Surprisingly, this was our first hike in the southern section of Shenandoah National Park. Before this, the furthest south we had travelled in the park was Bearfence Mountain. Most of the well known hikes are in the central and northern districts. And while we consider Shenandoah our “home park,” driving there from Northern Virginia can take a while.

We spent a weekend at Big Meadows Lodge, and planned to hike Riprap and Wildcat Ridge Loop Trail, one of the most popular routes in the south district. The hike includes a section of the Appalachian Trail, forming a 9.8 mile circuit. The combination of trails, which circumnavigates Rock Mountain, is also commonly called Riprap Hollow.

An early start is crucial, especially since the trail is relatively long and strenuous. The loop starts along Skyline Drive, with parking options at mile markers 90 and 92. The lot at mile 90 is the official “Riprap Parking Lot,” while the one at mile 92 is called “Wildcat Ridge Parking Lot.”

Appalachian Trail

Staying at the lodge was a fun new experience for us – and it allowed us to get to the trailhead in just over an hour. As we headed down Skyline Drive, we enjoyed the ambience and scenic overlooks. Eventually, we came to the small parking lot at mile marker 90 – which was totally full. So we drove two more miles to 92, where there were still some parking spaces.

We planned to hike the loop counter-clockwise, starting on the Appalachian Trail. Then we’d take Riprap Trail to Wildcat Ridge Trail, which leads back to the trailhead. The loop could also be hiked clockwise, and we’ll probably try that next time. Going counter-clockwise allows you to arrive at the viewpoints sooner, but you’ll have a steeper ascent on Wildcat Ridge at the end of the route. Hiking clockwise allows you to hit a swimming hole earlier, and you’ll ascend Riprap Trail more gradually.

Our route started on Wildcat Ridge Trail, where we hiked for a few minutes before turning right (northbound) on the AT. This loop is also a good option for backpacking. But the week we were there, signs were posted notifying hikers that backcountry camping was closed due to black bear activity.

This part of the AT is relatively flat, and there were occasional views through the trees to our left (west). It was June, so we only saw a couple blooming wildflowers – mainly rattlesnake hawkweed. On a log, we also saw a huge fishing spider. I’m not really a fan of spiders, but this one was interesting to see. Mountain laurel lined the trail, though it had mostly finished flowering, so we only glimpsed a couple of white flowers.

Riprap Trail – Views

After hiking for 2.8 miles, we reached the Riprap trailhead along Skyline Drive at mile marker 90. A short distance later, we turned left onto Riprap Trail. There are two viewpoints that we wanted to check out along the trail, Calvary Rocks and Chimney Rock. But first, we made our way through some switchbacks and passed by a large talus field.

Shortly after, we reached our first viewpoint along the right side of the trail near Calvary Rocks. Looking northwest from the viewpoint, we saw the Shenandoah Valley and towns below. As we continued on the trail, we saw some rock formations on our left – the true Calvary Rocks. We didn’t have time to explore, but you could go off-trail and scramble around.

As we continued, we quickly came to the next viewpoint – Chimney Rock. As we gazed out again to the northwest, we thought that this view was better than the one at Calvary Rocks. For a shorter hike, this is a good spot to turn around, but we kept going. The views to our right continued as we followed the quickly narrowing trail along a ridgeline.

We gradually began descending the rocky trail to Cold Spring Hollow. Wild azalea and mountain laurel were all around us – unfortunately no longer flowering. We also found blueberry bushes beside the trail, which we hadn’t expected. Most of the berries weren’t quite ripe, but we found a couple that were and snacked on them.

Riprap Trail – Water Features

Eventually, we were hiking parallel to a small stream that flows into Meadow Run. The stream moves through a pretty gorge area with a few small waterfalls. After that, we encountered a few posts that read “No Camping.” We believe these are old and can be disregarded. There’s nothing about this area being closed to camping on Shenandoah’s website, and a couple campsites are scattered around.

From here, the trail crosses the stream and follows it for a good ways. About 0.3 miles after the gorge area, we came to a stunning swimming hole. We relaxed for a bit, watching the stream gently cascade into the pool. We weren’t prepared to go swimming, but a couple of other hikers were. I would love to come back sometime to take a dip.

After leaving the swimming hole, the trail became a bit harder to follow, as there was a side trail leading to an old shelter. The shelter was removed when the area became a wilderness, but we found some signs pointing to its former site. We made sure to look for the blue blazes, and once we were on the right track we quickly made it to the next intersection. Riprap Trail continues to the boundary of Shenandoah NP, but we turned left onto Wildcat Ridge Trail to head back to the parking lot.

Wildcat Ridge Trail

Crossing the stream one last time, we started to ascend. While Wildcat Ridge trail isn’t too long, it has the steepest elevation gain of the loop. We had a constant uphill climb, with a few switchbacks, for about 2.6 miles until we reached the intersection with the Appalachian Trail. There were a few views on the way, but nothing too impressive.

At the intersection of Wildcat Ridge Trail and the AT, we spotted an eastern cottontail rabbit – though we see them more frequently in our yard than while hiking. From there, it was a quick walk back to the parking lot. We climbed into the car and drove back to Big Meadows Lodge, where we had a delicious dinner as we watched the sun set.

This was a great hike, and we know we’ll be back again. Views and water features meant there was a lot to see along the way. We recommend doing the full loop if you can, but if not, Chimney Rock is worth a visit. I wish the loop was closer to where we live so we could hike it more easily.

Riprap and Wildcat Ridge Loop Trail

Date: Saturday, June 22, 2019
Type: Loop dayhike
Total Distance: 9.6 miles (15.5 km) round trip
Cumulative Elevation Gain/Loss: 2382 feet (726 m)
Time: 7 hours, including lunch and breaks
Trail Markings: White blazes for the AT, yellow for horse trails, and blue for everything else
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Crowds: Low to moderate
Water: Various streams, creeks, waterfalls, swimming holes
Highlights: Multiple views, wildflowers, waterfall, swimming holes
Notes: This route can be done clockwise or counterclockwise.
Directions to Wildcat Ridge Parking (mile marker 92): Google Maps Directions
Directions to Riprap Parking (mile marker 90): Google Maps Directions

Trail Directions

• 0.0 mi – From Wildcat Ridge Parking Lot, begin on blue-blazed Wildcat Ridge Trail. If you parked at the Riprap Parking Lot, start at the 2.8 mile trail direction after taking the short spur trail from the parking lot to the AT.
• 0.1 mi – Turn right onto the white-blazed Appalachian Trail
• 2.8 mi – Continue straight on the AT, past the intersection with the trail that leads to Riprap Parking Lot.
• 3.2 mi – Turn left onto Riprap Trail
• 3.9 mi – Calvary Rocks Viewpoint
• 4.3 mi – Chimney Rock Viewpoint
• 6.3 mi – Swimming hole
• 6.9 mi – Turn left onto Wildcat Ridge Trail
• 9.5 mi – Continue straight on Wildcat Ridge Trail at the intersection with the Appalachian Trail
• 9.6 mi – Back at Wildcat Ridge Parking Lot

Places

• Riprap Parking Lot | Skyline Drive Mile Marker 90
• Wildcat Ridge Parking Lot | Skyline Drive Mile Marker 92
• Calvary Rocks Viewpoint | 38.1871442,-78.7732787
• Chimney Rock Viewpoint | 38.1865942, -78.7788787

Maps

• Riprap and Wildcat Ridge Loop Trail Map (KTNP)
• Riprap Area Road and Trail Map (NPS)

Links

• Calvary Rocks (Summit Post)
• Chimney Rock (Summit Post)

Elevation Graph

Interactive Map

The post Riprap and Wildcat Ridge Loop Trail appeared first on KTNPBlog.

After checking out of Jedediah Smith Campground, we drove along route 101 to a trail with an awkward name. Damnation Creek Trail is in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, part of Redwood National & State Parks. It’s a well-known hike, and considered one of the best in the park. The trail descends 2.1 miles through redwood trees, and across Damnation Creek, to a coastal rocky beach. It’s both a diverse and difficult hike.

