Tonto Creek - photo by Tony Padegimas
Tonto Creek begins life as a spring gushing from the side of the Mogollon Rim to run perennially south, through the Hellsgate Wilderness, until it seasonally evaporates into the high deserts north of Lake Roosevelt. On the slope of the rim, though, near its confluence with Horton Creek, sits Upper Tonto Creek Campground.
At 5500' feet elevation, and just 17 miles northeast of Payson, the campground offers easy access to the pine and oak forest, and occasional riparian habitats, that cover the slopes of the Mogollon Rim. A private concessionaire operates the campsite. Each of the nine large sites costs $14 for the first vehicle, $7 per vehicle after that (checks only - the camp host cannot accept cash or credit cards). The sites cannot be reserved; they are all first come, first serve. The sites feature tables, and fire rings with cooking grills. The campground itself offers vault toilets, trash service and potable water.
Once the tents (or hammocks) are set, though, there remains plenty to do: hiking, fishing, birding, or even a bit of paleontology.
Two trails wander off from the campground: the Horton Creek Trail and the Derrick Trail. Both join the Highline Trail about four miles up the slope. The Horton Trail, marked by a large signed trail head, is the more popular of the two, leading almost directly to the scenic oasis that surrounds Horton Springs, the source of Horton Creek. The trail head for the Derick is less obvious (in the middle of the campground across the road from the outhouse), and this frequently obstructed trail feels a lot fewer boots. The Highline Trail connects both of them, making a loop hike possible. Such a hike would take the better part of a day (bring a lunch) and is best approached starting up the Derrick, for the Derrick/Highline junction is not well marked, and can be easily missed if traveling east on the Highline.
Trout run in both Tonto and Horton Creek, and the banks are popular with anglers. Further up the road lies the Tonto Fish Hatchery. 
Operated by Arizona Game and Fish, the hatchery, which contains over a half million trout in four varieties (rainbow, cut-throat, brook and apache) can be reached by passenger car, and offers self-guided tours to visitors from 8am to 4pm daily. On a weekend, the hatchery might see up to 400 visitors. The highlight, for both humans and trout, is feeding time. Besides the hatchery itself, the streams around the hatchery are full of birds including heron, kingfisher and osprey.
Photo from AZ Game and Fish
A little farther east on AZ260 lies the paleological site (look for the sign to the right). While Paleozoic fossils have been found throughout the area, remnants of the shallow sea that once covered the southwestern US, this site features a fossil rich layer of sediment exposed for the convenience of visitors. Fossils can be removed (within reason), but the Paleozoic seas aren't coming back, so leave some fossils for the next visitor.
Upper Tonto Creek Campground can be reached by taking AZ260 northeast out of Payson for 16 miles, then turning north on forest road 289. The intersection is well-marked. Two day-use areas, both with tables and vault toilets are also nearby, and free of charge. One lies near the intersection, and the other is across the bridge from the campground.
Comments