In frontier times, this box canyon was a hideout for Butch Cassidy and Victorio’s Apaches. It follows an old water pipeline constructed in the 1890s by gold and silver miners to feed the mining town of Graham. From the parking area, ruins of old Graham Mill appear on the north side of the canyon. Only disciplined men with the balance of a cat could walk this 18-inch-diameter pipeline. Hence, the name stuck. Today, the metal walkway with four-foot-high metal mesh sides atop the pipeline and approximately 30 feet above the stream gives an innocuous sensation of being suspended in midair.

In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps converted this causeway into a hiking trail. In the 1960s, the U.S. Forest Service built the metal walkway. Over the years, renovations have restored flood damage.

Now there are two catwalk paths. A new, wider wheelchair-accessible track leads to an observation platform and then links with the 1.1-mile original, steeper, and narrower course. Signs interpret the biodiversity and local mining and milling history. An amphitheatre is another recent addition.

This lovely riparian resource with its rugged shadowy precipices, enormous boulders, and creaking metal grates exudes a hint of mystery. Protruding over the track are rocks worn smooth from years of erosion.

The Catwalk stops at a cavern ledge overlooking a refreshing waterfall. A narrow trail to the left of the bridge leads to an old pumping house. Beyond this point, the strenuous upward path stretches 10,000 feet to the Mogollon Mountains.

On a sultry summer day, this hiker enjoys pausing on the catwalk beneath massive Arizona walnuts, oaks, and cottonwood trees. The fresh sweet air is worth all the conveniences of a smoggy city.

It is also fun to watch anglers cast and talk with campers passing through. Another draw to this oasis is the teeming fauna and flora. It is important to look up and down to see local wildlife. From higher elevations, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and mule deer may peer down while grazing. Also lurking in the area though rarely seen are black bear and mountain lion.

On one occasion an adult Golden Eagle soared high above the parking area. Searching for insects, Violet-green Swallows and White-throated Swifts whipped through the air at lower levels. Remaining still and alert will improve one’s chances of seeing an American Dipper along a stream and Rock or Canyon Wrens hopping amongst stone outcroppings. Western Tanagers, Orioles, and several warbler species, including Painted Redstarts, often perch on branches or fly to cover. In winter, waterfowl frequent the close-by Glenwood Fish Hatchery. Occasionally, tree frogs, raccoons, and snakes are observed at both venues.