Descending Damnation Creek Trail

When we arrived at the small parking area along route 101 around 1pm, there were only a few spots available. As we started on the trail, we saw a sign that warned that the trail dropped 1000 feet. After an initial ascent of about 100 feet, we began a steady descent. And since this trail is an out-and-back, we would have to hike back up.

Soon Damnation Creek Trail intersected with the Coastal Trail, and we started descending more steeply. A sign near the intersection read “bridge failure,” and referred to a bridge near the end of the trail. We had spoken to a NPS intern, who told us that hikers had been crossing the bridge, even though the NPS didn’t recommend it.

We hit some switchbacks and descended into fog. The redwoods become more sparse as we headed toward the coast, and we could see the ocean peeking through the trees. The trail is very narrow, steep, and wet in spots – so some sections of the trail are eroded.

The Coast

As we neared the coast, we arrived at a wooden bridge with orange plastic webbing. Was this the bridge that was closed? We weren’t sure, since it didn’t appear to be blocked off. I thought about turning around and going back the way we came, but we decided to cross one at a time instead. The creek was just a few feet below…but this may have been a bad life decision. The trail led through tall grass and wildflowers to a view of the ocean, where we took photos of the coast shrouded in heavy fog.

Precariously steep steps carved into the side of the hill led to a stream, and finally a rocky beach. We explored and took photos, particularly of the rocks in the ocean, which reminded us of Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Under the viewpoint we had come from, there was a small passageway that led to the south side of the beach.

It was time for a late lunch, so we found a spot with a great view. The other groups of beach-goers slowly disappeared, and we eventually had some solitude to relax and enjoy the beach. As we ate, the fog lifted and the weather became hot and sunny.

Ascending Damnation Creek Trail

You might be saying the name of the trail as you ascend the steep incline. The return hike was difficult for us at first, but once we got past the eroded, narrow part of the trail, it was just a moderate uphill hike. As we hiked up, we passed a sign saying we were leaving a tsunami zone…good to know!

We had hoped to hike some other trails in the park, but were pretty tired. Our consolation prize was heading back into Crescent City for dinner. On the way, we discussed how much we had enjoyed the varied terrain and plant life along Damnation Creek Trail. It turned out to be one of our favorites – despite its elevation gain and quirky name.

Damnation Creek Trail

Date: July 22, 2017
Type: Out and back hike
Total Distance: 4.2 miles (6.8 km) round trip
Cumulative Elevation Gain/Loss: 1694 feet (516 m)
Time: 4 hours, which includes lunch and photo breaks
Trail Markings: Trail signs at intersections
Difficulty: Strenuous
Crowds: Moderate
Water: Beach access, and some streams near the coast
Highlights: Ocean, rocky beach, streams, large trees, wildlife
Note: Please check with NPS before you hike this route regarding the bridge closure
Directions to Damnation Creek Trailhead: Google Maps Directions

Trail Directions

• Mile 0.0 – From the parking lot, take Damnation Creek Trail. The trail will ascend briefly before descending.
• Mile 0.5 – At the intersection with the Coastal Trail, keep right on Damnation Creek Trail.
• Mile 0.6 – Damnation Creek Trail intersects with the Coastal Trail again. Follow the sign for Damnation Creek Trail.
• Mile 2.1 – Hopefully you made it to the coast! Enjoy, then head back the way you came.
• Mile 4.2 – Back at the parking lot.

Places

• Damnation Creek Trailhead

Maps

• Damnation Creek Trail Map (KTNP)

Elevation Graph

Interactive Map

The post Damnation Creek Trail appeared first on KTNPBlog.

We woke up in our campsite at Gold Bluffs Beach in Redwood National & State Parks refreshed and ready to go. Our plan was to hike to the picturesque Fern Canyon, one of the most popular spots in the park. Ferns line its walls and a stream runs through it. Part of Jurassic Park 2 was filmed there due to its primeval appearance.

The trail to Fern Canyon is a 12.1 mile loop linking the James Irvine and Miner’s Ridge trails. We had read that it’s one of the best trails in the park due to its range of environments. From the redwood forest…to coastal sitka spruce forests…to the beach…to the fern canyon. Woody Guthrie would be proud.

If all you want to do is visit Fern Canyon, you can park in a (large but crowded) lot past Gold Bluffs Beach Campground. But we prefer the diversity offered by hiking in. The loop trail starts out at Prairie Creek Visitor Center on James Irvine Trail before arriving at Fern Canyon. After exploring the canyon, we hiked along the coast past Gold Bluffs Beach Campground, then headed back to the visitor center along Miner’s Ridge Trail.

Prairie Creek Trail

We should have left earlier for this hike. The lot at Prairie Creek Visitor Center was crowded, and only 30-minute parking was available. We settled for parking along the shoulder of a nearby road. From the visitor center, we followed signs for Prairie Creek Trail, which continued a short distance before intersecting with James Irvine Trail.

The start of Prairie Creek Trail features wooden bridges over Boyes and Prairie Creeks. Along the way were the first big redwood trees we had seen. Looking up at them was almost spiritual. Although we saw many redwood trees during our trip, I’ll always remember the first time we saw them, and the sense of wonder I felt.

Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) are the tallest trees on Earth. They can live for thousands of years and grow up to 380 feet tall. In 1850, there were two million acres of redwood trees along the California coast. For this reason, they are sometimes referred to as coastal redwoods. Today, there are just 110,000 acres of old-growth redwoods (trees that have not been cut down or significantly disturbed). This represents about 7% of the current total 1.6 million acres of coastal redwoods.

James Irvine Trail

Initially, we shared the trail with many other hikers, since it leaves from the visitor center. About 0.2 miles into the hike, we turned right onto James Irvine Trail. The trail is rolling without any huge sustained elevation gains. We left the majority of the crowds behind, but still ran into people occasionally on this part of the trail.

James Irvine, the trail’s namesake, lived from 1867 to 1947. He was a member of the Save the Redwoods League. His financial support allowed the league to purchase and protect more of the redwood forest.

The trail has ferns, redwoods, and other greenery everywhere. Being there elicited a mystical feeling and made me feel small, like a little kid. We kept stopping to admire the unique trees and say, “Wow, cool!”

The ground seemed to be covered with purple flowers. When we stopped to take a closer look, we discovered that they weren’t flowers, but purple leaves. It was the underside of Redwood Sorrel, which look similar to clovers. The top of the leaves are green and the bottoms are purple.

I enjoy looking for wildlife, but it can be tricky to get good photos. Some creatures make it a bit easier by moving slower. On James Irvine Trail, we found our first banana slug (Ariolimax columbianus). Later on, we found them all over the place, but it was always exciting to spot them. I know it’s a slug and all, but compared to the slugs at home it’s huge and bright yellow! So it’s special. The slug is widespread in the pacific northwest and can grow up to 7 inches long.

We passed the intersection with Miner’s Ridge Trail, which would be our return route. It would be another 4.4 miles until we reached Fern Canyon. Along the way, we also passed Clintonia Trail, which can be used to create a shorter loop (though you’d skip Fern Canyon and Gold Bluffs Beach). As we got closer to the coast, we saw fewer redwoods and more sitka spruce trees. Redwoods don’t like the ocean’s salt spray and wind, so they don’t grow near the coast.

Fern Canyon

As we approached the intersection with Fern Canyon Trail, a sign stated that the trail entrance was closed. I was pretty bummed, thinking we wouldn’t be able to see Fern Canyon. Kristin kept my spirits up as we continued hiking toward the coast.

Upon reaching the other side of Fern Canyon, we were relieved to find that it was accessible there. A steady stream of people headed into the canyon from the nearby parking lot. Home Creek flows through the canyon, with its pebble-covered sandy beaches on either side. The park service had placed seasonal wood planks over the creek so visitors wouldn’t have to trudge through water. Layers of moss and ferns lined the canyon walls, as rivulets of water cascaded down.

Deeper into the canyon we went, over fallen logs, across the creek. It was spectacular, undoubtedly the most memorable part of our hike. The trail only goes back so far before we reached downed trees, logs, and debris blocking the route further into the canyon. We assumed this was why we saw the closure sign earlier. We retraced our steps out of the canyon.

Gold Bluffs Beach

Immediately after passing through Fern Canyon, the trail brought us out into the sunlight. We were no longer surrounded by large trees, and we approached the beach. Our next stop would be Gold Bluffs Beach Campground, where we were staying. We had two route options: the gravel road, or along the beach.

