Mount Baldy Loop - Escaping the Arizona Heat

Escape the Arizona summer heat with an unforgettable backpacking adventure in the beautiful Mount Baldy Wilderness!

In this video, we tackle the challenging 16.5-mile Mount Baldy Loop, combining the West Baldy Trail, Crossover Trail, and East Baldy Trail. With over 4,000 feet of elevation gain and hundreds of deadfall trees to navigate, this loop is no walk in the park—but the rewards are incredible.

One of the highlights of this route is the perennial West Fork of the Little Colorado River, which flows alongside a 3–4 mile stretch of the West Baldy Trail. Along the creek, you'll find roughly a half-dozen established campsites, making this an excellent destination for a weekend backpacking trip.

While Phoenix was experiencing triple-digit temperatures, Mount Baldy offered perfect mid-June weather, with daytime highs around 79°F and nighttime lows near 49°F.

The Mount Baldy Loop is one of our favorite backpacking destinations and is especially well-suited for couples or hiking partners with different experience levels and hiking speeds. A less experienced hiker can begin at the West Baldy Trailhead and enjoy a relatively flat hike of just a few miles to camp, while a stronger hiker can start at the East Baldy Trailhead and complete the more demanding 10–11 mile approach, with 4,000' of elevation gain, up in the 11,000' altitude before meeting up at camp.

We had an amazing weekend exploring this rugged and beautiful wilderness area, and we hope this video provides enough information and inspiration for newer backpackers to feel confident planning their own adventure.

Let's Go!!!