December 29, 2017 - American Flag Trail near Oracle

All Trails link to this area
American Flag Trail - Oracle

Difficult hike: to the ridge: 7.4 miles. B
Easy hike: to the Hijinks Mine area: 5 miles. C+

Directions to American Flag Ranch Trail, Oracle

Take highway I-10 east to exit 219 (Picacho Peak) and turn left under the freeway. Go to the frontage road (East Camino Adelante Road) at the stop sign before the train tracks and then turn right. Follow the frontage road for about four miles to E. Park Link Drive and turn left. Follow this road 18 miles to highway 79, then at Oracle Junction turn left into highway 77. Turn right onto American Avenue and proceed through the town of Oracle until you come to the Mount Lemmon Road. Turn right at Arizona Flag Ranch Road. (There is not advance warning for the turnoff but there is a green sign right at the turnoff.) Follow the road for about three miles, where it becomes a gravel road and go about one mile further on. There is a wooden archway with a sign and a parking lot on each side of the road. Park on the right side of the road. No facilities at trail-head. 

Go to Google Maps at the link below:

Google Maps link to American Flag Trail near Oracle

December 22, 2017 Hackberry Springs

The trail starts from the east end of the parking lot and proceeds east on trail #236, then left on the Second Water Trail. The short hike will soon turn off of the short loop; the long hike will continue on for the long loop. 

Both Hikes go to Hackberry Spring in a grove of trees at the base of the tall cliff for lunch. Then boulder scrambling up the beautiful canyon. Following the wash out of the canyon there is a right fork marked by a cairn going up a side canyon. It will come out at the corrals and windmill. Then continue south back up the wash to trail #236, turn right and go back to the trailhead. 

Long hike: 6 miles, C+, Short hike: 5 miles, C

Driving Directions:
From the Junction of Hunt Highway and Highway 79, north of Florence, go north on highway 79 for 13 miles to highway 60. Turn left on highway 60 and drive three miles past King's Ranch. Just past Mountain View Road, bear right on
E Old West Highway. Turn right at the stop sign, then bear left continuing on Old West Highway to the first traffic light on Tomahawk. Turn right, going northward, past two stop signs, until you come to the junction of Highway 88. Turn right. Proceed past the Entrance to the Lost Dutchman State Park, to a signed road "First Water Trailhead". Turn right on this dirt road and proceed
2 1/2 miles, past a staging and parking area for horses and trailers, to the end of the road where there is a good parking area with pit toilets available. 
See Link to Google Maps below:
Hackberry Springs - Google Map

  Upcoming hikes:

 Friday, Jan. 5.  

 Dixie Mine Trail, McDowell Mt. Regional Park. Petroglyphs,

Old Mine. 5, 7, or 8.4 mi.

Friday, Jan. 12

       Romero Pools, Catalina State Park

Friday, Jan. 19

       New! Yetman-Hidden Canyon Trails, Tucson Park

December 15, 2017 - Kings Canyon Loops

Saguaro National Park has a number of Trails that loop and meets up with others so hikes can be varied from one venture to another. All the hikers met as a group to the Red Hills Visitor Center before breaking up into three groups.

One hike was on relatively flat terrain and started at the Hugh Norris Trailhead off Hohokam Road. This hike is 6.4 miles and includes petroglyphs.

Another hike used the King Canyon Trail to hike a loop including the Sendero

Esperanza and Gould Mine.

The third hike started on King Canyon Trail to the saddle before Wasson Peak,

then proceeding down the Hugh Norris Trail and back to Gould Mine via the

Sendero Esperanza trail and then back to the trailhead on the Gould Mine Trail.

7.3 miles.

The Hugh Norris Trailhead Hike

Kings Canyon, Hugh Norris Trail and back to Gould Mine via the Sendero Esperanza trail and then back to the trailhead on the Gould Mine Trail. 7.3 miles.