I am so glad I found living water within an hour of me!! This makes my time stuck here in the desert much easier. It was 4th of July and there were 4 picnic sites at the needle rock pull off area / parking lot.
There was one other group at the first set of tables but the rest were open. We made lunch and ate and marveled at how green it was. After lunch and a clean bathroom break we followed a trail going in the general direction of water according to the Google maps.
There was a family already at the first spot we saw to get to the river so we just walked another 5 minutes down the trail until we found a secret hiding spot in a corner of the river that was moving much much slower than the rapids part in the middle. The water was freezing cold so we just sat at the edge and kept cool in the 115° day.
There were all kinds of desert forest plants and animals. I actually didn't get bit by anything even though I usually do. The rushing river made a beautiful sound. It was so peaceful, private and enjoyable.
The many many birds were singing beautifully. I truly enjoyed my little spot. I can't wait to go back and take other trails to see where they lead. Maybe to a sandy beach somewhere?? Possibly!! I'm just glad to have living water. It is crucial to my existence to connect with nature at least once a season and now I have a place I can go to.
We paid the $12 for a tonto pass and put the ticket in the window but never saw anyone checking for the tickets.
We didn't go that far into the park. Maybe a mile or so before we pulled into one of the parking lots. It said Needle Rock on a sign at the turn off but never found any other signs for it when we got out of the car so I still don't know where it is.