The beach sounded like a more interesting option. The Coastal Trail runs along the beach throughout much of Redwood National Park, and we found the access trail by Fern Canyon Parking Lot (near the restrooms). Unfortunately, as we got closer to the beach, we ran into a flooded swampy area. We had the option to hike through it, but we chickened out and went back to the gravel road.

We recommend checking out the Coastal Trail if you can get there. The gravel road was nothing special, but it was easy going despite a few streams that crossed it. We had to watch out for the occasional car that trundled its way past us on the way to or from Fern Canyon.

Soon we arrived at Gold Bluffs Beach Campground, which finally felt warm and sunny! We decided to rest at our campsite for a couple minutes and just enjoy it. After walking to the beach, we wished we hadn’t already eaten our lunch. Then it was time to tackle Miner’s Ridge.

Miner’s Ridge Trail

The trail starts across the gravel road from the campground. It leads into the forest en route to Prairie Creek Visitor Center in 4.6 miles. By now we were tired, and we had a growing number of blisters on our feet. That’s what we get for not hiking much prior to the trip. We put some moleskin and band-aids on our feet and continued on.

Since we were near the coast, we began seeing more sitka spruce. But as we hiked inland, redwoods slowly started popping up again. Soon we passed a tsunami evacuation site. Signs on various trails warn that you’ve entered a tsunami area, so if ever the worst happens, head up Miner’s Ridge Trail.

Much of Miner’s Ridge Trail is similar to James Irvine Trail. We saw plenty of big trees, but after hours of hiking they just don’t seem as spectacular as they did at the beginning. It’s sad to say, but they were amazing again by our next hike. We saw wildflowers, crossed more bridges and streams, and enjoyed the sun streaming through the trees.

By the time we reached the visitor center, the parking lot was empty. The field nearby glowed as the sun began to set. There were no elk in sight, though it seemed like a good time and place to spot one.

We wished we had done this hike a bit later in our trip when we had gotten our “hiking legs” back. We also wished we had set out earlier in the day, since this hike is a longer one. Overall, it’s a fun hike that shows off many interesting and diverse park features.

James Irvine and Miner’s Ridge Loop Trail with Fern Canyon

Date Visited: July 18, 2017
Type: Lollipop Loop
Total Distance: 12.1 miles (19.5 km) round trip
Cumulative Elevation Gain/Loss: 2685 feet (818 m)
Time: 7.5 hours which includes lunch and rest breaks
Trail Markings: Trail signs at intersections
Difficulty: Strenuous, due to the distance
Crowds: Minimal, except at Prairie Creek Visitor Center and Fern Canyon
Water: The ocean, few creeks that are crossed, stream through Fern Canyon
Highlights: Large redwood trees, fern canyon, primeval forests, beach and ocean coastline, solitude, wildlife, streams
Note: You can do this hike in either direction. We don’t see an advantage to either. If the back entrance of Fern Canyon is open, you can hike through there without backtracking through the canyon. To get to Miner’s Ridge Trail from Fern Canyon, you can either walk along the road or try the Coastal Trail.
Directions to Prairie Creek Visitor Center: Google Maps Directions

Trail Directions

• Mile 0.0 – From Prairie Creek Visitor Center, walk north until you see the trailhead sign for Prairie Creek Trail. Turn right onto the trail, and go over a bridge. Marvel at the redwood trees.
• Mile 0.1 – Continue straight at the intersection
• Mile 0.2 – Continue straight at the intersection with West Ridge Trail for 60 feet. Turn right onto James Irvine Trail.
• Mile 0.9 – Intersection with Miner’s Ridge Trail; keep right to continue on James Irvine Trail
• Mile 3.3 – Continue straight on James Irvine Trail. Clintonia Trail, to your left, could be used to make a shorter loop
• Mile 4.7 – Intersection with Friendship Ridge Trail; continue straight
• Mile 5.0 – Intersection with the back entrance to Fern Canyon Trail. If it’s closed, continue straight on James Irvine. If it’s open, you can go left onto Fern Canyon Trail. These directions assume the back entrance is closed.
• Mile 5.3 – Front entrance of Fern Canyon. Go in as far as you can, following Home Creek. Once you can’t go any further, double back to the canyon entrance
• Mile 6.1 – Once back at the entrance to Fern Canyon, turn left onto Gold Bluffs Trail
• Mile 6.3 – At the Fern Canyon parking lot; restrooms (outhouses) are available. Two choices: you can either take the gravel road (Gold Bluffs Beach Road), or you can take the Coastal Trail along the beach (access trail at the back of Fern Canyon parking lot). We chose the gravel road because the connecting path was flooded.
• Mile 7.5 – Take Miner’s Ridge Trail which leads into the forest on the left. You’ll see a tsunami evacuation site after a couple minutes on the trail. If you want to check out Gold Bluffs Beach Campground, it’s 500 feet beyond the Miner’s Ridge Trail and gravel road intersection.
• Mile 9.5 – At the intersection with Clintonia Trail. Continue straight on Miner’s Ridge Trail.
• Mile 11.3 – You’ve completed the loop and are back on James Irvine Trail. Continue straight.
• Mile 11.9 – Turn left at this intersection. 60 feet later, you’ll come to another intersection with West Ridge Trail. Continue straight.
• Mile 12.0 – Intersection with Prairie Creek Trail – continue straight
• Mile 12.1 – Back at Prairie Creek Visitor Center!

Places

• Fern Canyon | 41.4016634, -124.0737641
• Gold Bluffs Beach Campground | 41.3835728,-124.0717255
• Prairie Creek Visitor Center | Newton B. Drury Scenic Pkwy, Orick, CA 95555

Maps

• James Irvine-Miner’s Ridge Trail Map (KTNP)

Links

• Reservations for Gold Bluffs Beach Campground
• NPS Article on Banana Slugs
• NPS Article on Redwood Trees
• Save the Redwoods League – Coast Redwoods
• Orange Coast Article About James Irvine

Elevation Graph

Interactive Map

The post James Irvine and Miner’s Ridge Trails with Fern Canyon appeared first on KTNPBlog.

Type: 3-day Backpacking Loop
Distance: 20.4 miles (32.8 km)
Cumulative Elevation Gain/Loss: 6,083 feet (1854 m)
Net Elevation Gain/Loss: 4,076 feet (1242 m)
Date visited: April 17, 2017 – April 19, 2017
Manning Camp via Miller Creek Trail Map (KTNP)

[Last updated: April 2024]

On our second to last day in Saguaro National Park, we went to a “Star Party” at Rincon Visitor Center.  We like astronomy, planets, and stars, so we made sure to go.  Before going outside to stargaze, the ranger at the visitor center gave us a rundown on the history of the park.  He explained how the park was created by President Herbert Hoover as a National Monument.  The ranger then said, “The park has a lot of diversity, not just the desert environment, but also the Rincon Mountains at 8,000 feet.  Up there is Manning Camp, but nobody really goes there.”  We sat there feeling slightly miffed, but also smug, because we had been at Manning Camp just two days before.

While researching Saguaro, one spot stood out more than anything else: Manning Camp.  This campground sits among conifer forest at 8,000 feet of elevation, in the Rincon Mountain (east) District close to the highest point in the park.  There’s a cabin at the campground that was built in 1905 by Levi Manning, a mayor of Tucson.  It was used until 1907 when the area was added to Coronado National Forest.  When the national park was established, the cabin and surrounding areas were restored and used as a campground, corral, and research station.  Visitors can’t stay in the cabin, but there are six campsites.  Doesn’t that sound like a great destination for an adventure?  If you’re interested in more information, the NPS has an article about the history at Manning Camp.

Planning

8,000 feet is about as high as you can get from the Sonoran Desert, which has an elevation of around 3,000 feet.  The only way to get to Manning Camp is a backpacking trip, so our plan was set.  Mostly.  There are six different trailheads to get into the backcountry, and by extension, Manning Camp.  The backcountry guide on Saguaro National Park’s website gives a decent rundown on the options.  There are five designated backcountry campgrounds (dispersed camping is not allowed).  Manning Camp which has six campsites; the rest have three.

