Took me 5 hours to find a water source on the Grand Canyon's Tonto Trail

I was hiking the Tonto Trail last spring and ran out of water way earlier than I planned. The map showed a seasonal creek at Cottonwood Creek but it was bone dry when I got there. I had to backtrack 2 miles to find a seep I almost missed behind some rocks. That whole detour ate up 3 extra hours of daylight and I was rationing sips the whole time. Has anyone else dealt with a dried-up source on that trail and found a trick to spot the hidden ones?

2 comments

2 Comments

harper_singh1819d ago

Dry creek beds are the worst. Look for green vegetation in the distance, that's your best clue.

harris.aaron18d ago

Yeah but green patches aren't always around where I'm at.