Sandy Beach via Cottonwood

10.2 mi · ▲ 333 ft · 3 hr 34 min

Sandy Beach via Cottonwood is a 10.2-mile out-and-back near Horse Mesa, AZ. The route reaches Sandy Beach at the turnaround, 5.1 miles in. It climbs 333 ft and is mostly sand. It scores 93/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi1,536 – 1,913 ft10.2 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 33.62366, -111.44870
Nearest town Horse Mesa, AZ

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Sandy Beach via Cottonwood

10.2 mi · ▲ 333 ft · 3 hr 34 min

Elevation 1,535–1,913 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: 33.62366, -111.44870

Weather Sep 4: Partly cloudy, high 97°F / low 82° · precip 11% · wind 8 mph · sunrise 6:03 AM · sunset 6:49 PM

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
  2. 100 ftBear right onto Cottonwood, heading SE.
  3. 0.6 miTurn right, heading S.
  4. 4.5 miReach Sandy Beach, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  5. 5.1 miBear left, heading NW.
  6. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

89% sand11% unspecified

Weather

Partly cloudyTemperature 97°F82°
Feels like93°Precip11%Wind8 mphUV8Humidity27%
Rained 0.1″ 4 days ago
Hourly temperature
100°80°
Sunrise 6:03 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 6:49 PM
Sat 98°78°
Sun 98°79°
Mon 99°83°
Tue 101°83°
Wed 101°83° 32%
Thu 97°78° 28%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.0 mi in (~73 min). Leave by 5:16 PM for the 6:49 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:24 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby