Bell Trail to the Crack- Wet Beaver Creek

No people, how did I get this shot!

Warning:  Be aware of the risk of flash floods in this canyon/drainage.  Always check the weather forecast before entering any canyon/drainage.  Flash floods can occur with little to no warning and cause the water to rise exponentially. Summer thunderstorms at the head of a canyon can cause flash floods in your area.  Be aware of your surroundings.  

Note: I strongly advised you to hike this trail during the week.  The crack has an excellent swim hole that is also a party location for locals and teenagers.  I'm not sure how populated the location is during the week, but my guess is there will not be as many partyers. With that said, this is a great hike.  I want to return and try this during the week to hopefully have more of the place to myself or with less of a rowdy crowd when I arrive. The trail is out and back and is 3.5 miles to what is known as The Crack.  This is an excellent swim hole with several places to jump off the cliffs into the cool pools.  The highest cliff to jump off of is about 30 feet.  The trail is located to the east of Sedona in the Coconino National Forest.  Directions to the trail are at the end of this narrative.

Little shade on hike to swim hole

The trail is wide and easy to follow.  It does not skirt right along side the creek rather stays several hundred yards from the creek; however you can see the green trees framing the pathway of the river to your right as you hike along the trail.  The trail is exposed.  There is not much shade.  There are many spur trails that lead down to the creek to give you an opportunity to cool off.  The creek flows lightly through this area.  About half a mile in is a large black boulder sitting to the left of the trail.  Stop to take a look as their are several hieroglyphs on the rock.   

Up above the creek along the ridge

At 1.5 miles you will come to another trail, the White Mesa Trail that leads off to your left.  At 1.75 miles another trail leads off to the left called the Apache Maid Trail.  Stay on the main trail, but it is nice to know how far you have come when you reach these junctions.  At about 2 miles the trail begins to climb up the ridge to your left along a sandstone cliff.  This is not a difficult hill, but is exposed with little to no shade.  The trail skirts along the edge of the ridge and as you progress you can here the creek below running at a faster pace and also several good swimming holes which would be worth exploring from the creek below.  At about 2.5 miles the trail begins to descend towards the creek again.  Before you cross the creek you will see a spur trail that heads to your left.  This is the trail you want that leads to the swimming hole, known as The Crack.  It is only about 100 yards to this location.

The Crack is a beautiful spot, surrounded by red sandstone cliffs and green vegetation it is a place you could stay and play all day.  Unfortunately that is what we found when we got there, a lot of people.  I look forward to hiking this again in hopes to find it less populated during the week.

Remember the hike out is going to be hotter than your hike in.  Take plenty of water.  I would recommend bringing a water filter so you can just take the water straight from the creek if needed.  This hike is kid friendly, but it is 3.5 miles to the fun swimming hole along a trail with little shade.  Make sure your kids have plenty of water. FYI the Beaver Creek Campground is just a bit further down the road from the trailhead.

Length: 7 miles
Elevation Gain: 520 feet
Difficulty: Easy, but exposed
Recommend: All hiking levels

Cliff jumping at The Crack

Season: Spring-Fall
Hiking Time: 4 hours.  Add in more time to play in the pools.
Directions: From Phoenix go North on Highway I-17 to the Sedona Exit, 179 turn right, this is FR618. Follow FR618 2 miles and turn left onto FR618A. Follow the signs to the trailhead.