Arizona · Hiking

Sycamore

11.9 mi
round trip
276 ft
climb
5,614 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Mar–May, Oct
best months

Is Sycamore open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Tonto National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Tonto National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Sycamore is a hard hike in the Tonto Basin Ranger District of Tonto National Forest in Arizona, managed by the Forest Service. The route is an out-and-back of about 12 miles, with a total elevation gain of 276 feet, and it rises from a low point of 2,642 feet to a high of 5,614 feet. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Payson show October highs around 76°F with lows near 41°F, and April highs around 72°F with lows near 36°F. That station sits about 760 feet lower than the high point, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The trail is open year-round, and the surface is natural. Bikes are allowed. The Arizona Trail and Edward's Park both lie about 0.7 miles away, and Boulder Mountain is about 4.3 miles off. For an overnight base, Indian Point Campground is about 8.8 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Mar–May, Oct

    Best time to visit Sycamore

    Best months: March–May and October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      56° / 26°

      5 wet

    2. Feb

      58° / 28°

      5 wet

    3. Mar

      65° / 32°

      5 wet

    4. Apr

      72° / 36°

      3 wet

    5. May

      80° / 43°

      2 wet

    6. Jun

      90° / 51°

      2 wet

    7. Jul

      93° / 60°

      8 wet

    8. Aug

      91° / 59°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      86° / 52°

      6 wet

    10. Oct

      76° / 41°

      4 wet

    11. Nov

      64° / 31°

      4 wet

    12. Dec

      55° / 26°

      5 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Payson, AZ, 28.3 mi away at 4,850 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

DiamondPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Diamond

~11 min drive

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Arizona TrailPhoto: Chris English, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Arizona Trail

~14 min drive

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BrownsPhoto: Chris English, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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~14 min drive

3.64-mile out-and-back trail in Arizona with 1,139 ft elevation gain.

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~13 min drive

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HIKE

Edward's Park

~1 min drive

A hard, rocky 9.05-mile out-and-back trail in Arizona connecting to Four Peaks, ideal for experienced hikers.

Arizona TrailPhoto: This illustration was made by Peter Potrowl. Please credit this with : © Peter Potrowl in the immediate vicinity of the image. A link to my website sitemai.eu would be much appreciated but isn't mandatory. An email to Peter Potrowl would be appreciated too. Do not copy this image illegally by ignoring the terms of the license below, as it is not in the public domain. If you would like special permission to use, license, or purchase the image please contact me Peter Potrowl to negotiate terms. More free pictures in my website. Donations are accepted here and here., CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Arizona Trail

~28 min drive

A 9.03-mile out-and-back trail in Arizona that connects to Passage 42 of the Arizona Trail system.

Palo VerdePhoto: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Palo Verde

~25 min drive

4.27-mile out-and-back trail in Arizona with 265 ft of elevation gain.

JojobaPhoto: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Jojoba

~26 min drive

Jojoba is a 2.40-mile out-and-back trail in Arizona with 73 ft of elevation gain.