Down to Earth in Lake Havasu: Arizona’s Playground
While 400 miles of stunning coastline form Arizona’s West Coast, 1,800 miles of trails are perfect territory for hiking, cycling and off-roading in Arizona’s Playground—from…
Crack in the Mountain Trail
Crack in the Mountain Trail
Overview
This scenic trail passes through one of the most famous slot canyons on the Lower Colorado. It ends at a scenic cove on the lake beside Balance Rock, a huge rock mass precariously balanced atop a narrow column of stone. Bighorn sheep are often present.
The Crack in the Mountain Trail, known by locals as "SARA's Crack," primarily follows a natural wash down to Lake Havasu, but the blue and green trails were established by Tim O'Connor in 1986. Balance Rock has been climbed by members of the Leaping Lizards Tribe.
Details
Rating: 4.0Trailhead Location: SARA Park
GPS Coordinates: 34.443710, -114.264892
Trail Length: 5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate with climbing
Time to Trailhead: 15 minutes
Time Commitment: 3-4 hrs
Vehicle: Car
Directions to Trailhead:
Drive south on Hwy 95 to McCulloch Blvd (mile post 177). Turn right and travel ¾ mile to the parking lot in SARA Park on the right (elev 860 ft).
Trail Route Instructions:
NOTE: For several days after a rain, water may block your passage through the crack! Check the bulletin board in the parking lot or with returning hikers before you attempt to go through. If it is blocked, you may take the blue trail at mile post .8 to reach Balance Rock Cove on the lake.
- To begin your hike, go through the gate at SARA Park (Special Activities Recreation Area) and follow either trail (yellow or red) down to the canyon, which eventually narrows to an arms width, tumbling down a series of dry falls through the crack.
- Except for a seven-foot dry fall, you can, with care, readily negotiate the drops.
- The seven-footer is smooth and can be slid down, like in a playground. It is possible to climb back up on the rocks alongside the waterfall.
- If you proceed down the wash and into the slot canyon, the crack widens just before mile 1.4. Those not wishing to walk the additional mile to the lake can ascend the right bank on a trail which climbs to the upper route (blue trail) for the return .
- Otherwise, continue down the wash. When blocked by greenery, go up the trail on the right (blue trail) then cut left on the spur to the green trail over to the campsite at Balance Rock Cove (elev 450 ft) for a one-way total hike of 2.5 miles.
- The return is usually made all the way back on the upper route which meets the yellow and red trails.
- If you intend to spend more than 20 minutes within 200 feet of the campsite at Balance Rock, the user fee is $10 a day for up to six (6) people, with a $2 fee for each additional person. If you intend to camp, an additional overnight fee of $10 is good until 9 a.m. the following day.
- Fee ballards, known as ""iron rangers,"" are located onsite beside the picnic table. Funds should be deposited in the permit envelope and dropped inside the ballard. You must present a use permit upon demand to any authorized Bureau of Land Management official inspecting the site.
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