Given the six trailheads to the backcountry, it was a difficult choice.  These were our options:

• Douglas Spring: Easily accessible on the west side of the Rincon district.  Decently close to Manning Camp.  But, there are frequent break-ins when cars are left overnight.
• Tanque Verde: Located on the western side of the Rincon district, inside the park, secure parking.  Long distance to Manning Camp, but trail goes through 6 different biomes as you climb from 3,100 to 8,000 feet.
• Italian Spring: On the north side of the Rincon district, in Coronado National Forest.  4WD vehicle access only.
• Loma Alta: On the southern side of the Rincon district.  There’s no public access to this trailhead. (Update: As of 2020, this now seems to be publicly accessible)
• Miller Creek & Turkey Creek: East side of Rincon District, in Coronado National Forest.  You start from higher up (4,200 or 4,250 feet respectively), so not as long to get to Manning Camp.  But the trails are steeper, and you have to go through backcountry gravel roads to get there.  Turkey Creek follows a 4WD road for a mile or so, so you can get in further if you have the right vehicle.

Looking at the list of trailheads, we quickly eliminated Italian Spring from our options since we wouldn’t have a 4 wheel drive vehicle.  Likewise, we eliminated Loma Alta since there was no easy way to access it.  My initial thought was Douglas Spring, since I had found a route from Backpacker Magazine for that trailhead.  But K nixed that idea, because of frequent break-ins that occur there.

That left us with Tanque Verde.  It is secure, safe, and had campgrounds spaced a good distance apart (you can only camp in designated campgrounds, no dispersed camping).  We could do a 3-night out-and-back trip to Manning Camp, staying the first night at Juniper Basin, second at Manning Camp, and back to Juniper Basin for the third night.  But when we started planning out our full itinerary for the trip, we realized that we wanted a day to explore the Cactus forest in the northwest corner of the Rincon District.

Could we do anything about it?  Looking at our map led us to Miller Creek Trailhead which was located on the east side of the Rincons, in Coronado National Forest.  We could form a loop with that and Turkey Creek trailhead to manage a two night backpacking trip, giving us that extra day.  It would be a bit more strenuous with steeper trails, and the last day would have a decent chunk of mileage.  One first night would be at Happy Valley Campground, with our second at Manning Camp.  Problem solved.

• Day 0 – Drive to Benson, stay in the night.  Benson is the closest town to the trailhead.
  • Overnight:  Comfort Inn, Benzon, AZ
• Day 1 – Hike to Happy Valley Campground. If time allows, hike up 7.2 mile round-trip to Rincon peak from there.
  • Overnight: Happy Valley Campground
  • Distance and Elevation Gain: 4.1 miles, +2239 feet, – 327 feet
• Day 2 – Hike from Happy Valley Campground to Manning Camp. If time allows, hike the 5.0 mile Fire Loop Trail hike.
  • Overnight: Manning Camp
  • Distance and Elevation Gain: 6.4 miles, +2764 feet, – 939 feet
• Day 3 – Miller Creek Trailhead via Turkey Creek trail, forming a loop.
  • Distance and Elevation Gain: 9.9 miles, +1080 feet, -4817 feet

A backcountry permit is required for any overnight stays and it’s $8 per campsite, per night.  Campsite permits are released on a 6-month rolling basis.  When we did this trip in 2017, you had to request the permit via mail.  But as of 2020, the permit can now only be obtained from recreation.gov.  We weren’t too worried about not getting a permit, but you never know if a site will fill up.  Additionally, we didn’t know what rental car we’d have, so we left that information blank on the permit, and called the visitor center once we arrived in Tucson.

This is the desert, so water sources are hard to come by.  Only some of the campgrounds in the park have springs, and only one of the campgrounds has a guaranteed year-round water source.  Thankfully, that year round water source is at Manning Camp, which was the reason the cabin was built there so many years ago.  Happy Valley, where we’d stay the first night, did not have a spring – only ephemeral water from snow melt.  So water was not guaranteed from our starting point at Miller Creek until we get to Manning Camp.  As a result, we each packed 5 liters of water (a 3-liter bladder, and two 1-liter water bottles).  This would prove to be enough, as long as we were judicious with our water supply.

Day 0 – Benson, Arizona

We wanted to get an early start, especially with much of the trail being exposed to the sun.  There was also Rincon Peak, a 6 mile round-trip hike from Happy Valley Campground that we wanted to do after we got to the campground.  The day before our trip, we were going to be in the Tucson Mountain (west) District, so we decided to drive that evening into a small town called Benson, the closest one to Miller Creek trailhead.  According to Google, it would only be a 45-minute drive to the trailhead from the Comfort Inn in Benson.

So after hiking Ringtail Trail, we set out and drove 75 minutes to Benson, Arizona.  The drive was easy, and as we drove we gazed at the mountains in the distance and wondering if those were the Rincon Mountains that we’d be in the next day.  When we arrived at the hotel, we were ravenous.  Hotel staff recommended a restaurant called Pablo’s Steaks.  Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed…it was Easter Sunday.  Somehow we had forgotten that.  As we drove through town, we figured that dinner was going to be McDonald’s, until we spotted one lone place open: Farm House Restaurant.  We took our chances…

… and the restaurant was actually quite good, though we came in with low expectations.  Super casual atmosphere, quirky country decor, friendly staff, and solid American/country-style food.  K got a pulled pork sandwich with barley vegetable soup.  The sandwich was sweet, with lots of BBQ sauce (which K loves), while the soup was basic but homey.  I got an Avocado Bacon Burger, which I enjoyed, though it had no avocado (and was too tired to ask for some).  K kept stealing my fries, which were simple, but good.  While we ate, we listened to older country music which K is a fan of.  We closed down the restaurant, and barely made it out before they shut down for the night.  A filling meal before our hike, and certainly better than McDonald’s.

Day 1 – Drive to Miller Creek

And so our adventure began.  We ate a quick breakfast, checked out of the Comfort Inn, and started the drive to our trailhead on North Mescal Road.  Before we knew it, we were onto Forest Road 35 (Happy Valley Road), a dirt road going through the Coronado National Forest.  With gorgeous views of the Rincons in front of us!  We stopped a couple times just to take pictures, and admire our surroundings.

The road wasn’t in bad condition, it was nicely graveled and decently level.  Our rental car was a Nissan Rogue – no 4 wheel drive, but it had a higher clearance.  It handled the road without issue.  We continued on, winding up and down the mountains, the views from the road continuing to impress.  There were no saguaros in sight; this was more of a desert grassland environment.  We also passed a few ranches and small houses on the way.  Everything was going great, beautiful day, making good time.  And, of course, that’s when we ran into a large muddy stream running across the dirt road…the adventure had started well before we got to the trailhead.

None of our research had indicated a stream across the road, so it was certainly a surprise.  We stopped the car, got out, and walked to the water’s edge.  We grabbed a rock, threw it in, and it made a big splash.  That wasn’t very helpful for figuring out how deep it was.  I grabbed my trekking pole, and stuck that in.  It was about 10 inches deep, but this was only on the edge.  Could we make it across?  We’d never driven across something like that.  But we weren’t going to give up.

Hearing voices past the water, we set out to investigate.  We walked on the side of the road, and jumped across a narrow part of the stream.  We were across!  But without our car or gear, and miles still away from the trailhead.  Following the voices, we walked along the road for a few minutes until we saw a couple camped on the side of the road.  After chatting with them, we learned they’d crossed with a small, lower-clearance sedan.  They also told us a spring was the culprit, and that the left side of the stream was shallower.

Newly emboldened, we went back to the car, and I got in.  K was still a bit apprehensive that we’d flood the engine or something, so she waited outside.  I started the car, and eased slowly across the stream, making sure to stay on the left side.  We made it!  As we drove past the other couple camping, we made sure to thank them.  On the drive back after backpacking, the water remained, but had decreased in volume.

Further up the road there were puddles, but nothing as big as the stream we had crossed.  We passed many washes, and that was typically where we saw water.  At certain times of the year, when the wash was running, this road would be impassable without a high-clearance vehicle.  As we drove on, we started seeing a few potholes, which we did our best to avoid.  Happy Valley Road also became sandier and bumpier as we passed ranches and pastures, and continued to enjoy mountain views.  And before we knew it, we arrived at Miller Creek.

