In June, KD and I took a quick one night trip into Aravaipa Canyon. This was an excellent outing as we had great weather and didn't encounter anyone else. Aravaipa is one Arizona's classic riparian hikes and it was a pleasure to spend the majority of the hike in or near the water.
We accessed the canyon via the west, more heavily used, trailhead. The BLM issues a limited number of permits for the canyon so be sure to contact them before heading out. At the time of our visit, access via the more remote eastern trailhead was closed due to a conflict with a landowner: Arizona Daily Star article on the situation. High Country News has an interesting article on the situation that discusses how this is a growing problem in the American West.
