Photo by Mare Czinar LaBarge Narrows

LaBarge Narrows
Not for the novice hiker, this combination hike and cross-county exploration leads to a breathtaking, secluded box canyon with a tiny, riparian eco-system. The adventure follows Boulder Canyon Trail No. 103 along a desert ridge above Canyon Lake Marina to the 2.9-mile point where the main trail turns right. From there, leave the trail and bushwhack down into the creek canyon. Here, the hike becomes a cross-country boulder scramble. The destination appears as a prominent, pyramid-shaped outcropping upstream – use that as your guide.
As the route traverses the rugged sycamore-and-bear-grass-lined washes, the going gets progressively tougher until, at the entrance to the “narrows,” the canyon is choked with massive, quartz-encrusted monoliths. However, hikers in good shape will have no trouble picking through the rocks to reach the goal. Within the towering walls of the narrows, golden Velvet ash trees dot the shores of tiny pools like windswept beacons of light. Darting flocks of canyon wrens, chattering cardinals and roosting hawks find food and shelter among the cattails, reeds and willows that feast on the precious waters of LaBarge Creek.
Length: 9.4 miles roundtrip
Rating: moderate–difficult
Elevation: 1,600–2,400 feet
Getting there: From Phoenix, take Highway 60 east to Apache Junction to the Highway 88 (Idaho Road) exit. Turn left at the off-ramp light and continue on Hwy. 88 for approximately 15 miles to the Canyon Lake Marina between mileposts 210 and 211. The trail begins at the sign for Boulder Canyon Trail No. 103 across the road.
Fee: A Tonto Pass ($6 daily fee per vehicle) is required to park at the marina.
Information: Call the Mesa Ranger District, 480-610-3300, or visit fs.fed.us/r3/tonto.