Day 1 – Miller Creek to Happy Valley

Arriving at the trailhead, we were the only ones there.  We did our best to park in some shade, loaded on our packs, and set off for Happy Valley Campground.  If we had time, we planned to do an additional hike up to Rincon Peak.  In each of our packs was 5 liters of water: a 3-liter hydration bladder and two 1-liter water bottles.  This had to last until we got to Manning Camp, since that was our only guaranteed water source.  Every other campground, except for Happy Valley and Juniper Basin, has a seasonal spring.  Happy Valley only has water from ephemeral streams due to snow melt, but we weren’t counting on that.

We were still on Coronado National Forest land – it would be 1.3 miles until we reached the Saguaro National Park boundary.  Until that point, we would hike through grazing areas and meet lots of friendly cows.  And watching our step because of those friendly cows.  As we started the hike, there was a cow right on the trail.  As we approached, she mooed, got up, and walked away.  Amused, we passed by.  The trail was sandy, with shiny mica bits.  It makes sense, as Mica Mountain, the tallest point in the park, is at the top of the Rincon Mountains.  We kept our heads down as we walked to see the mica, and avoid the cow pies.

The trail was pretty easy going at this point, with a few trees which offered a nice respite from the shade.  Before long we started seeing pools of water, and finally a small creek (the titular Miller Creek).  This is what made the area a bit greener than we expected.  But we continued to slowly ascend, and we started returning to the desert grassland.  Ahead, we could see our path through the beautiful Rincon mountains.

The trail became more open and rocky as we approached our first checkpoint: the national park boundary.  We entered the park through a gate, which keeps cows out, and took a quick celebratory break.  It was great to get our packs off our shoulders, even for a few minutes.  We looked around, and noticed an interesting tree on either side of the trail.  The bark was deep purplish brown that twirled together with a grey bark, almost resembling a candy cane.  I researched it after our trip, and found that it was a Manzanita tree, which means little apple in Spanish.  Looking back at the photos, this made sense because of its small round fruit.

After a brief rest, we shouldered our packs and headed on.  This part of the trail was the strenuous incline we were expecting.  It was around 1,900 feet overall elevation gain over only 2.8 miles to get to Happy Valley Campground.  Additionally, the trail was rocky, sandy, eroded, and required a bit of scrambling here and there.  Naturally, it was a ton of fun!  And also grueling and exhausting.  Markings on the trail are not a strength – it’s not blazed.  Occasionally we’d lose track of the trail.  If this happened, we learned that we could follow the sand and use our intuition to pick it back up.  Occasional small cairns helped guide us, but these were few and far between.  Rocks and branches were placed across areas that marked where hikers should NOT go.

The views as we ascended were spectacular, and they were enhanced by the huge boulders and rocky terrain.  Some sections with large boulders reminded me a bit of Joshua Tree National Park.  Occasionally, we looked out at the view and tried to pick out our path in the valley below.  I kept a lookout for wildlife, but we only saw lizards and birds.  Mountain lions are rare in the area, and sadly, we didn’t see any.

Our trip up was so sunny and hot that we stopped for breaks whenever we had a bit of shade.  Our only complaint with the shade was having to share it with small, annoying bugs.  But shade is at a premium, so you don’t really have a choice!  The trail wasn’t quite what we expected.  A variety of boulders made for gorgeous scenery and interesting terrain.  We both had trekking poles, which we recommend, as there was loose rock and sand on top of boulders, which made for sometimes unsure footing.

We tried to ration our water, but also made sure we were hydrated.  We hadn’t seen any water since we passed Miller Creek at the start of the trail.  We planned to hike to Rincon Peak after arriving at Happy Valley Campground, and wanted to ensure we had enough water for the trip.  As we ascended, the desert grassland gave way to oak woodland.   The trail became more forested, we kept assuming we were almost there.  But we weren’t – it was taking far longer than expected.  The long car ride, along with the heat and incline, made our side trip to Rincon Peak unlikely.  We kept trudging along.

Day 1 – Happy Valley Campground

When we saw a sign marking an intersection with Heartbreak Ridge Trail, we were overjoyed.  We were almost there!  We turned left at the intersection, and it was a short 0.2 miles to the campground, which appeared on our left.  At this point, we had also started seeing pine trees, which made sense, since we were at an elevation of around 6,200 feet!  Pine cones littered the forest floor, and yellow wildflowers added pops of color.

Pine trees towered over us as we made our way into the campground.  It was very majestic and peaceful, located in a tree grove.  We had seen no one on the trail, though we figured we would in the campground.  But we had it all to ourselves.  K went to find the pit toilet while I explored the campsites.  After wandering around, K pointed out what seemed to be a critical flaw in the bathroom – it was only three-sided, without a roof.  We were both amused and confused.  Would it have been that costly to put up a fourth wall with a door?

Arriving late in the campground meant we had to forgo climbing Rincon Peak.  Add it to the list for next time.  We wanted to go, but realized we didn’t have enough water or time.  If you want to hike Rincon Peak, we recommend you stay a second night at Happy Valley, and do Rincon Peak as a dayhike.  You would need an additional day’s supply of water, though.  The peak would be visible on our hike tomorrow, taunting us that we didn’t get to climb it.

Happy Valley has three campsites.  We chose campsite #1, pitched our tent, and took some time to relax and make dinner.  We didn’t look around for water, assuming there was none since we had read nothing about a spring here, only ephemeral streams from snow.  There had been snow 2-3 weeks ago, but now, there was nothing.

Since we had the place to ourselves, we were able to explore the other campsites.  We found campsite #3 to be the best, as it was the furthest removed from the trail, had log chairs, a leftover portable table, bear box, and fire ring.  We would have stayed there had we found it sooner.  Campsite #2 seemed to be the least desirable, mainly because it didn’t seem to have a bear box.  Our site, #1, had a fire ring, bear box, and log seats, but if anyone came to the campground they’d go through our site (of course, no one did).

It was getting cool, quite different than our time in the desert scrub portion of the park, which was at 3,000′ feet of elevation.  We were glad to have our jackets!  This had been a hard day, the hike was difficult with the weight of our packs, heat, and the elevation gain of the trail (around 2200′ over 4.1 miles).  Exhausted, we went to sleep so we could get an early start for the long day tomorrow.

Day 2 – Happy Valley to Manning Camp

We woke up refreshed at Happy Valley Campground in Saguaro National Park.  And a little cold.  But happy.  Something about it all just makes your body and soul feel good.  You get to relax, enjoy the views, nature, and get away from crowds and work.  We were at 6,000 feet of elevation.  The sun slowly peeked in, but the pine trees were blocking our precious sunshine.  Finding what sunshine we could, we sat there eating our oatmeal.  Slightly sad, we packed up and said goodbye to our campground.  We wanted to get to Manning Camp at a decent time so we could do additional hikes around it.  So we wasted no time, leaving at 8:30am (this is early for us).  We hoped it would turn out better than our attempt to climb Rincon Peak.  It would be 6.4 miles and 2,764 feet of elevation gain to Manning Camp.

Walking out of the campground, we turned right to go back to the intersection of Heartbreak Ridge trail with Miller Creek Trail.  This time, we would head straight on Heartbreak Ridge.  The trail started out in Happy Valley Saddle, which is the region between Rincon Peak and Mica Mountain.  We’d have a similar elevation gain to the previous day, but it was more gradual this time with ups and downs, so we hoped it would be slightly easier.  As we moved into the saddle, the pine trees vanished, and we were back in a desert grassland.

Flowering manzanita lined the sides of the trail as we ascended.  Why is the trail called Heartbreak Ridge?  Seems ominous.  I’m assuming it’s because when you think you’re almost there, you realize you have more to go.  Happy Valley Lookout was the first intersection we encountered.  I wanted to check out the lookout on the side trail, but we decided to keep going in the interest of time.  We could see Rincon Peak the whole way up to Manning Camp too.  And it taunted us every step of the way since we didn’t get there the previous day.

