Coronado National Forest - Mt. Lemmon - Oracle Ridge + Red Ridge Trails

Trail info.: Length: (done as a loop - Oracle Ridge to Catalina Camp to Red Ridge) 7.3 miles (+ hike back to vehicle at trail head) appx. 2 miles = about 9.3 miles round trip, Elevation: (low-high) 5680-8160
Location: Red Ridge trail head is off the ski road, Oracle Ridge trail head is a short distance down the control road from the fire station

It was another beautiful day for hiking with mostly sunny skies and a gentle, cool breeze making for a pleasant temperature. At first Oracle Ridge trail passes through many burnt up trees and I figured on another trail through nothing but charred remains from the fires. However, I was delighted at the abundant wildflowers and areas that the fires missed leaving plenty of smaller plants thriving. On the positive side, even where the trees had burned, there were many unobstructed views where I could see for miles in all directions. I would say incredible views would be the prime feature of this high elevation trail.
The trail was at times rocky and part of the way it followed what once was a rough road undoubtedly created to access Catalina Camp in the valley below. The miles ticked off quickly on this mostly level to downhill ridge top trail. It wasn't long before I made it to a trail junction with the Catalina Camp trail and began heading off down the hill. It was a bit steep and rocky in places, making me wonder how even in good condition you could get a vehicle down this road. The trail wandered on down the mountain to the camp. I was curious as to what this camp would be like as it is marked on my map but nowhere could I find any information about it. It turns out to only be a closed off 1 room shack with a storage shed nearby. More like the remains of a camp.
Historical, yes, but nothing to offer the weary hiker in search of rest. It was apparent as I hiked around that this is a popular overnight destination; although, I never ran into another soul on my hike today. There were remains of campsites along a small stream which I'm guessing flows year round as it had quite a flow to it considering it's September. I hung out and enjoyed a snack here while listening to the soothing sounds of the stream. As I hiked on I became worried as I temporarily lost the trail and it was at times difficult to distinguish the actual trail in this area verses paths other campers had made or that water running off the mountain had created on its way to the stream. Thankfully, after some prayer and retracing my steps I found my way to the trail junction for the Red Ridge trail. (I did those that will come after me a favor by setting up some stacks of rocks particularly in the spot where I went off course.) Ahh, these mountain trails definitely have their surprises! I was expecting a well defined path on this journey, as most of my trip was on the Arizona Trail. If you were to have problems in this area, stay with the stream as it will eventually intersect the Red Ridge trail and there is a good stack of rocks marking the spot. I was a little concerned when I reached the trail signpost as someone had etched a letter "D" in front of the word "RED." Would the Red Ridge trail really be a "DRED" to hike? Not if you don't mind intense, heart-pounding, uphill stretches. The trail was well defined, easy to follow and not too rocky, but between the steepness and elevation gain I hiked at a snails pace and even then had to stop numerous times to bring my heart rate down. It was a beautiful hike offering some great views, especially of some rugged rocky cliffs which the late day light illuminated magnificently. Sunset was arriving quickly and its warm light accentuated the hills and rocky features below. I soon was off the trail and began the trip along the road back to my vehicle. Yet another blessed day and further proof that it's hard to find a hike that isn't worth taking in the Catalina Mountains.

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Coronado National Forest - Mt. Lemmon - Green Mountain / Brush Corral Trail

Trail info: Length: 8.5 (Green Mtn. up and back) + .9 (Brush Corral Shortcut) + 1.8 (Brush Corral from shortcut back to Green Mtn.) = 11.2 mile loop, Elevation (low-high): appx. 6000-7600 ft.

