The 10 Best Cliff Jumping Spots in Arizona
Arizona has 38 documented cliff jumping spots on CliffScout, 27 of them community-verified. These are the standouts — ranked by verification, documentation, and community activity, not hype. Every listing links to a full page with photos, heights, and access notes.
Arizona's cliff jumping is centered on its desert rivers, creeks, and reservoirs. The Mogollon Rim and Verde River country hold the classics — Fossil Creek, Tanque Verde Falls near Tucson, Slide Rock and Grasshopper Point in Oak Creek Canyon, and the travertine pools of the Salt River. To the north, the Havasupai Reservation's Havasu and Mooney Falls are world-famous (and permit-only, with steep fines for jumping). Around Phoenix, Saguaro, Canyon, and Roosevelt lakes draw summer crowds. Water runs warm spring through fall, but monsoon flash floods are a real, lethal hazard from July to September — never jump when storms threaten upstream.
- 1
Sheeps Bridge Verified
Black Canyon City
Sheep Bridge is a steel suspension footbridge over the Verde River in Tonto National Forest, a 1989 replica of the original 1943 sheep-driving crossing. Access is via a long, rough dirt road (FR 269, high-clearance recommended),… Full guide →
- 2
Childs Powerplant Verified
Camp Verde
Childs Power Plant sits on the Verde River in Coconino National Forest, roughly 30 miles southeast of Camp Verde, Arizona (not reachable only by a 25-mile canoe trip, as sometimes described). Reach it via Highway 260 east to… Full guide →
- 3
Saguaro Lake (Butcher Jones) Verified
Fort McDowell · jumps 6–35 ft
Saguaro Lake, near Mesa/Fort McDowell in Tonto National Forest's Lower Salt River corridor, has a well-known cluster of jump ledges near Butcher Jones Recreation Site, reached by trail along the cliffs west of the beach or by… Full guide →
- 4
Mooney Falls Verified
Grand Canyon
Mooney Falls is Havasupai's tallest waterfall, a roughly 200-foot travertine cascade reached by descending chains, ladders, and bolts drilled into the cliff just past the campground. The exposed climb has been fatal for careless… Full guide →
- 5
Havasu Falls (Havasupai Indian Reservation) Verified
Grand Canyon
Havasu Falls is a real, famous travertine waterfall on the Havasupai Reservation, reached only by an 8-mile hike (or helicopter/mule) from Hualapai Hilltop through Supai village; advance tribal permits are mandatory, extremely… Full guide →
- 6
Navajo Falls Verified
Grand Canyon
Navajo Falls sits about half a mile upstream from Havasu Falls, split into Upper and Lower tiers after a 2008 flash flood rerouted Havasu Creek. Upper Navajo Falls flows into a deep, calm pool popular for swimming and floating,… Full guide →
- 7
Patagonia Lake (Ash Canyon cliffs) Verified
Patagonia · jumps 8–40 ft
Patagonia Lake State Park sits about an hour south of Tucson, and Ash Canyon, its eastern arm, is a genuine and frequently cited cliff-jumping area reachable mainly by rented canoe, kayak, or paddleboat from the marina for… Full guide →
- 8
Slide Rock State Park Verified
Sedona
Slide Rock State Park sits on Oak Creek in Oak Creek Canyon, about 7 miles north of Sedona on AZ-89A (address is 6871 N Hwy 89A, Sedona — not the 'Junipine Circle' previously listed). Entry fee applies; the park runs 8am-5pm,… Full guide →
- 9
Fossil Creek Falls Verified
Strawberry · jumps ~20 ft
Fossil Creek Falls is the signature swimming hole and cliff-jump spot on spring-fed, travertine Fossil Creek between Camp Verde and Strawberry, Arizona. A parking permit (about $6/vehicle via Recreation.gov) is required April… Full guide →
- 10
Toilet Bowl - Fossil Creek Verified
Strawberry
The Toilet Bowl is the swimming hole at Fossil Creek's decommissioned old diversion dam, reached via the Fossil Springs Trail (about 8 miles round-trip) from the Mail trailhead area near Strawberry; a reserved day-use parking… Full guide →
Exact coordinates, water depths, and community clips for every spot above:
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Cliff jumping in Arizona: common questions
Where is the best cliff jumping in Arizona?
The most popular spots are Fossil Creek, Tanque Verde Falls (Tucson), the Salt River, Slide Rock and Grasshopper Point in Oak Creek Canyon, and the Phoenix-area lakes (Saguaro, Canyon, Roosevelt). Havasu and Mooney Falls on the Havasupai Reservation are iconic but require a permit.
Is cliff jumping legal in Arizona?
It varies by spot. Many lake and river spots are tolerated, but several — including the Havasupai falls — prohibit jumping and enforce fines. Always check local rules and posted signs; CliffScout notes restrictions where we know them.
When is the best time to cliff jump in Arizona?
Late spring through early fall, when water is warm and flows are stable. Avoid the July–September monsoon season after rain — desert canyons flash flood fast and have killed jumpers.
Browse the full list: all 38 spots in Arizona