Like day 1, we relied on periodic shade that allowed us take breaks, and grab water or a snack to recharge.  Sunglasses are essential on this trail, which is mostly exposed to the sun.  The trail was not well-maintained; there were multiple downed trees, bushes on the trail, and eroded slopes.  Sometimes the trail was marked with reddish metal flags embedded in trees.  Who knows how long they’ve been there, but they were still helpful.  Again, the trail is speckled with bits of mica that reflect sunlight.

Our weary bodies kept going, and we passed Deerhead Spring Trail on the right.  For now, we continued on Heartbreak Ridge Trail.  The Deerhead Spring Trail sign said it would be only 0.5 miles until we got to Four Corners.  Four Corners wasn’t on any map we had, but based on the mileage and looking at the map, we assumed it was the intersection of Heartbreak Ridge and Devil’s Bathtub trails.

We soon reached the intersection with Devil’s Bathtub Trail, and turned left.  And gloriously the trail was more level than Heartbreak Ridge, which was a relief.  A little bit into the trail, we reached a sign that pointed us to Devil’s Bathtub, located at 7,500 feet of elevation.  And we saw our first sign of water in a day and a half.  A small trickle of water flowed across rocks, until it came to the edge of a rock cliff where it dripped down and down and down, until it hit a large pool of water.  You can’t miss it, but there’s a wooden sign just in case.

There was no easy way to reach the large pool of water, hence the name.  And we couldn’t get anything from the small trickle on top either, not easily at least.  So we enjoyed the view, walked around, took photos, and were just glad to see water.  At this point we were also very much in a pine forest, similar to Happy Valley, which was nice since we weren’t as exposed to the sun.  We didn’t expect the environment to change so rapidly.

Soon Devil’s Bathtub trail dumped us out on Manning Camp trail, which is part of the Arizona Trail, an 800-mile National Scenic Trail from Mexico to Utah across the state of Arizona.  We’d only be on the trail for 1 mile until we reached the campground, but the Arizona Trail bisects the entire Rincon District.  With renewed spirits (and some energy chews), we headed north.

Along the way, I saw a lizard scamper near the trail.  Now, we had seen plenty of lizards on the trip, but this one looked different.  It had horns.  Initially I thought it was a Regal Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma solare), but research after our trip told us it was a greater short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi).  It was small, only about five inches in length, but was very interesting to look at with all the horns, knobs, and scales.  We waved goodbye, and were soon greeted with the sounds of a stream.  Shortly, we saw the small creek gurgling below to the left of the trail.  We could have filtered water from the stream, but we were close to Manning Camp at this point.  And a few hundred feet later, the small stream crossed the trail for easier access if we needed it.  We jumped over it and headed up.

Day 2 – Manning Camp

And soon we saw it, on our right – campsites.  We’d made it!  If we had kept going on the trail, we would have run right into the cabin, but instead, we walked through the campground looking at the sites.  But mainly looking for the water source since we were about out of water.  We found it, and it was breathtaking.  Pictures don’t do it justice.  The small but beautiful waterfall cascaded into a large clear pool where we could get all the cold drinking water we needed (after filtering of course).  We refilled our bottles and hydration bladders and relaxed for a few minutes.

After filtering water, we went and picked a campsite that we thought looked private.  Each campsite had a fire ring and bear box.  Then we set about exploring the campground.  We found the bathrooms, which thankfully had a doors and roofs (comparatively with Happy Valley Campground).  The cabin had an open-air section, where we saw lots of gear for the National Park staff that visits the cabin.  Next to the cabin is a large corral, fire pit, and picnic tables.

There are 6 campsites and 2 bathrooms at the campground.  There are also a few special tents scattered around for NPS employees near Manning Cabin.  We chose site 2, as we felt it offered privacy and had some logs for seating.  You can’t go wrong with any of the sites though; they all looked private, large, and appeared to have some seating.  Apparently there is also a helipad to the west of the camp.

One thing we didn’t see?  People.  Once again, we were the only ones in the campground.  We saw a large red tent near the cabin, but not in a campsite, but we never saw anyone use it.  We were alone.  Not that we minded, but it would have been nice to see other people at some point.  After our trip, we asked at a visitor center, and were told an NPS intern should have been staying up there in the cabin.  A registry book at Manning Camp told us someone camped there the previous night. Another visitor had written that there was snow a few weeks prior to our visit!

Day 2 – Spud Rock

Our initial plan after arriving at Manning Camp was to hike the intersecting trails north of the campground that led to the highest points in Saguaro National Park.  Namely, Spud Rock (8613 feet), Mica Mountain (8666 feet), and Reef Rock (8103 feet).  We wanted to do a 4.9 mile trail called Fire Loop Trail, that would go past all of them.  Even with us pushing ourselves to get to Manning Camp, we still didn’t have quite enough time before it started to get dark.  But we did have enough time to hike to Spud Rock.

Mica Mountain may be slightly taller, but I had read that Spud Rock has better views.  Kristin and I grabbed some energy chews and water, then walked through camp past the cabin.  We turned onto Cowhead Saddle Trail, which turned right onto Fire Loop Trail in 0.6 miles.  We went around the loop clockwise, and the hike wasn’t too bad – it would only be 2.5 miles roundtrip.  Not being very good at judging distance, we kept suggesting that every big rock that we saw was Spud Rock.  In reality, we didn’t see Spud Rock coming.

At about 1.4 miles into the hike, we came upon a simple sign that marked Spud Rock, with an enormous rock outcropping behind it.  Did it look like a potato?  Not to us, at least from that vantage point.  According to the book “Arizona Place Names” by Will C. Barnes: “Two Southern Pacific railroad engineers, William H. Barnett and Jim Miller, had a shack here and raised potatoes and cabbage on a little flat close to the rock.  They called it Spud Rock for their major crop – spuds.”  There was no official trail that went to the top, but there was clearly a social trail.  So we followed it.  It doesn’t take that long, just 5 or so minutes to climb.  Near the top we climbed up a decently sloped rock slab, but it wasn’t too bad.

At the top was a flat-ish area, where we were greeted by immense gusts of wind.  Not surprising considering how high we were.  We were also wowed by spectacular views that took our breath away, despite it being hazy. We snapped a few quick photos while trying not to get blown away.  Also at the top is a logbook in an ammo box, surrounded by rocks to protect it from the wind.  We had to duck to sign the logbook, and then climbed back down.

The hike back to Manning Camp didn’t take long, and we were back before we knew it.  We settled in, made some dinner, and were exhausted so went to sleep shortly after.  It had also gotten pretty cold out.  We were happy to have our jackets and long hiking pants.  I don’t know the exact temperature, but it was probably in the low 40s (°F).  There was a fire ring, but we didn’t feel like going through the hassle of making a fire, when we could just crawl into the tent and get warm instead.  Sleep came easily.

Day 3 – Manning Camp to Turkey Creek Trail

It was still cold when we got up around 7 a.m.  The average low at Manning Camp in April was 37°F!  It started warming up slowly, as the sun rose in the sky.  With a long day ahead, we made some oatmeal for breakfast and started packing up.  You can never have too much water, so we went back to the water source to fill up.

As we were filtering, we hear a noise beyond the water, and were startled to see, of all things, a turkey.  The large adult male turkey was covered with feathers and weird wrinkly appendages.  Not what we expected!  But then we remembered the name of the trail we would be on later that day – Turkey Creek.  Of course.  Was it a good sign for the day?  The turkey flew across the small creek downstream from the waterfall, coming closer to us.  That’s when we noticed that the turkey wasn’t alone.  There were about 10 female turkeys all throughout the campground.  The turkeys wandered around in the campground for a good 20 minutes, while we filtered water and packed up.

After saying goodbye to our turkey friends, we walked past Manning Cabin toward Fire Loop Trail.  On the way out, we also saw the “pond” that feeds the campground’s water source.  There’s a fence, so you can’t access it from the top, but you can see it running through the rock into the pool below.  After checking it out, we left Manning Camp and went east along Fire Loop Trail.  It was going to be a long day with 9.9 miles and 4,817 feet elevation loss.

Initially, the trail was a bit elusive due to downed trees and poor signage.  There were pine needles littering the ground, so we had to be cautious to avoid slipping.  We crossed several small trickles and pools of water.  Probably not enough to get drinking water without a pump.  Initially, the trail ascends slightly before starting our big descent.  Fire Loop Trail runs into our old friend, Heartbreak Ridge Trail.  This time we were only on it for 0.9 miles before going on a few smaller trails like Switchback and East Slope Trails.

