# The Flume at Fossil Creek - Link: https://mywalkabout.net/the-flume-at-fossil-creek/ - Published: 2019-08-12T05:41:17-07:00 - Author: My Walkabout **Quiet as a mouse**, I close the door to the Flagstaff apartment. It is twenty degrees outside as I sit in the truck waiting for the windows to defrost. The snow atop Mount Humphrey is glistening in the moonlight. An hour later, just outside of Camp Verde, I find the dirt road that leads to the [Fossil Creek](http://azswimmingholes.com/fossil_creek.html) area. It is the last day one is allowed to enter for free, as April throughout October one must pay an entrance fee. Rumbling along for fourteen miles in the dust, I search for the trailhead. ![](https://i1.wp.com/mywalkabout.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/IMG_0716.jpg?fit =940%2C940&ssl=1) **Navigation is tricky out here** in the remote wilderness, and more than once I stop and survey the area before realizing I am in the wrong place. I come to a bridge with slow moving emerald pools beneath. I see a girl with a large pink flamingo floatation device. I must be getting close. I snag one of the few remaining spots left to park, then chat with a forest ranger about the start of the Flume trail. He suggests walking up the road about a mile, cross the creek, and start hiking. The river is moving swiftly, and for a spell I am dumbfounded as to where a safe place to cross would be. Perhaps the turquoise color of Fossil Creek has me under her spell. I take a chance and enter, finding a smooth river bed that is no more than a few inches deep. Quickly I am on the other side, my shoes soaked but no worse for wear. The Flume trailhead sign is before me. ![](https://i1.wp.com/mywalkabout.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/HipstamaticPhoto- 575744859.123981.jpg?fit=940%2C752&ssl=1) I soon find myself up in the hills, the soothing sounds of Fossil Creek far below me. I wonder if this trail is what I was searching for, until the water comes back into view. ![](https://i2.wp.com/mywalkabout.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/HipstamaticPhoto- 575751540.044182.jpg?fit=940%2C752&ssl=1) It is not a mirage, but a true oasis that I have found out here. Heading down the mountain, the sounds of Fossil Creek become, louder, clearer….. ![](https://i2.wp.com/mywalkabout.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/IMG_5046-1.jpg? fit=940%2C704&ssl=1) Fighting my way through the thick underbrush, I find a spot next to the creek to have a bite to eat. Three girls appear beneath me, ready to go skinny dipping until they see me. I smile in a not-threatening manner, then wave goodbye and leave them to their own endeavors. ### Share this: * [ Email ](https://mywalkabout.net/the-flume-at-fossil-creek/?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20The%20Flume%20at%20Fossil%20Creek&body=https%3A%2F%2Fmywalkabout.net%2Fthe-flume-at-fossil-creek%2F&share=email) * [Post](https://x.com/share) * [Share on Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/share) * [ WhatsApp ](https://mywalkabout.net/the-flume-at-fossil-creek/?share=jetpack-whatsapp) * [ Nextdoor ](https://mywalkabout.net/the-flume-at-fossil-creek/?share=nextdoor) * [ Threads ](https://mywalkabout.net/the-flume-at-fossil-creek/?share=threads) * [[ * [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) * [ Reddit ](https://mywalkabout.net/the-flume-at-fossil-creek/?share=reddit) ### Like this: Like Loading… ## Comments ### By: thegenxtravels - Link: https://mywalkabout.net/the-flume-at-fossil-creek/#comment-516 - Published: 2019-08-12T07:48:51-07:00 Another great post! Loading...