Wet Beaver Campground
Wet Beaver Creek Picnic and Day Use Area offers easy access to Wet Beaver Creek, a perennial creek in the desert. The riparian forest of tall Cottonwoods and Sycamores with a rich understory of vegetation offers good birding and a cool respite on a hot day. The fee site is a very popular swimming spot in the warmer months and can get very crowded, but early morning visitors looking for birds will usually beat the crowds. Social trails follow the stream in both directions with trails on the non-fee side of the road usually offering the most solitude.
This ebird hotspot is labeled as Wet Beaver Creek Campground and Day Use area in ebird as it was a campground until 2019 before being converted to a picnic area. Ebird lists 136 species including Common Black Hawk, Bridled Titmouse, and Phainopepla. Be sure to also explore the desert scrub habitat areas up and down forest Road 618 outside of the forested area to find desert species.
Site Information
Region: North Central
County: Yavapai
Directions: From Interstate 17, take the AZ 179 exit (Exit #298) and drive 2.5 miles southeast on FR 618 to the picnic area. There are two areas to park. The picnic area on the left is a fee area and the small parking lot on the right which holds about 8 cars is a non-fee area.
Latitude: 34.674208
Longitude: -111.718181
Operational Hours: Open all year, 24 hours a day
Admission or Fees: Fee and non-fee areas
Best time to visit: The birding is good any time of year but mid-April though June is best for nesting species.
Habitats: Desert, Stream or river
Know Before You Go
There is drinking water and vault toilets in the fee use area and portajohns in the non-fee area.
Safety First! Arizona has many beautiful places to explore and we’d like to help you make it a safe and enjoyable experience. Check out our recommendations for hiking precautions.
Species Highlights
Speciality: Abert’s Towhee, Juniper TItmouse, Lucy’s Warbler
Charismatic: American Kestrel, Phainopepla
Contact Information
Coconino National Forest - Red Rock Ranger District
US Forest Service
8375 State Route 179
Sedona, AZ 86341
Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=74377
Additional Resources
Learn more about birds reported at this location at eBird:
https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1064227