At the terminus of East Slope Trail is Spud Rock campground.  We were close enough, so we decide to go check it out.  Really, we wanted to find out if the bathroom there is also three-sided like Happy Valley Campground.  It was a bit tough locating the campsites themselves, but when we did, they reminded us of Happy Valley Campground with pine trees towering above.  And like Happy Valley, the bathroom was indeed 3-sided.  And leaning!  Lovely view down a hill though, if that matters to you.  There’s supposed to be a spring somewhere in the campground, but we didn’t have time to look for it.

Day 3 – Turkey Creek Trail

Leaving Spud Rock Campground, we continued on Deerhead Spring Trail which connected with Turkey Creek Trail.  Deerhead Spring itself is located along Turkey Creek Trail.  It didn’t look like a ton of water, but you might be able to search to find some.  This part of the trail descended steeply, with very slippery, eroded and overgrown trails.  It could benefit from some maintenance, but since not many backpackers visit, they probably don’t have the budget or incentive.  In 2017 there were only 2,339 backcountry campers in Saguaro NP; 50% of those visited in March or April.

We crossed between sunny and wooded areas as we looked for markers and small cairns to guide us.  We stopped for a lunch break along the trail, and realized we were running a bit low on food.  It was also here that I somehow smudged my camera lens and didn’t notice until we got back from the trip that all my pictures also had a smudge from this point on.  Whoops.  If you see it in future pictures, that’s why.  Continuing on, we had great views along the trail that we enjoyed.  The trail was dusty, gritty and slippery, and we were beyond tired.  But we still were having a blast.  We tried to hike quickly to make good time.

After 3.1 miles on Turkey Creek Trail, we reached the boundary with Saguaro National Park and Coronado National Forest.  Our surroundings started to change too, and we found ourselves hiking through a picturesque grassland.  Once again, not what we expected.  We hiked through it as the winds rustled the grasses, and we felt as though we had been magically transported somewhere else.

Soon, we spotted the end of Turkey Creek Trail.  Well, in a way.  The trail ends and Turkey Creek Springs Road (Forest Road #4408), a 4 wheel drive road (4WD), takes over.  On most maps, the road isn’t considered part of Turkey Creek Trail, though there is a trailhead sign near the end of the road that includes the road as part of the trail.  Either way, it was about 1.8 miles on Turkey Creek Spring Road to Happy Valley Road.  Not expecting much from a dirt road, we were surprised when it had great views.  It definitely is a 4WD road…I wouldn’t take our 2WD Nissan Rogue on it.  We munched on some Clif Bar energy chews as we hiked, the last of our food.  We had more food in the car, so we just had to get there.

The 4WD road ended in a circular area with a grove of trees.  It looked like there were a few primitive campsites that people had used around the area.  It was tricky to figure out which way to go, so we wandered around until we came upon a metal gate.  We knew we were headed the right way when we saw a sign pointing to the Turkey Creek Trailhead.  Before we knew it, we were on Happy Valley Road (Forest Road #35).  A 10-minute walk along the road led us back to Miller Creek Trailhead, where we started.  We were overjoyed to see our car, and grab a well-deserved snack.  Our car was no longer lonely either, someone else had parked next to us.  And yet we never saw another person during the trip.

So exhausted.  Our minds and bodies were shot at this point with the heat and distance.  All we wanted to do was sleep.  And eat.  It was confusing.  As we drove back to Tucson we snacked on Sun Chips and jerky.  The drive back was uneventful.  The water we had passed through on the way there had subsided, so it was easier to cross.  Once in Tucson, we stopped at El Guero Canelo and got our first Sonoran Hotdogs.  Then we went to our hotel, the Comfort Suites at Sabino Canyon, showered, and passed out.

Final Thoughts

We loved this backpacking trip.  It was the highlight of our visit to Saguaro National Park.  But the last day was exhausting, and we would have changed a few things in hindsight.  We plan to do it again someday, and when we do, we’d make it a 5-day trip, adding days to hike the trails we missed.  We’d do it like this:

Day 1 – Miller Creek to Happy Valley, camp at Happy Valley Campground
Day 2 – Hike Rincon Peak, camp at Happy Valley Campground again
Day 3 – Happy Valley to Manning Camp, camp at Manning Camp
Day 4 – Hike trails around Manning Camp, see Spud Rock, Mica Mountain, and Reef Rock.  Camp at Manning Camp.
Day 5 – Manning Camp to Turkey Creek

That’s our preferred route, if you can figure out how to get additional water at Happy Valley.  If not, I would do a 4-day trip, cut the side trail to Rincon Peak, and stay two nights at Manning Camp.  If you don’t have four or five days, we can happily say our three day trip was well worth it.  Saguaro National Park surprised us, time and time again, and this backpacking trip was no exception.  We’ll be back.

Manning Camp via Miller Creek Trail

Date Visited: We did this backpacking trip from April 17, 2017 to April 19, 2017
Type: Two Night Backpacking Loop
Total Distance: 20.4 miles (32.8 km) round trip
Cumulative Elevation Gain/Loss: 6083 feet (1854 m)
Net Elevation Gain/Loss: 4,076 feet (1242 m)

• Day 1:
  • Distance: 4.1 miles (6.6 km)
  • Cumulative Elevation Gain and Loss: 2239 feet (682 m) Gain, 327 feet (100 m) Loss
  • Time: 5 hours, including lunch and rest breaks
• Day 2:
  • Distance: 6.4 miles (10.3 km)
  • Cumulative Elevation Gain and Loss: 2764 feet (843 m) Gain, 939 feet (286 m) Loss
  • Time: 6.5 hours, including lunch and rest breaks
• Day 3:
  • Distance: 9.9 miles (15.9 km)
  • Cumulative Elevation Gain and Loss: 1080 feet (329 m) Gain, 4817 feet (1468 m) Loss
  • Time: 8 hours, including lunch and rest breaks

Trail Markings: There are infrequent cairns and red metal markers usually pounded into trees.  Signs at intersections.  Trail is not well defined in some areas.  Sticks are placed in areas to mark the “wrong way.”  We usually found that following the sand led us the right way.
Difficulty: Difficult due to elevation gain, long days, and rough trail in some areas
Crowds: None.  We saw absolutely no one on this 3-day backpacking trip.
Water: A small stream near the start of Miller Creek Trail, and then a stream that is coming down from the Manning Camp water source.
Highlights: Views, History, Camping, Water Features, Wildlife, Different Biomes, Wildflowers, Solitude, Scrambling
Directions to Miller Creek Parking: Google Maps Directions
Trail Directions: 