This trail is all about big views. Many panoramic overlooks of the valley below and plenty of interesting rock structures. At least the Green Mountain portion of the trail is very well maintained and on a recent hike I ran into a fire crew who were doing an excellent job of improving it. Like a typical mountain trail it has long up and downhill sections even though there is not a huge elevation change over the trip. The upper portion of the trail near San Pedro overlook is particularly nice early in the morning as the sun highlights the rocks. My trek on this occasion was particularly nice as it had rained the night before and the lower part of the trail was moist and refreshing as I walked along in the early morning hours. The forest was alive with sounds of animals enjoying the coolness. I hiked up viewing the interesting rock formations above me watching the light changing on them as the sun rose. By the time I reached the Brush Corral shortcut trail things were getting a bit warm even though it was only mid-morning. It was going to be a hot day on the mountain. The shortcut trail is quite a steep downhill trek at times and sometimes easy to loose sight of the trail. Thankfully there are many little rock piles to follow so I never felt like I was off track too much. Once on the Brush Corral trail heading back towards the Green Mountain trail the hike gets down along some pools that during the spring likely have some running water. For now they made a great place to relax and have lunch under the shade of the forest. After this point the trail begins working its way upward and passes a number of interesting rock formations and provides plenty of good views. It dips into another area that likely has water in the spring before climbing quickly back to the Green Mountain trail. When I hiked this it was quite overgrown although the fire crew mentioned the possibility of working on that trail too. You may want to stick with pants for this trail unless you want to get scratched up. Soon I arrived at the Brush Corral, Green Mountain junction and began the trek back which offers great views and some towering rocks to look at. It was getting into the late afternoon and some rolling thunder and storm clouds made for some excitement. I stopped and watched some butterflies and hummingbirds enjoying the agave in full bloom. There were a number of these amazing plants along this hike. As I was coming down the final stretch of trail it was obvious a good storm was brewing and the lightning was quite awesome. I got back to my vehicle just as the rain began. I took off for some of the overlooks, not far away, to watch the storm roll through. It made for great entertainment as I ate dinner, watching the show of lightning and intensely colored clouds with the sun peaking through them until it disappeared below the mountains. Another beautiful day on the mountain had come to a close.

• If you are looking to travel to Tucson, AZ or anywhere else, be sure to click over to my travel site.

• If you like the images you see they are available at my Zazzle gallery.

• For Coronado National Forest visitor information click the link.

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Coronado National Forest - Mt. Lemmon - Box Camp Trail

Pools, streams, wildflowers, and awesome viewpoints abound on the Box Camp Trail, a moderate hike down the southwestern side of the Catalina mountain range. If you took this trail to its end, Box Camp Canyon turns into Sabino Canyon. I didn't go that far, just far enough to get some amazing views of the city below (Tucson). After all, it was a rather warm day and I knew it would be pretty toasty at 3760 feet where the trails meet up; or, maybe all the vultures circling above me was just a bad omen of what would become of me should I not be able to make my way back up the mountain. Anyway, the first mile or so of the trail goes along the mountain side through grass and ferns and a lot of burnt trees with very little change in elevation. That is followed by a good downhill moving into the forest with a stream and pools with banks of wildflowers. This made for a great spot to relax, have a snack, and watch the bees enjoying the plentiful golden columbine flowers. The trail follows along the stream for about a 1/2 mile before intersecting the Box Camp Spring Trail. If you hike the spring trail for a few tenths of a mile it goes down to another area with a seasonal spring and some pools. For the extreme hiker this little side trail goes still further and STRAIGHT DOWN a hillside to another stream, which had almost no water in it this time of year. With some water flow it could make for a neat waterfall, but otherwise there is little point to hiking down this really steep overgrown trail through thorny plants (unless maybe you're training for "Survivor" or something). Anyway, I made it back to the main Box Camp trail and headed further on it as it looked as if there may be some good views ahead. After a mile or so more I came to a rocky area providing a panoramic view of Tucson; although the haze and smoke from fires really limited what could be seen. This was yet another enjoyable trek in the Catalina's that provided a variety of things to see.

• If you are looking to travel to Tucson, or anywhere else, be sure to click over to my travel site.

• If you like the images you see they are available at my Zazzle gallery.

• For Coronado National Forest visitor information click the link.

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Coronado National Forest - Mt. Lemmon - Butterfly Trail

Last week I spent several days on Mt. Lemmon in the Coronado National Forest near Tucson, AZ camping and hiking. This will begin a series of several new hikes not yet posted in this blog, all from that trip. My first day there I hiked the Butterfly Trail, which I have done before but never recorded in my blog. I setup camp on Mt. Bigelow near the radio towers. You can camp (primitive style) where you like along that forest road and during the week it should not be too hard to find a spot. (You can use the toilets and get water near the Palisades Visitor center where the Mt. Bigelow trail begins.) I then hiked the forest road away from the radio towers towards Catalina highway. If you take it the whole way the road will intersect Catalina highway at Bear Wallow. I then hiked about 1/3 mile on the highway to the Butterfly trail head. (By doing it this way, I am hiking the trail back to my campsite.) The total mileage of the trail plus the roads should be nearly 9 miles. The trail, like many on the mountain, has major up and downhill sections on it, so be prepared. This was a wonderful hike filled with wildlife encounters including butterflies, hummingbirds, deer, a rattlesnake, and a bear. (The bear and deer ran off too quickly for pictures - they didn't stick around like the snake and butterflies.) The landscape is also exquisite on this hike with its pine forests, hillsides of berries, a waterfall (seasonal), and panoramic overlooks. There are still some areas the fires have burned but it is small compared to other hikes. This is a quiet, peaceful place where wildflowers abound, gentle breezes blow and the sounds of the forest can be heard. On my weekday
hikes I've rarely encountered other hikers on this trek through the woods which is no doubt why I saw so many animals. This hike may be better a little earlier in the month, as I really hoped to have seen a lot more butterflies than I did. It seems around July was a good time for this trail if you want to see a plethora of flowers. There are also several nice spots on this trail to watch the sunrise and one I found is only a little ways down Mt. Bigelow, so I could just stumble out of my tent at 5am and down the trail to watch it and then go back to bed!












