Hiking in Tucson – 5 Awesome Adventures Part 1 – Mt. Dean was feeling puny at this point and didn’t feel up to the hike. Living in Arizona has been a real blessing. Mount Wrightson. We lunched at Shovel Saddle at 8000' (2600' elevation gain) and then headed back as weather was moving in. On Saturday, September 10, 2016 I was able to spend the day hiking and playing radio, and I had more fun than I even imagined. Mount Wrightson is a 9,456-foot (2,882 m) peak in the Santa Rita Mountains within the Coronado National Forest, in southern Arizona, United States. Ask dolomoto about Madera Canyon. The first thing that'll come to mind when you catch your first glimpse of Mount Wrightson is, HOLY MOLY! Just a few feet past Kent Spring the trail splits. I came across some bobcat tracks in the snow. That was sad. This trail can end in a few places, though my preference is to stop at either the Amphitheater Parking Area or Mt. Now, three years later, here I am in ARIDzona in June, when daytime relative humidity runs in the single digits and every day is 100 degrees or hotter. On the way up I paused and read of the three boy scouts that died in an unexpected blizzard. Lemmon. What a great hike! Want to hike Tucson’s best trails? These are two totally different hikes and should be under separate titles. It had been a long drive from Washington, a tough hike for Pinal County, and then a windy noisy night on top of Mt. Trails within the Mt. Mount Wrightson Loop Trail is a 13.1 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Green Valley, Arizona that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. Its a popular place for hiking, camping and … Simply plug in directions for " Old Baldy Trailhead " (click link for Google Maps. Mount Wrightson (2.881 m). Required fields are marked *. The title of this trail and the map are the Baldy/Super Trail loop to the summit of Mt. From there the trail climbs steeply for a half mile. Wrightson, but the description is of the Four Springs Trail hike to the junction of the Crest Trail. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. This loop is a total of 12 miles long if you don’t visit the Mt. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Your email address will not be published. Hiking Wrightson alone is a good challenge, but the trail system in the area provides a great double-activation opportunity for hams who want a tough but rewarding day. Both paths are equidistant and meet up at Kent Springs after 2 miles. We took Super trail the entire way up, which is fairly moderate in difficulty until you get close to the summit trail. The road into Madera canyon is paved and open all year. His docile female The trail begins at the end of Madera Canyon. Trail Map I think he had “Jet Lag” or some bad junk food on the way down. The shortest route is the Old Baldy Trail, a steady climb of over 4,000 feet (1,200 m) over 5.4 miles (8.7 km) to the exposed summit. Both trails are accessed from the Madera Canyon trailhead. This is a glorious hike stating from Madera Canyon which is filled with Arizona Live Oaks, Junipers, and in this monsoon season yellow columbines that nod in the breeze. On Nov. 15, 1958, six Boy Scouts from Tucson started out on a day hike from Madera Canyon to Mount Baldy, now known as Mount Wrightson, in the Santa Rita Mountains. Mt Wrightson hike When we bought our house in Tucson while we were still full-timing in the Airstream, I explained to everyone that we never intended to spend summers here. There are occasional sightings of black bear in the Santa Ritas and mountain lions are known to inhabit the area as well. Hiking. Adam from UNITED STATES writes: Started at 7a, summitted at 11a with … Along the way, I saw Turkey, Mule Deer, various lizards and a Tarantula. It is located in Madera Canyon, part of the Santa Rita mountains and the Coronado National Forest, and it's a popular excursion approximately 30-minutes south of Tucson. Wrightson. Mt Wrightson being the highest summit in close to Tucson, I opted for it. We made the peak in 4:20 and back down in about 3 hours. Wrightson. The summit offers outstanding views of southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. This trail goes by Josephine Saddle, Bellows Spring, Old Baldy, Baldy Saddle, and Baldy Spring. 10.8 miles r/t summit elevation 9,453' elevation change 4,033' An easier version of this hike would be to take the Super Trail to Josephine Saddle. Get as early of a start as possible to make sure you are hiking up in the shade. You can always turn back and there are plenty of places to rest given time. Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Mt Wrightson Hike and SOTA Activation My interest in the Summits On The Air program continues to grow, and as a result I've become fascinated with the idea of hiking some of the local area peaks in Southern Arizona. About 2 km from either Garibaldi Lake or Taylor Meadows campground, you will encounter a map board and a trail junction, off to the left is the trail head to Black Tusk. Read my Best Hikes in Tucson article or check out our individual Tucson Hiking Guides. everything was very gradual up and down. This is a glorious hike stating from Madera Canyon which is filled with Arizona Live Oaks, Junipers, and in this monsoon season yellow columbines that nod in the breeze. Didn't trust or footing. I need to get caught up on the posts and do better about writing them. Wrightson & Redfield Canyon (Links to Part 2 and Part 3). Super Trail was less traveled based on the vegetation overgrowth through some sections but has great views the whole way down. Cross three one-lane bridges. Mt Wrightson Hike and SOTA Activation My interest in the Summits On The Air program continues to grow, and as a result I've become fascinated with the idea of hiking some of the local area peaks in Southern Arizona. Be safe. Mount Wrightson Loop Trail is a 21.1 kilometer lightly trafficked loop trail located near Green Valley, Arizona that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. In … Wrightson – Hiking Tucson’s Loftiest Summit. Wrightson Wilderness Area was killed last weekend by an officer from the U.S. Forest Service. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Guest post by Mitch Stevens. At 9,456 feet, Mount Wrightson is the tallest peak in the vicinity of Tucson Arizona. Its a bit longer by about a mile but starts the hike with a gentler phase. Mount Wrightson is most often hiked from Madera Canyon, North of the summit. Lemmon we headed back down to Tucson and then south to Madera Canyon and the trailhead for Mt. If you continue on the trail, you will arrive at Armour Spring, and, past that, to Florida Saddle and the Crest Trail which heads back to Baldy Saddle. The hike begins at Madera Canyon Trailhead located at the end of Madera Canyon Road, accessed from the White House Canyon Road which begins in Green Valley, 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. If you're not pressed for time, I highly recomend going up via Super; the views were phenomenal, and at a couple spots we saw some hummingbirds flying around. Lots of fun and great views. Drive about 25 miles on I-19 and take the exit for Continental. Mount Wrightson can be hiked via the shorter, steeper Old Baldy Trail or longer Super Trail. There's free camping outside of the National Forest as … Super Trail is a great trail, especially if you want to mix in some running. My hiking companion and I found this to be pretty easy, and there were lovely views of Madera Canyon below us and the Santa Rita's to our East. Mt. Both sections of dirt climb through beautiful country - remote in the case of FR 143 and popular in the case of Box Canyon. Needed microspikes coming up Baldy Trail after the first 3 miles and didn't remove them till sometime around the Gardner Canyon cutoff from the Super Trail. Wrightson goes past Josephine Peak, a 10-pointer that is almost 1,000 feet lower than the summit of Wrightson, but is actually considerably harder to reach. The Mount Wrightson hike is intermediate but forgiving. Views through the trees … A male alpine goat that had been harassing hikers in the Mt. The spirit of the Boy Scouts lives on at Mt. Tucson is surrounded by mountains. On the way up I paused and read of the three boy scouts that died in an unexpected blizzard. With a small creek, hiking trails, and seclusion from other campers this location seems more like back country then car camping...PHOTOS/ MATT NAGER Wrightson … Took me about 10 hours. I need to get caught up on the posts and do better about writing them. The ridgeline of the Santa Ritas included Old Baldy (Mt Wrightson, Mt McCleary, Jack Mtn, and Mt Hopkins, where the Smithsonian had an observatory. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Un trail con excelentes vistas, gran altura. It had been a long drive from Washington, a tough hike for Pinal County, and then a windy noisy night on top of Mt. There … It was an 8 hour hike. Both hikes are within the Mount Wrightson Wilderness. He completed his first 14-mile day hike at age 7 in Zion National Park and was backpacking by age 11. It’s the tallest peak in the Tucson area and a very rewarding hike with an incline grade that I believe is very manageable. You can always turn back and there are plenty of places to rest given time. And it looks even farther than that — at 9,453 feet, Mount Wrightson, also known as Old Baldy, is the highest point in the Santa Rita Mountains. Mount Wrightson – Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering. Snow was 6-9" of powder on a good incline so I put my New Hampshire hiking skills to the test. The Pipeline/Kent Spring intersection is a good area to spot and/or hear the Elegant Trogon, best between April and June (although we heard one in the distance today). You can start this trail at Bog Springs Campground, Madera Picnic Area, or the Madera Ampitheatre. This is a wonderful loop around Mt Wrightson with two sections of dirt road and two sections of paved road. Drive about 25 miles on I-19 and take the exit for Continental. Wrightson Hiking trail in Madera Canyon, Arizona (United States). After a total of 107 switch backs, several water breaks, I still managed to reach the top of the summit which I really enjoyed. Mount Wrightson is One of Tucson’s Highest Peaks. Hiking in Tucson – 5 Awesome Adventures Part 1 – Mt. With a small creek, hiking trails, and seclusion from other campers this location seems more like back country then car camping...PHOTOS/ MATT NAGER You'll know you're on the pipeline trail because there is 2" galvanized pipe on the side of the trail. Wrightson Wilderness range from well-used pathways to primitive routes. The summit itself offered some amazing 360 views of southern Arizona and parts of Mexico, but unfortunately when we went it was literally swarming with ladybugs and flies, with quite a few bees present as well. On November 15, 1958, three boys ages 12 to 16, were caught in a ferocious blizzard and died there. From I-19, take exit 63 and follow signs for Madera Canyon. Dean was feeling puny at this point and didn’t feel up to the hike. Wrightson. Mount Wrightson can be hiked via the shorter, steeper Old Baldy Trail or longer Super Trail. Directions: From Tucson drive south on I-10 until you reach the I-19 exit. Wrightson on March 16th, 2017 and enjoyed some great scenery and views. Because of its cooler and wetter climate, Madera Canyon supports a rich and diverse selection of plants and wildlife. At 9,456 feet, Mount Wrightson is the tallest peak in the Santa Rita Mountains and Tucson, Arizona region. Wrightson and other nearby peaks. Mount Wrightson via Old Baldy Trail is a 11.4 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Green Valley, Arizona that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. Wrightson in the Coronado National Forest in Arizona, USA, July 27 and 28, 2009. Source: Instagram. If you go during the Winter months be prepared for snow, ice or rain. Wrightson with two sections of dirt climb through beautiful country - remote in Santa! 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