Barnhardt Trail

A long, steady climb into the Mazatzal Wilderness south of Payson, past red rock canyon walls to a seasonal waterfall that runs best after rain.

The Barnhardt Trail starts at the end of Forest Road 419, about 5 miles of dirt off SR 87 south of Payson, and is one of the busiest trails in the Mazatzal Wilderness. It climbs on long switchbacks up the side of Barnhardt Canyon, with red rock walls and views back east, to a waterfall in a side canyon. The falls don't run all year, so go after rain, but stay out of the canyon if flash floods are possible. The full trail keeps climbing about 6 miles to the Mazatzal Divide Trail.

Parking

No parking details yet.

Trailhead: Barnhardt Trailhead (end of Forest Road 419).

Fee

Free

Dogs

Dogs on leash

Shade

Not confirmed yet

Hazards

• Long uphill grades on the way in.
• Avoid the waterfall canyon when there's a flash-flood risk.

Best months

1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D

September to May, when the average high in Phoenix is under 90°F.

Trail map

Barnhardt Trail on OpenStreetMap

Sources

9 sources · last verified Oct 2, 2026. Report a change

Photo: Matrixupgrade · CC BY-SA 4.0

Where each fact comes from

• Barnhardt Trail #43 — OpenStreetMap checked 2026-10-02
• Trails — Tonto National Forest (Barnhardt Trail #43: 5.8 miles, "long uphill grades", "one of the heaviest-used trails in the Mazatzal Wilderness") checked 2026-10-02
• Free: the Tonto trail listing for Barnhardt Trail #43 lists no fee or pass (our reading) checked 2026-10-02
• Tonto National Forest — FAQs ("Pets are welcome, but must be kept on a leash") checked 2026-10-02
• Barnhardt Trailhead — OpenStreetMap checked 2026-10-02
• Barnhardt Waterfall Trail — 10Adventures (updated 2026-08-24) checked 2026-10-02
• Barnhardt Trail — Arizona Highways (undated) checked 2026-10-02
• Barnhardt Hiking Trail — AZ Utopia (undated; "FEES: None") checked 2026-10-02
• Best months: normal high under 90°F, Payson Airport 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI) checked 2026-10-02