Water Wheel Falls

Water Wheel Falls is an exhilarating 1.60-mile out-and-back route located near Payson that is great for families, weekend hikers, and avid explorers. The trail that wanders around, over, and through the East Verde River is considered moderately challenging. With lots of big boulders to maneuver around and numerous waterfalls to stop at and take in, this relatively short hike can feel much longer, and you can easily be made into an activity for the day. This is an extremely popular local hiking destination so do expect a large number of people but there are multiple ways to navigate the hike, so you won’t feel like you are on top of one another.

Make sure you don’t stop until you reach the end (You’ll know when you get there!) which culminates in Water Wheel Falls. The falls are about 25 feet tall with a small pool at the base where you can cool off on a hot day. This is one of the more active waterfalls in Arizona which still relies on the spring runoff and the summer monsoons. The flow of the water changes from month to month but in general, we recommend waterproof non-slip shoes as it will be great to get your feet in the water if you are hiking on a hot day. You can even wear your swimsuit and take a soak in the water to cool down.