Arizona whitewater - Tonto Creek, Mogollon Rim Mountains, Gila County

Gila county, Box section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS IV(V)     2 miles
  This section of Tonto Creek is 2 miles long and it is classified as a class IV(V) section by American Whitewater. The average Arizona whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be harder to run than those in other states, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that a lot of the rivers here are not suitable for beginners. The wild scenery of the Mogollon Rim Mountains is great. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but do book a room
    before you come because it is a very popular destination. A good workout and a chance to spend some time outdoors will have you coming back for more. This stretch is short so no need to bring snacks. The wonderful Gila County scenery and the playfulness of the water beats anything.
The Box stretch is the only paddling stretch along Tonto Creek. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way this is an area with not too many other rivers for that.

Briefly about the general area:
Go for a hike on the Old Mail Trail, and the beauty of mother nature reveals herself at Mud Spring. The warmest time of the year at Tonto Creek arrives with high temperatures in the 90's. When the night sets in temperatures dip down into the 50's. The winter comes with highs in the 50's with winter lows in the 20's overnight here
 
at Tonto Creek.
At this river you will never have a bad time. A spree to Tonto Creek wouldn't be complete without taking a look at Reed Spring. Tonto Creek is pretty dried out usually; the wettest month of the year is usually August, that's the one that rains the most while June is mostly the driest month. Having a fine time in the Mogollon Rim Mountains is uncomplicated. Since you're here at Tonto Creek why not take a look at Reed Gulch, and there are splendid sites to explore along the Del Shay Trail.

Tonto Creek, Box road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: IV(V)
Length: 2 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 33.99969
Longitude: -111.3026

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 33.9718
Longitude: -111.3128

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Current weather conditions at Tonto Creek, Mogollon Rim Mountains, Arizona
WXPort

Local climate location: PAYSON 11 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Kohls Ranch Lodge, Payson
11 miles away
Located on the Banks of Tonto Creek in the largest Ponderosa Pine Forest in the world, Kohl*s Ranch Lodge is historically famous for its western hospitality. The Lodge is near the Mogollon Rim in the ...

Paysonglo Lodge, Payson
14 miles away
Nestled among the majestic mountains of the Mogollon Rim lies a unique and serene Payson Arizona hotel: Paysonglo Lodge. The perfect spot for a Payson AZ hotel getaway. Here in Payson we offer more...

Days Inn And Suites Of Payson, Payson
14 miles away
Welcome to the Days Inn & Suites of Payson. When you are visiting Payson next, take refuge in this comfortable interior hotel. Experience the difference and we are sure you will make it your home aw...



OTHER_INFO
  Mogollon Rim Mountains Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Mogollon Rim Mountains.

Mogollon Rim Mountains Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Mogollon Rim Mountains.

All Arizona Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Arizona.
Books about whitewater paddling on Tonto Creek, Arizona
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Tonto Creek, Arizona.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Arizona

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Payson, Arizona
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Payson, Arizona, the metro area neareast to Tonto Creek. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Tonto Creek.
 Whitewater Near Tonto Creek:
East Verde River, Gila County , 23 miles away, Class V+ - 34 miles long (US Route 87 to Verde River confluence)
Verde River, Yavapai / Maricopa County , 25 miles away, Class I-II - 19 miles long (Horseshoe Reservoir to Bartlett Reservoir)
Verde River, Maricopa County , 29 miles away, Class I-II - 19 miles long (Bartlett Reservoir to confluence with Salt River)
Verde River, Yavapai County , 29 miles away, Class I-III - 25 miles long (Childs to Horseshoe Reservoir)
 Ski Areas Near Tonto Creek:
Arizona Snowbowl, Arizona , 82 miles away, 2300 vertical feet
Williams, Arizona , 93 miles away, 600 vertical feet
Mount Lemmon Ski Valley, Arizona , 95 miles away, 950 vertical feet
Sunrise Park, Arizona , 120 miles away, 1800 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Tonto Creek:
Kohls Ranch Lodge, Payson , 11 miles away
Paysonglo Lodge, Payson , 14 miles away
Days Inn And Suites Of Payson, Payson , 14 miles away
Pine Victorian Inn, Payson , 14 miles away
Holiday Inn Express Payson, Az, Payson , 15 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Tonto Creek:
Punkin Center Trailer Corral, Tonto Basin, 3 miles away
Sleepy Hallow RV Park, Tonto Basin, 3 miles away
Jakes Corner RV Park, Tonto Basin, 3 miles away
 Trails Near Tonto Creek:
Del Shay Trail, Gila County , 5 miles away,  9.4 hiking miles, 2132 feet elevation difference
Old Mail Trail, Gila County , 7 miles away,  10.2 hiking miles, 2203 feet elevation difference
Shake Tree Trail, Gila County , 10 miles away,  10.2 hiking miles, 2355 feet elevation difference
Denton Trail, Gila County , 11 miles away, 4.9 hiking miles, 3521 feet elevation difference
Boulder Creek Trail, Maricopa County , 11 miles away, 4.5 hiking miles, 1533 feet elevation difference
Barnhardt Trail, Gila County , 13 miles away,  11.6 hiking miles, 2143 feet elevation difference
Pine Mountain Trail, Maricopa County , 14 miles away, 4.3 hiking miles, 1829 feet elevation difference
 National Parks Near Tonto Creek:
Tonto National Monument, Roosevelt - AZ , 30 miles away
Montezuma Castle National Monument, Camp Verde - AZ , 49 miles away

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater