How to Properly Hike The Spencer Trail in Lees Ferry Arizona
I consider the Spencer Trail in Lees Ferry Arizona to be one of the best hikes I’ve ever done, but at the same time there are many wrong ways to do it and if you’re planning to try it, this guide is going to help you do it properly.
Quick info on the Spencer Trail at Lees Ferry AZ:
- Name: Spencer Trail
- Location: Lees Ferry Arizona (within Marble Canyon)
- Hiking distance: 4 miles
- Difficulty: Hard
- Rating: 5 out of 5
- Recommended hike? Yes, but because it’s difficult I would not recommend it if it’s during a warm/hot season or if you’re injured. This hike is very scenic just about the entire way and there’s also a lot of things all around it worth seeing too.
Things to know:
- Timing: Do this hike when it’s cold or early in the morning!
- Bring hiking poles: They will help with the difficulty of this hike (recommended: Trailbuddy trekking poles).
- Hiking supplies: The most important thing is water. 1 bottle is good during winter, 3-4 during summer.
- Endurance: It’s a short hike but it is steep and the elevation is huge here so you will need to be tough to do this hike. I have a post on why hiking is such a complete lower body workout that has advice on this stuff, but overall if you do a lot of hiking, you should be fine for this trail.
Starting out:
You’ll need to first enter Marble Canyon which is located it the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and drive along the Lees Ferry Road till the end. Basically just head to the Spencer Trailhead.
Do note that you will need to pay to get into Marble Canyon and it’s $40 per car and the closer you get to the trailhead, the worse your cell phone reception will get. However the drive to the trailhead is very scenic and I do recommend checking out the other spots along the road before/after you do this hike (like the Balanced Rocks).
Beginning on the Spencer Trail:
You’ll stop at a large parking area and see a trailhead sign for Spencer Trail. You’ll also see old museum houses around the area and I recommend exploring that if you have the time as it’s one of the many attractions there. When looking at the Spencer Trail from the bottom, it’s tough to imagine that there is actually a trail that goes up to the mountain you’ll be hiking, but as you make your way through the trail, it’ll make sense.
Be ready to hike through a lot of switch backs:
There were at least 15-20 of them but the good news is that the views from this trail are incredible pretty much the entire way, even shortly after you start on the trail and make your way up. You’ll see the Colorado River from better and better angles. Here’s one of them:
Reaching the top:
As you get to the top, there will be a trail marker stick in the ground which you will use to then go back down, but while you are up there, enjoy the views of the Colorado River, Marble Canyon, the Vermilion Cliffs and even Page Arizona which is on the other side of the overlook. If you are able to, I would recommend trying this hike around sunset so you’re able to see these amazing views and add in a nice sunset to it which is what I did and this is especially good if you do this hike when it’s warmer (it’ll just be cooler during sunset).
5) Hiking back to the trailhead:
Once you’re ready, you’ll descend back down the exact same trail. Going down to me is more fun and I like to do it quickly, but you should be careful not to fall. The trail isn’t exactly skinny where you’re on a ledge or anything, but there are spots where you will want to be careful and slowly make your way down (and up). You will have steps in certain parts of the trail and areas where you will likely need to use your hands and feet together to progress.
If you hike the Spencer trail like I did during the winter, there’s a good chance that you’ll have to deal with ice in some parts of it. The further up you go, the more steep and difficult the trail will get but as you go down, the further down you go, the more sandy and easier the trail will become.
Conclusions on the Spencer Trail:
As I said before, I think the Spencer Trail is one of the best hikes in Arizona that I’ve done and I liked it so much that I would gladly do it again in the future (and when it’s cold again). It was a great experience for me and one that I will share with anyone I bring to this area. I hope this simple guide helps you enjoy this trail too and if you have any questions about the Spencer Trail in Lees Ferry or things to do in the area, let me know!
I just wanted to comment because I did everything wrong with this hike. I went up in 82 degrees (28 celcius). I didn’t bring enough water OR food and went in the middle of the day, exposing myself constantly to the sun, since there is no shade to been found.
This was all because I hadn’t looked closely enough at the trail details and greatly misjudged it. I almost gave up on so many occasions, but I made it in the end. On the way down the lack of water and food brought me really on the brink of being in danger, but by then there was only one choice, to keep going. I will never forget this hike, and learned a very valuable lesson. The reward reaching the top was huge, but only undertake this hike well prepared.
Hi Eric, I’m glad you were able to finish the Spencer Trail despite these conditions and I hope you’re OK now. I think it’s worth trying this hike again in the future, but during winter season or during the other periods when it’s safer to hike it like I mentioned above. In any case, I would also recommend you check out the Cathedral Wash trail nearby next time you’re there.