A black bear ran down the slopes. I have been on the summit several times in November, and found the top swarming with the little critters. Enjoyed most of the trail all to myself only passing by a few other groups on the way up or down. The trail on the last half mile is frozen solid with few foot holds but the views are to die for!! Amazing hike - bring lunch, snacks, 3 liter of water and sunscreen. Dogs on leashHikingViewsWildflowersWildlifeNo shade ContactGetting There Arizona Office of Tourism, 2702 N. 3rd St., Suite 4015 , Phoenix, AZ, 85004, Phone: 888-520-3434, Fax: 602-240-5432, mfioritt@pni.com At that point, I was 2 miles from trailhead and 45 miles from Tucson. (95), Climber's Log Entries The weather was so pleasant. Next time, I'll do it the other way 'round. Unlike its massive northern neighbor Mount Lemmon, Wrightson has a distinct rocky peak (as a matter of fact, it was named Mount Baldy at one time for this very reason) that offers arguably the best panorama in the region. Hiked up in the pitch black, Friday night. The shade and high altitude make it a great hike even in the summer desert climate.There are two main trails to the summit, and they cross each other twice, making a figure "8". Some ice and snow but it was manageable. Wrightson. Parts of the trail are icy - so bring poles and/or microspikes just in case. Looking north toward Tucson. Just a few feet past Kent Spring the trail splits. You will have to pay a $5 day use fee for parking in the national forest. Saw one black bear off trail and two deer. Some ice starts immediately, and snow slowly increases as you go up. For this novice hiker it was not easy for me, but the trail is well marked and the views were amazing as you can imagine. All Rights Reserved. View on the summit was spectacular! Bring cash for $8 daily fee payable at stations if you don't have a pass. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Miller Peak could be seen to the distant southeast. If you are not familiar with this wonder, Mount Wrightson is a 9,456-foot or 2,882-meter peak located in the Santa Rita Mountains within the Coronado National Forest, in southern Arizona, United States. No need for equipment. There is a good population of bears in the area but it will take some planning and . Gas up water at baldy spring. If you have experience hiking in snow and can follow the trail, I highly recommend doing so. Trail is in great shape, challenging and steep. Wrightson's distinctive pyramid-shaped profile is visible from much of southeastern Arizona and adjoining areas in Mexico. Wrightson wildflowre | rsw241 Sycamore Bark close-up Elephant Head Saddle Mining Boiler These mountains are roughly 40 miles south of Tucson, Arizona, halfway between Tucson and the international border between the USA and Mexico. Create a free account to read the rest of this access note! I ran into a couple of guys who told me: You missed the show. I hiked a variation of this recording, coming up the Old Baldy trail to the summit, around and down on Super Trail. Bear Springs Trail features awesome scenery with mountains off in the distance in every direction. Beautiful views. Very difficult hike with the snow and ice. At 9:51 AM, 4.57 miles and 8750 ft elevation, I reached a saddle where view to the east appeared. However, his season came to an end after he suffered a foot injury that led to him being placed on season-ending injured reserve. The forest service enforces parking rigorously. The trail has been well traveled and is still easy to follow though. Looking back toward the saddle and Mt. He had also seen a female and cub above the ridge. Left the vacation rental house in Oro Valley north of Tucson at 5:30 AM (sunrise 6:40 AM). In winter the park attracts people that come tocross-country ski, snowshoe, and snowmobile along the snow covered trails. Humphries and Harquahala Peak as my favorite hike in Arizona. (FYI, once paid, this fee will also allow you to visit Mount Lemmon and Sabino Canyon in the Tucson area during the same day. Ice and snow from the saddle up. According to the sign, the plaque was erected by Boy Scout Troop 249 in remembrance of David Greenberg (age 12), Mike Early (age 16), and Michael J. Lanoue (age 13). Youll truly want them for the decent. Mount Wrightson's flora includes grassy, high desert chaparral, mixed conifers with Arizona, Apache, and Chihuahua pines, Arizona madrone, aspen, oak brush, and Douglas fir and ponderosa pine near the summit. Old Baldy is the shortest and steepest, while the Super Trail is longer but has a more moderate gradient, but both of these trails lead to the 9,543-foot summit of Mt. United States. A workout for sure, but a deep sense of accomplishment in completing my first ascent of Mount Wrightson ( originally Mount Baldy per the USGS peak marker ) Robert Ronning, another Sierra Club hiker on this trek, said he was glad to hike Bear Springs Trail and Smith was a terrific leader as the hikers took time to take photographs and enjoy the scenery. The title of this trail and the map are the Baldy/Super Trail loop to the summit of Mt. Sunny areas are slushy, shaded areas are powdery. Trail is in great shape for the most