Is this the most BEAUTIFUL trail in Arizona?

Is this the most BEAUTIFUL trail in Arizona?

I don't know for sure. There is a lot of beauty in Arizona. But the White Mountains keep calling me back. The desert certainly has it's own beauty, but if you live there, it can leave you wanting pine forests, mountain streams and rainy weather. But Arizona has all of that too. About a 4 1/2 hour drive from Phoenix, Arizona lie the White Mountains. They are some of the most scenic mountains I've been to. And of all my trips up there, the West Baldy Trail is the one that calls be back the most.

There are a few ways to hike this trail. You can day hike it like we did. Take the West Baldy Trail up to the 'summit' and back. You start in a thick pine and aspen forest. It makes you think of Colorado more than Arizona. Soon after, you're treated with meadows surrounded by the pines. Running through the middle is the Little Colorado River. If you've seen the Little Colorado further downstream, it's amazing to see it's humble beginnings. Crystal clear water, creating a fly fisherman's utopia. Further up the trail, you enter a dense pine forest, filled with mushrooms, moss and the sound of running water. The Baldy Trail receives rain almost daily, adding to the atmosphere. Then things get serious. The trail steeply climbs up toward Mount Baldy. Eventually you find yourself in the midst of a forest of dead pines. I'm not sure if they died from avalanche or the Wallow Fire, but the change in scenery makes this feel like more of an adventure. Eventually, you will reach the top. But it's not the top. The summit of Mount Baldy is on White Mountain Apache land. It is a sacred place to the White Mountain Apache and I've heard you are not supposed to continue to the top without approval to do so. So that's where we turn around. If you have more time than we did, you can take the East Baldy Trail and make a loop out of your return. Regardless of what path you take, this is one of the most amazing and beautiful hikes (or backpacking trips) I've ever done here in Arizona. I cannot recommend it enough.

Music by Epidemic Sound:

Biome - Ever So Blue
Jamais perdu - Lo Mimieux
Spirals - Arden Forest
Organic Bijou - Ooyy