Fossil Creek swimming pool.
Fossil Creek is one of the most beautiful and easily accessible waterfalls in Arizona. The color of the water is truly an amazing blue/green color that you can imagine on a tropical island not in the middle of Arizona. The first time I attempted to visit Fossil Creek was over a year ago. I arrived at 7:00 AM only to find that it was completely full. Cars lined both sides of the road leaving very little room to navigate in. In fact it was so full that I had to turn around and drive home. I was not happy that day.
Mini Waterfall along the waterfall Trail.
What did make me happy was to hear of the summer time permit system now in place at Fossil Creek. This meant that I would be able to choose that day I wanted to go and be guaranteed a parking spot. I did just that. After purchasing and printing my permit I arrived at 8:00 AM. The forest road is extremely primitive and it takes a very long time to drive down unless you have a four wheel drive vehicle that can handle it. I don't have a four wheel drive so I took the slow but steady pace. There were two check points at which I had to show my permit. One of the forest workers told me that next to the parking area was a great pool for swimming. After that it was a few more miles to get to my designated parking area.
After I parked my car I looked around and there were only 20 spaces in my area and of those only 4 were filled. I followed the advice of the forest worker and headed down the trail to check out the pool. I was blown away when I saw the clear blue/green water. So clear that I could see fish swimming in it. Not a soul was around! i had my own tropical lagoon to swim and play in. It was truly paradise and like a dream. It was quiet except for the water rushing down from mini waterfalls into the pool.
Waterfall Trail.
After swimming I decided to hike up to the waterfall trail. To get there I walked uphill on the same road I drove in on. When i reached the end of the road I could see a sign that read Waterfall Trail. I walked down some steps and onto a dirt trail. Although the trail is shaded in some spots, its it also exposed in others and it can get very hot. Along the trail there are many places to stop and swim if you choose to do so or you can keep heading up to the waterfall. i choose to head up to the waterfall.
When I arrived there were at least 30-40 people there. It was just a bit overwhelming. I set my backpack down and got into the water. There really wasn't enough room to swim in because of the number of people there, cliff jumpers and people putting hammocks up in the middle of everything. The waterfall was stunning, the temperature of the water was perfect and the foliage was so lush and green. Needless to say I didn't stay too long. I thought about it and in my mind the solitude of the island pool was way too inviting to be in a huge crowd like this. So I headed back to the pool and when I arrived I jumped right in. It was so cool and refreshing. After I had a chance to rest I made my drive back to Phoenix. I went back again a few weeks later with my family and friends and they loved it. I do plan to go back again when the weather cools so I can hike the surrounding area. Fossil Creek is perfect for a solo getaway or a family day trip.
One of the bridges on the Fossil Creek Waterfall Trail.
A couple of tips:
There are no trash cans so bring your own trash bags to carry out what you bring in
There are no fires permitted so don't bring your charcoal grill and expect to cook out, bring easy to pack food like sandwiches
Do bring sunscreen
Do bring water
Do bring water shoes