Second Water Trail is a 10.9 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Apache Junction, Arizona that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
backpacking
birding
camping
hiking
nature trips
walking
views
wild flowers
wildlife
over grown
rocky
scramble
off trail
no shade
Did the full loop that turned into a total of almost 13 miles and 7 hours. Absolutely loved it! I would rate it easy to slightly moderate. I would suggest wearing pants and very comfortable shoes. You hike mostly on rocks/boulders that started killing my feet. Lots of overgrown bushes and nice ponds of water. The views of the mountains are amazing. Would definitely do this again. There were also very few people doing this trail.
Jo Li M.
Nice trail
Went to right—hiked til we hit Long uphill wash. No noticiblr trail. Turned around. Wash went uphill.
Great trail. 2 hours hats my limits!! Thanks
4/6 of the way through this trail camping in a tent with my son. Such a beautiful trail.
Jo Li M.
Loved this trail ! Easy hike !
Went 2 weekends ago for the first time. Absolutely beautiful. A few “ups” but you wind up walking on flat ground for some of it. Was unable to do the full loop.. went about 2.5 miles in. Highly recommend.
Take more water. It's 3.6 there and 3.6 back. Very pretty and relaxing
Beautiful hike today
My wife and I are new to hiking and we agree "moderate" is an appropriate ranking. The only somewhat challenging part around halfway through when you cross the river(a bunch of times) it was easy to get off trail... that may be due to our novice skill level but overall we had a blast!
Loved this walk! We crossed 4 streams. Saw amazing meadows and great mountain views. Fairly easy vs moderate.
This trail is really cool especially in January when there is water in the creek. We took this to Battleship Mountain and climb it. It turned out to be one of the best hikes in the area in my opinion. Great views of Box canyon and weavers needle from top. Love!
Beautiful canyon, both dry and flowing creeks, with lots of plant life. We went in March - perfect weather - not too hot. We parked at the horse trailer parking spot, which is on the left side, about an 1/8 to 1/4 mile before the First Water Trailhead. Hop the horse hitching post and use the trail heading North-East. It is not marked as being a trailhead, but is the only trail from that spot that I am aware of. It only takes a few minutes before you are already walking in or next to a creek bed. Gorgeous views! It loops around with a spectacular view of Weever's Needle, climbs in elevation, then exits at the First Water Trailhead where we walked back on the main road back to our vehicle. Take much more water than you think you need - it is a long trail. See attached pics.
Augustus C.
We hiked this trail yesterday beginning at First Water Trail which is about an eighth of a mile east of Lost Dutchman State Park entrance. The road (FR78) leading to the parking lot is dirt and can be pretty rough on your vehicle if you exceed 20 - 25 mph. Once at the parking lot you should sign into the guest book provided by the National Park Service. The trail is about eight miles in length round trip unless you want to continue to Boulder Canyon. I consider the trail to be moderate to difficult. Make sure you have plenty of water - 2.5 liters or more. Wear sun blocker/screen for UV protection and hats. Our experience was enjoyable hiking to and from. There is a lot of loose rock and gravel, so be careful as you hike as twisting an ankle can happen very easy. Enjoy!
Well it broke a 100 today. I was the only one on the trail. I hiked part way down the Boulder Canyon Trail. Flowers are in bloom and I saw A Turtle in a small pool. I want to do do this one again but all the way to Canyon Lake and back.
The worst part of todays hike was the BUGS, next time long pants and a long sleeve shirt my Deet did not help today.
nice easy trail, nice green mesa. did once when it started raining and all the washes were running. be careful of that. but every other time a nice walk for beginners.