North of Clarkdale, at the end of a long, twisting road that starts out paved and ends as a rough dirt path, you’ll find the Parsons Trailhead. And following the Parsons Trail about a mile into Sycamore Canyon — first down a rocky slope, then along a sandy path, shaded by cottonwoods and sycamores, that parallels the canyon’s namesake creek just north of where it empties into the Verde River — will take you to Summer Spring.