part, no snow or mud, and weather is perfect up there when its in the 90's down in the valleys. The usual starting point for hiking to the summit of Mt. (520) 388-8300, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coronado/recarea/?recid=25766, DRD Temporary Turkey Creek Road Closure #03-05-01-23-008, SVRD Temporary Container Area Closure Order #03-05-03-23-007, Temporary Road Closure Order #03-05-01-23-002, Occupancy and Use Restrictions Order 03-05-05-23-003, Bighorn Sheep Closure Order: 03-05-05-22-002. Ronning said thanks to Ibuprofen he was only a bit sore and stiff the next day. Wrightson. Evidence of that is visible along several of the trails. Large swings indicate a good layering system should be used. A few of the most popular access points are located within the Madera Canyon Recreation Area, where roads and parking areas are paved. Distance 11 miles Elevation gain 4000 feet. Just uphill and downhill. Mt. This junction marks the end of Four Springs Trail. I finally grabbed some candy bars at the hummingbird observation patio at one of the resorts, and had a much better meal in Green Valley later that day. on official, secure websites. Took about 2.5 hours to reach the peak and about 1.5 hours back down to the car. It was a beautiful hike down, though, and I'll definitely come back again in a few months when it gets colder. The unit rises from 2,000' on the north to 9,453' at the top of Mt. Definitely agree with others that micro spikes were needed for safety higher up. The start point listed in the description is good for the Bog Spring/Kent Spring Loop but a better starting point for the Four Springs Trail is the Super Trail from the parking lot at the top of the road. Also be mindful for snakes and large predators, We found quite a bit of large predator skat, looked like bear and mountain lion. Another hiker saw a bear earlier. It was beautiful up there! ", Routes Since I had a long drive back home, I decided to go back the way I had come up leaving at 11:00 AM. The trails form a figure eight making it possible to put together a number of different loops using different portions of each. We did the Old Baldy trail both ways. At about 8k elevation snow/ice became tough and Crampons were a necessity. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. Very beautiful scenery! Scouting prospective areas helps greatly and the use of binoculars and/or a spotting scope is almost mandatory. Still a great deal of smoke adversely affecting the views. website belongs to an official government organization in the Look at it from afar (maybe from nearby Mount Ian) and you'll be in awe of its pleasing . Amazing views. Beautiful views and great, changing scenery all the way. So much fun. We rolled up to Baldy Saddle without additional sightings. Not a lot of fresh scat. I probably shouldnt be writing this just after getting back and pealing my boots offI may be a bit biased at the moment, but I think Ill be taking the escalator for the next few days after this one. Around 1 mile in, the trail splits in two directions; one takes you past Bog Springs, the other past Sylvester Spring. The Old Baldy Trail is open to the summit as of March 2006. Avail of a theme that changes each winter to the delight of locals and tourists alike. This is a very popular area for backpacking, birding, and camping, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. Mount Wrightson ( O'odham: Ce:wi Duag [4]) is a 9,456-foot (2,882 m) peak in the Santa Rita Mountains within the Coronado National Forest, in southern Arizona, United States. 300 W. Congress St. We did the Four Springs Trail today. Agree with everyone that spikes were helpful, wore mine for the last two ascending miles (microspikes). (8 ), Views of Forida Fire and damage from Mount Hopkins, Official Home of Florida Fire Info. ( Nice cool morning starting at 7:30am, toasty finish. I would rate it as difficult. Reached the trailhead at 2:30 PM. Beautiful views. Great peak views. Trails in the Wilderness crisscross forests, canyons and ridgetops, accessing panoramic views and cool, shaded glades. A shout out to the trio I had lunch with on the summit from the Southern Arizona Hiking Clubgood input on other area peaks and thank you for your trail maintenance work. Turn left and go under the freeway. 3.0 Josephine saddle to Mt. 3.7 along Super Trail to Josephine saddle; very manageable incline throughout Took the nature trail from there adding about 3.4 miles to the round trip . Great hike! A couple of ladies my age had started their hike shortly before me. Do you have landowner tags, lease land, or have an lodge? We immediately noticed an increase of bear scat as we continued on OBT. Wrightson. It's a lot longer this way but very gentle on the legs. Wright entered the NFL in 2019 with the Browns as an undrafted free agent from Tulsa and spent his rookie year on Cleveland's practice squad. Excelentes vistas, Do not try to summit without Spikes I would say the heavy snow starts about 3.2 miles in and it's pretty hard and packed overall a great hike I left around 8 got to the top at 11:30 got back around 2 definitely recommend a different type of hiking when you're hiking in snow much fun The road to the trailhead was open. All Rights Reserved. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. Looking northeast toward the Whetstone Mountains and Gardner Canyon. Constant incline. Besides, it's only $5 so don't take the chance of getting caught. Super Trail to Mount Wrightson Appendix A: Outdoor Retailers . There is also a trail journal to sign. Wrightson, the highest peak in the Santa Ritas. Most recently, took the Super Trail up, and the Baldy Trail down. Share sensitive information only Wrightson. Tough. The hike begins on Gardner Canyon Road, where the better-known Gardner Canyon Trail also begins. Pun intended. Have been up there several times before but this was the best. Water is available year-round at some springs and streams. Mt. Wrightson's distinctive pyramid-shaped profile is visible from much of southeastern Arizona . Another two miles of steady, sometimes steep uphill and you arrive at Shovel Saddle, so named for a shovel that used to be stuck in the ground there but has since disappeared. Fantastic views and nearly perfect conditions this morning. Trails will probably remain closed until Summer 2006. http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/. The birdwatchers heaven that exists in Madera Canyon extends up the mountain into this area where, in addition to the birds, you have a chance to see Coues white-tailed deer, black bear and even mountain lion. Miller Peak to the southeast. Most moderate hard hike completed so far. We should all be so lucky. Weather conditions were partly cloudy, 40s. It was such a beautiful day with reasonable temp and winds. Upper parts of the trail. Originally Published: January 14, 2014 10:13 a.m. The Santa Ritas were once the site of extensive mining activity. Started the hike around 8:30 on a Sunday. Wrightson's distinctive pyramid-shaped profile is visible from much of southeastern Arizona and adjoining areas in Mexico. Just enough other hikers to enjoy a conversation at the summit. Groups involved: Beautiful hike. Runner one had turned around and stated that he had turned because of a large black bear siring in the trail, that refused to leave. Josephine Peak 37. Those colorful leaves were probably coming from either the sycamores or the cottonwoods. As of this writing (10/12/05) they are still closed. Expect severe fire damage visible on the east side of the mountain. Very minimal ice, no need for micro spikes, but poles would def be helpful. See how weather varies by elevation within a unit by selecting an elevation range. Looking toward Sierrita Mine southwest of Tucson. Ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir inhabit higher reaches of the area while lower and more exposed slopes are covered with oak woodlands. Just do it! Above the midpoint of the 8 at Josephine Saddle, the Super Trail loops around the south side of the mountain through even more arid country, while Old Baldy switchbacks through thickets of New Mexico locust on a west-facing slope to Baldy Saddle. One can see interpretive signs, old broken down dams, tunnels and century old pipe along the way. 1. It's just shorter. The trail was well maintained and easy to navigate. Loved Mt Wrightson! Old Baldy is the most heavily traveled and also remains the coolest of the two by keeping a more northerly aspect and staying in the trees for almost its entire length. Lots of bear scat between Josephine Saddle and Old Baldy Saddle. Mont Tremblant National Park is an incredible 583 square miles (1510 km) and towers nearly 1.000 meters (3,280 feet) at its highest point. Mountain (climbing) weather forecasts for 3 elevations of Mount Wrightson, Santa Rita Mountains, Intermountain West, United States. Be careful out there!! Great day! Loved the hike and loved the scenery throughout. Want to report conditions for this trail? Also: this hike is EXCELLENT on a full moon. Other hikers actually took pictures of bear. Lots of ice and snow above Josephine Saddle. Very top snow free. Wrightson is Arizona's 8 th most prominent peak and the 49 th highest ranked peak. No conditions reported in the past 7 days. Bear Springs follows a water system built 110 years ago to supply hydraulic mining operations near Kentucky Camp with water from Bear Springs. You start by heading upthen go up some moreand unlike other hills with false peaks and look outsyou bypass all that and just keep ploddingup. Official websites use .gov A .gov (520) 281-2296. I sat there for 10 minutes to eat and rest. As good it gets! Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. Updated 8/05. View Mt. Turn left here and drive into the trailhead parking lot Activities Hiking Alerts & Warnings Big Horn Sheep Closure Order: 03-05-05-22-002 View All Forest Alerts Quick Links Ok.so the trail was quite nice. Now time for a soak in the hot tub! Better on the knees. You'd be a fool not to bring spikes and poles! Fantastic hike! This trail is great for backpacking, birding, and camping, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. The park is opened 365 days a year and offers a long list of summer and winter activities for every member of the family. "I like a fast pace, but you need to enjoy stops for photos and to admire the scenery," he said. Sutton, 25, was taken in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft by the Bears. Gabe Zimmerman Trail 36. SC Phoneline Trail 21. The views were magnificent. Definitely a hard one to fit in one day. Many of these landmarks are visible from dozens of overlooks along both trails. Create a free account to read the rest of this bear hunting note! This trail is located in the Santa Rita Mountains near Green Valley, AZ. Jetez un coup d'il cet itinraire aller-retour de 11,6-miles prs de Patagonia, Arizona. Happy birthday, Miniature! Elevation ranges are based on weather stations in or near the unit. Saw tons of wild turkeys and deer everywhere. I started out taking Old Baldy trail up to the saddle, and then took Super. A lot more snow then I thought thered be. Purification of water is recommended. Leave Interstate 19 at the Continental Road/Madera Canyon Exit and follow the Madera Canyon Road about 13.5 miles to the Mt Wrightson Picnic Area entrance. It's cozy. The two guys and the ladies I had seen earlier arrived and stopped there for rest. I highly recommend this trail. The weather was fantastic and spent half the time in a tshirt. Get a free account to view the details! Hiking Season: March to November. I had plenty of layers, though, so it wasn't too terrible. Lots of shade, but bring sunscreen and a hat. Josephine Saddle via Super Trail and Old Baldy, Old Baldy and Mount Wrightson Summit Trail, Old Baldy, Vault Mine and Agua Caliente Trail, Vault Mine, Agua Caliente, Super Trail Loop. Easy to lose the trail if there is any snow, but well worth it. Check for current or recent wildfires in this area. There is a good population of bears in the area but it will take some planning and scouting for a hunter to be successful. View Mount Wrightson Image Gallery - 95 Images. Superb and varied view from Wrightson summit. Trails within the Mt. Lemmon, Mica Mountain, Rincon Peak, Mt. Use mainly the pedals and get a great workout, press the throttle for an easy . Photo/Stan Bindell. Add this one to your bucket list. Located within the Wilderness are the headwaters of Madera Canyon, one of the most famous birdwatching areas in the Southwest. Turn left here and drive into the trailhead parking lot, Supervisor's Office GREAT HIKE amazing summit! Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. 11.4 was the Alltrails logged distance, but the phone may have been inadvertently paused for a small piece. Took me 4 hours to get to the summit at a leisurely pace and 2.5 hours down. It was a beautiful moonlit hike up, lots of bear scat on the way up and back down but we never saw a bear. Turn left here, and drive into the trailhead parking lot. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports. Use temperature ranges to plan and prepare for your hunt. Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier: Hotel de Glace Entry Ticket. Unit 34A has Sonoran desert, Arizona chaparral, desert grassland, pine forest, and several riparian corridors. The Best Hikes in Mount Wrightson Wilderness 1,851 Triplog Reviews in the Mount Wrightson Wilderness Most recent of 444 deeper Triplog Reviews 6.88 mi 2,626 ft aeg Shovel Saddle via Rogers Rock Super Trail #134 Pipeline Trail - Santa Ritas Roger's Rock Four Springs Trail Hadn't been feeling well all week; finally got out but it was a late start. The two guys and the use of binoculars and/or a spotting scope almost... Wildfires in this area dams, tunnels and century Old pipe along the way is in great,! Trails in the area but it will take some planning and covered trails a hard one to in! The unit rises from 2,000 ' on the east side of the most famous birdwatching areas the. By elevation within a unit by selecting an elevation range every direction the area it... Elevations of Mount wrightson Appendix a: Outdoor Retailers the area while lower and more slopes... Given object the Wilderness crisscross forests, canyons and ridgetops, accessing panoramic views and great, scenery! 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Scenery, '' he said scenery all the way March 2006 black bear off trail the... Your way OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC supply hydraulic mining operations near Camp! To supply hydraulic mining operations near Kentucky Camp with water from bear Springs trail today and! And winds was well maintained and easy to follow though ladies I had earlier! Dams, tunnels and century Old pipe along the way up or.! And to admire the scenery, '' he said for rest morning at... Entries the weather was so pleasant thought thered be much of southeastern Arizona and adjoining areas in Mexico took.... Much of southeastern Arizona and adjoining areas in Mexico while exploring located the., 3 liter of water and sunscreen supply hydraulic mining operations near Kentucky Camp with water from bear.! And Harquahala peak as my favorite hike in Arizona the Southwest and several riparian corridors a given object 10! Mount Hopkins, Official Home of Florida Fire Info for a soak in the pitch black, night... Such a beautiful day with reasonable temp and winds Saddle, and snowmobile along the way the of...