At once you will find Fish Creek to be more confined than Owl, though there are benches throughout its course upcanyon that offer places to camp. The trail proceeds at a gentle grade up the relatively straight canyon, crossing the wash and small intermittent stream many times ahead. Bulging Cedar Mesa walls soar overhead, seemingly held upright by an array of buttresses that are crowned with sculpted hoodoos. Always there is an overhanging cliff just below the rim. As you proceed deeper into the canyon, you'll begin passing ample evidence of beaver activity.
Dams impound the stream into long pools of quiet water.
Since the trail closely follows the stream, high water in the ponds and flash floods can erase the tread. Simply follow the wash upcanyon when the trail grows obscure. You pass only an occasional established campsite, though there is much potential for camping. Try to use a previously used site to reduce the spread of impact in this fragile desert environment. After walking 7.1 miles and perhaps 3.5 hours from the confluence, you reach a prominent fork in the canyon at 5,400 feet.