners). It took us 2:30 hours to hike this worthwhile trail. Well worth it.
There are other hikes south of Lake Havasu City, most which start in state parks, but this one merits five stars for beauty and variety. I'll have to try the other trails another time. This goes to show that there's a little of everything at Lake Havasu City; it's not all just bars and RVs.
https://golakehavasu.com/activity/hiking/crack-in-the-mountain-trail/
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