If you are looking to travel to Tucson, or anywhere else, be sure to click over to my travel site.
If you like the images you see they are available at my Zazzle gallery.
For Coronado National Forest visitor information click the link.
I have images on Flickr ! Please visit and post comments.

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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.

If you are looking to travel to Tucson, or anywhere else, be sure to click over to my travel site.
If you like the images you see they are available at my Zazzle gallery.
For Coronado National Forest visitor information click the link.
I now have images on Flickr ! Please visit and post comments.

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Coronado National Forest - Mt. Lemmon - Marshall Gulch / Wilderness of Rocks Trail

The temperature finally got too hot for hiking in the desert, so it was off to the mountains for this weeks hike. I took the Catalina highway out of Tucson, up and up, all the way till it runs out, to arrive at the Marshall Gulch trail head and picnic area at Mt. Lemmon. This is a wonderful spot nestled in a valley with a stream meandering through it with many little rapids and falls. The area looks like it could use some work as you have to park outside the gate and walk in as the roads and bridge are in definite need of repair. The Marshall Gulch hike starts in the parking lot by the outhouse (yeah - nice) and follows along the stream with a slight incline for a good distance. There is a trail right next to the stream and one that is higher up the hill. It appears the top trail is the official one and maybe the trail along the stream comes from people wanting to be right down by the river. It is a peaceful, pretty area with fairly easy hiking no matter which trail you choose. Unfortunately, there is a lot of burned out trees marring the hillside, some even in the valley smothering the stream, a reminder of fires from a few years ago. This hike takes you into the wilderness area very quickly and has one decent climb near the end to get you up onto the ridge where several trails meet up. I would be heading for the Wilderness of Rocks, a fairly popular area for both day hikers and backpackers as well. (As usual, since I am hiking on a weekday I only ran into a few other hikers and a small backpacking group, but it was quite obvious on weekends the area may get a lot of use.) As the NFS website states the name stands out in the trail listing and naturally draws people to it. The trail goes mostly downhill at the start and there isn't much to see except forest with some boulders about; although there is a decent overlook of where you'll be headed if you keep your eyes peeled. When you get to a massive boulder that appears to of had some rock climbers using it, to the left is a little path onto another boulder providing an excellent view of what's to come. Like Marshall Gulch this trail will work its way down to a nice stream flowing through the valley, amongst the rocks. I moved at a steady pace which was not too hard on this hike as most of the time the trail was a dirt path or went across flat rock. There were some hills, rocky stretches, and a few tricky spots due to tree falls from fires that added some challenges, but overall it was easier hiking than my last 2 canyon hikes. Eventually it brings you to an area of rock formations in all directions and boulders doing all sorts of balancing acts appearing to defy the laws of gravity. It is an awesome, rugged area of rock sculptures and pools. The trail immerses you in this wonderland, wandering all through these interesting formations. As you begin to leave the big rocks behind, you will go through a small grassy open area that has a small amount of water where a branch of the river begins and you will be met with a good climb up, which gets you to the Mt. Lemmon trail junction. If your intent is just to hike through the rocks I'd stop at this point, but you do get a nice view of the area if you hike to the top of the ridge. After making it to the top and resting for a while I began a leisurely journey back, this time knowing that I should make it back well before sunset. I really enjoyed this hike and will plan an overnight there in the future. This 11.5 mile round trip with an elevation staying between about 7,500-8,500 ft made for a great days adventure without placing me on the brink of exhaustion. My heart was definitely pounding at this height, especially at the beginning, but by taking my time, enjoying the surroundings, and taking picture and meditation stops I had no problem with having the energy to complete it. If you like this trip I'd highly recommend visiting the Chiricahua's in southeastern Arizona. They are also a "Sky Island" and have many similarities to the Catalina mountains including plenteous rock formations, many of which are more accessible if a long hike is not something you can do. If you are looking to travel to Tucson, or anywhere else, be sure to click over to my travel site.
If you like the images you see they are available at my Zazzle gallery.
For Coronado National Forest visitor information click here.

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