Cibecue Falls is a waterfall located on the White Mountain Apache Tribe reservation. A permit is required to hike this trail. I had never really explored this part of our state but I always wanted to. There always seemed to be a mystical feel to the land and an almost restless vibe to it. I had heard of the waterfall but didn’t look into it at the time. My best adventure buddy Sarah asked me if I wanted to hike there. It was the perfect opportunity to explore so naturally I said yes.

The day of our trip, we packed up the car and headed out. The drive took us through Superior and Globe until we reached the turnoff just past the Salt River Canyon Rest Stop. We drove down the dirt road as it ascended higher and higher. The road was really narrow and very primitive. At certain points there wasn’t enough room for two cars to pass each other. We experienced that on our way down later in the day and I had to drive in reverse to allow 2 cars to pass me. Yes that was quite exciting to be on the edge of the road looking straight down the sheer face of the mountain.

When we arrived to the starting point of the hike we parked on the outer edge of the hiking area and had to cross the water on foot to start the hike. There is a parking area close to the start of the hike but I wasn’t sure about driving across the water to the parking area. I think this hike would be better suited for spring for early fall. We went in June and it was extremely humid and the air was very still. There are several river crossings on the hike. The was a welcome relief from the warm sun. There were large boulders and beautiful rock formations along the trail. Although the hike is 3.5 miles one way it somehow felt longer. It’s always great to have a patient hiking partner like Sarah. We take our time and rest and talk and laugh and enjoy the silence on the journey. Sometimes we take longer than we expect because we stop to take photos of the water and nature. That was the case on this hike. We almost considered not finishing the hike but then we kept going.

We finally go to the point in the hike that the rocks around us formed a canyon. We could hear the slight sound of water ahead of us so we kept going. We turned slightly and beheld the waterfall! There was a couple sleeping on the wall beside the pool of water formed by the waterfall. I was so happy to just look at the water and then I waded into the water. It was so refreshing and cool. After we got out of the water we sat on the shore and ate snacks taking in the beauty around us. More people arrived with their dogs and they too got into the water. It wasn’t too crowded. All in all there were maybe 6-8 people there at the same time as us. After we were rested we headed back out. When we made it back to the car we rested and ate again before we started on the road home. I would definitely do this hike again in the cooler months.