The Grand Enchantment Trail features a wide diversity of elevation and climate. Lowland desert areas tend to remain mild throughout the winter, a time of year when the highest peaks sometimes see bitter cold and snow. By late spring, these same mountain heights offer a cool and pleasant retreat from the furnace-like heat of the arid deserts below. Summer brings monsoon rains to the entire region, often with violent thunderstorms and frequent lightning. Moderate temperatures prevail throughout the region in autumn, although this season can also be quite dry.

As on other long-distance trails, there is no such thing as an all-around "perfect" hiking season on the G.E.T. Although it is certainly possible to plan a hike that avoids climatic extremes, the long-distance game always requires a trade-off somewhere. On our route, the trade-off for a milder desert is a snowy summit and lively creek, or a drier hike with shorter days. It's a worthwhile trade-off, in most cases, since a majority of the route is desert or semi-arid, and when it's extremely hot here the hiking can become far less enjoyable.

Season and Direction of Travel

To avoid seasonal extremes, thru-hikers should plan to travel the 700 mile route in either spring or autumn. Each season has its pros and cons, and each offers a different perspective of the land and its weather, flora, and fauna. Direction of travel is likewise influenced by the season you choose to hike.

Eastbound in Spring

A Desert No More: Wet Spring in the Sonoran

A spring season thru-hike offers the advantages of ample drinking water, more hours of available daylight, and a chance to see the desert in bloom - which in particularly wet years can be spectacular. The highest elevations along the route can still harbor some snowpack, however. And a few creeks and rivers may be running quick and high with snowmelt. Negotiating snowpack and fording creeks can occasionally pose enough challenge that you would need to follow a detour around these obstacles, meaning that your hike might be a bit longer and perhaps not quite as ideal. That said, not every spring in this part of the country features mountain snowpack or high runoff. And it is both possible and desirable to adjust your itinerary to the seasonal conditions at hand.

Thistle in bloom, Aravaipa Canyon

Springtime thru-hikers would follow the G.E.T. eastbound from Phoenix to Albuquerque. This approach lets you traverse the most torrid regions before they really heat up, while it delays your arrival in the higher terrain of New Mexico until later in spring when conditions are generally favorable. Begin at Phoenix between March 10 and April 10, choosing an early-side start date in years of lower regional mountain snowpack, or a later-side start in heavier snow years. Finish at Albuquerque by the end of May in order to avoid summertime heat and sun.

See the Planner sections on weather, water, snowpack, and creek fording for further information on what to expect in spring.

Westbound in Autumn

Fall is generally a wonderful time of year for hiking, and this holds true in the Southwest as well. The sun is lower in the sky and less intense than in spring. Temperatures in the desert are beginning to moderate again, and in the mountains the air is dry and crisp, with the fall color of aspens on display. What's more, any spring snowpack is long gone by autumn, and most creeks run lower and gentler.

Maple forest, Canon Tajique NM

Sounds genuinely ideal, right? And a fall trek certainly can be. But before you commit to this season, first consider its unique challenges. For one, some water sources - particularly mountain creeks - are snowmelt dependent, and typically do not run once the spring snowpack is gone. Too, all drinking water along the route, to greater or lesser degrees, is dependent upon precipitation patterns, and autumn is usually a dry season in the Southwest. Summer rains may or may not be abundant, and their effects may or may not linger into fall. The upshot is that, on average, an autumn thru-hike will feature fewer available water sources, so you will need to carry more of it over greater distances.

Juniper berries near La Jencia Creek, New Mexico; edible pinyon pine nuts also ripen in fall of some years

Temperatures can be another concern. Specifically, overnight temperatures in the high country often approach or drop below the freezing mark, meaning you might need to carry a heavier sleeping bag and more clothing than in spring. And even though fall tends to be a dry season, early snowstorms can occasionally hit the highest terrain in late October, potentially slowing you down or necessitating a detour. Don't discount autumn's shorter days, either - they can noticeably decrease your daily mileage as the hike progresses, especially since night hiking isn't always feasible on a route that requires your attention. Trailside growth can be more lavish at this time of year, too, as can burrs and other stickers.

In fall, thru-hikers would begin in Albuquerque and travel westward toward Phoenix. Since the G.E.T. in New Mexico is, on average, higher and cooler than Arizona, this direction of travel decreases your exposure to the chilliest weather, while it finds you arriving in the lowest terrain later in autumn when the desert is milder. Begin at Albuquerque sometime between the 5th and 20th of September, or generally just after the summer monsoon has diminished. Finish near Phoenix before the end of November to avoid any early winter storms in the higher mountains.

See the Planner sections on weather, water, and creek fording for more information on fall season hiking

Yin & Yang: ocotillo and brittlebush blossom in spring, Sonoran desert (left); aspens aflame at 10k in fall, Mogollon Mtns (above)

Trek Planner: Hiking Pace4

3Trek Planner: Resupplying