Coronado National Forest - Mt. Lemmon - Sunset Trail

Trail info: Length: Appx. 3 1/2 miles (out and back)
Last week I set out on one of the few short hikes on Mt. Lemmon, the Sunset Trail. You can access this short trail at either the far end of the parking lot at Marshall Gulch or off Catalina Highway across the street from the Butterfly trail head. This trail is not in all of the guides or named on many maps or even the Forest Service website, but it is there. I started out at Marshall Gulch as I wanted to hike along the stream there first. The trail goes downstream from the big parking lot and stays along the stream, but only for a little while. It quickly climbs away from the stream and up the hillside. While it offers many great views, this hike traverses through a lot of dead forest, a result of the fires a few years ago. The trail is not too difficult and has only a few areas of climbing over rocks. With so many dead trees you are exposed to the sun regularly on this one which made this hike a bit warm. There were some pretty flowers in bloom and some nice overlooks which made the hike worth doing, but I wouldn't put it high on my list of hikes to go back an do again. One excellent view, which is a nice sunset spot (see photo above) is probably how the trail got its name can be easily reached by hiking from the trail head at Catalina Highway down (most of that trek is along a forest road for cabin access), and is likely no more than about 2/3 of a mile to reach. I spent some time at this spot gazing into the valley below and ultimately laying down to relax while a refreshing breeze sweeping across the hillside kept me comfortable. It was certainly a peaceful hike and I never ran into anyone else hiking it which provided some nice moments of solitude and letting the mind wander.

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