• 0.0 mi – From the parking area at Miller Creek, you’ll see a fence to your west.  Go through it, making sure to close it on your way.  This is the Miller Creek Trail, through Coronado National Forest.  You’ll pass cows, and go up a slight incline.  You might see some small pools and streams of water.  I’d stay away from it with all the cows around though.
• 1.3 mi – You’ll see a sign and fence indicating you’re entering Saguaro National Park.  Again, make sure to close the fence, and continue on the Miller Creek Trail.  This next section is more steep and eroded.
• 3.9 mi – You’ve reached the intersection with Heartbreak Ridge Trail!  You’re almost there.  Turn left onto the trail, and you’ll be rewarded with small downhill section.  As you’ve noticed, there are a lot of trees in this area, compared to the earlier parts of Miller Creek Trail.
• 4.1 mi – Keep an eye out on the left for a Happy Valley Campground sign.  Stay the night here (make sure you have a reservation).  Site 3 is the best, imo.  The next day, go back the way you came.
• 4.3 mi – You’re back to the intersection with Heartbreak Ridge and Miller Creek Trails.  This time, continue straight.  This section becomes more exposed to the sun again, leaving behind the big trees.  You’ll also start to climb steeply in elevation.
• 6.1 mi – To your right is a short trail to Happy Valley Lookout.  We didn’t go up there because of time constraints, but my understanding is that there is an old fire tower there (or was).  Go check it out if you wish, it’s only 0.4 mi round-trip.  If not, continue straight on Heartbreak Ridge Trail.  The trail starts to go up and down and level out a bit occasionally.
• 7.8 mi – Pass Deerhead Spring Trail on the right, and continue straight on Heartbreak Ridge Trail.
• 8.3 mi – You’ve reached “Four Corners,” where the Heartbreak Ridge, East Slope, and Devil’s Bathtub Trails converge.  Head left on Devil’s Bathtub Trail.
• 8.9 mi – Finally!  Your first water since yesterday.  On the left is the Devil’s Bathtub.  I’d only recommend getting water if you’re desperate, you’re almost to a better source at Manning Camp.
• 9.5 mi – Turn right at the intersection, onto Manning Camp Trail.
• 10.5 mi – You’ll see Manning Camp on your right, you’ll pretty much run right into it.  Stay the night here, and enjoy it.  If you have time, explore the trails around Manning Camp.  Even better, stay another night to hike the trails the following day.  Whenever you leave Manning Camp, head east on Fire Loop Trail.  There’s a bit more of an uphill climb, until you begin the long descent.
• 10.7 mi – An intersection with Mica Mountain Trail.  Continue straight on Fire Loop Trail.  On this section, keep on eye out on the left for Duckbill mountain top.  We neglected to look for it when we did the trail.
• 11.1 mi – Head right at the fork, going onto the Heartbreak Ridge Trail.  The trail starts descending here.
• 12.0 mi – At the intersection, go left onto Switchback Trail instead of continuing on Heartbreak Ridge Trail.
• 12.4 mi – Turn left onto East Slope Trail.
• 12.5 mi – At this intersection with East Slope and Deerhead Spring Trails, there’s also a short trail to Spud Rock Campground.  Check it out, or continue onto Deerhead Spring Trail.
• 12.9 mi – You’ve reached Turkey Creek Trail.   You’ll more or less be on this for the rest of the trip.   This is also where the bulk of your descent is.  Be careful because the trail is eroded and steep.  Follow cairns as needed.  You’ll come out of the trees too into more open areas.
• 15.2 mi – You’ll see a fence, meaning you’ve come to the end of the Saguaro National Park Boundary.  Go through it, and continue on the trail in Coronado National Forest.  You’ll see your environment start to change as you enter into more of a grassland.  It’s not quite as steep here, but you’ll still descend.
• 17.9 mi – The end of Turkey Creek Trail.  Continue straight on the Turkey Spring Road, a 4WD Road (Forest Road #4408).  It has great views!
• 19.4 mi – The 4WD road ends, and you come to a primitive campsite area.  We got a bit lost here;, exit through a metal gate and follow the dirt road.
• 19.8 mi – The road ends in a T intersection.  To the left and right is Happy Valley Road (Forest Road #35).  Go right.
• 20.2 mi – On your right is the road to Miller Creek Trailhead, almost there.  Head down the road.
• 20.4 mi – You’re back where you started.

Places

• Benson Comfort Inn | 630 S Village Loop, Benson, AZ 85602
• Miller Creek Trailhead | 32.151929, -110.482352
• Happy Valley Campground | 32.153920, -110.519760
• Devil’s Bathtub | 32.196430, -110.545760
• Manning Camp | 32.20623, -110.55544
• Spud Rock | 32.21869, -110.55048
• Turkey Creek Trailhead | 32.17679, -110.48209
• El Guero Conelo | 5802 E 22nd St, Tucson, AZ 85711

Maps

• Manning Camp via Miller Creek Map (KTNP)
• Saguaro National Park Rincon District Map (NPS)

Links

• Saguaro Wilderness Permits (Recreation.gov)
• Saguaro National Park 2020 Backcountry Guide PDF (NPS)
• Saguaro National Park Camping (NPS)
• Manning Camp History Article (NPS)

The post Backpacking to Manning Camp appeared first on KTNPBlog.

After a short drive from Gilbert Ray Campground, we pulled into an unmarked parking lot just past the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.  There were a few other cars already parked there.  If parking does become an issue, I guess you could park at the museum, though they probably frown on that.  It was a great day, if a little hot, to get a hike in.  I immediately saw my first Saguaro flower – in the parking lot.  Sadly, it would be the only blooming Saguaro I’d see that day (for reference, we were there on April 15).

As we walked toward the trailhead, we realized there were two trails: King Canyon trail on the right, and King Canyon Wash trail that goes to the left.  A wash, we learned, is a low, sandy trail that becomes a stream or river during monsoon season (June 15 – Sept 30).  We headed right to avoid the sand, though the two trails would later converge.

The trail initially is an old gravel road and as we hiked, we started to notice plants we had seen the day before at the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, like ocotillo.  Our experience at the museum helped us identify holes and scars in saguaros, the skeletons of dead cacti, and cactus boots caused by damage from woodpeckers that made their homes in saguaros.  The trail also had gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains.

Near the junction of King Canyon Wash Trail and King Canyon Trail, we came upon an old stone structure.  This defunct restroom was built by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) in the 1930s.  Nearby, and up a short trail, is the Mam-A-Gah Picnic Area.  There are grills, in case you want to cart in a few slabs of meat, as well as a sheltered picnic area lined with dead saguaro cacti.  We took the opportunity to rest in the shade of the picnic area while taking in the view.  It’s the only picnic area in the park that requires hiking to get to!  Like the old stone restroom, the picnic area was built by the CCC in the 1930s.  Mam-A-Gah picnic area was named after a Tohono O’odham Indian Chief.

Continuing on, we crossed paths with our first lizard.  These guys would be darting across the trail quite often as we hiked along, but it was novel the first time we came across one.  It was nice enough to let me take some photos of it.  At this point we were crossing a wash to continue onto the King Canyon Trail.  We didn’t know it, but there are also some petroglyphs nearby in the wash.  We wish we had known about it, instead of finding out after!

After our slight detour, we continued to gain elevation on King Canyon Trail.  Along the way we saw plenty of saguaros, great views, and some flowering cacti.  There weren’t many other hikers on the trails, but we saw a few other groups.  We passed the intersection with Sweetwater Trail, which is another route to Wasson Peak.

At this point, we were famished.  We ate our lunch of tuna and crackers in the shade of a single saguaro.  As the sun continued to rise, it threatened to take away even this tiny bit of shade.  Fortunately, we were able to finish our lunch without being completely exposed to the sun, and we continued on.  You know that saying, “it’s hot, but it’s a dry heat?”  Well, it’s not true.  In the Sonoran desert, there are virtually no trees to provide shade except maybe an occasional palo verde tree, so it’s really….just hot.  And since it is a dry heat, you need to carry a heavier load to accommodate extra water.

The landscape slowly changes as you ascend.  There are fewer saguaro, and we started seeing jojoba bushes, which we had learned about the previous day at the museum.  So we highly recommend you go beforehand!  It was fun to search out the different plants we had learned about.  Jojoba bushes are unique because they are dioecious – the plants are either male or female.  The male plant has yellowish-green flowers which pollinate the small acorn-shaped seeds that come from the flowers on the female plant.  The seeds contain Jojoba oil, which is used in personal care products.

This section of the King Canyon Trail was grueling, and we took breaks where we could find shade – either from saguaros or from a few rock outcroppings.  Our destination was in sight though – we could see Wasson Peak, more or less.  Our next intersection was with the Hugh Norris Trail, which leads to the top of Wasson Peak.  At this point, we only had 0.3 miles to go.  At the top, there was an amazing 360 degree view and a breeze which provided some relief from the heat.  Luckily we had stopped to reapply sunscreen, because we were still completely exposed to the sun.  We had the summit to ourselves, apart from one butterfly.  We took a break, ate a snack, snapped some photos, and headed back down.

We made a loop, so we didn’t go back down the King Canyon Trail.  Instead, we joined together the Hugh Norris, Sendero Esperanza, and Gould Mine (not a typo) trails.  The journey down from Wasson Peak was pretty similar to the way up, but was still a nice hike.  It was getting later in the day, so we played games with the sun as we sought shade every so often.  In the distance, we could see the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

The Gould Mine Trail was the last trail along our route.  Saguaro National Park was not left “untouched” before it became a park.  A lot of mining and grazing went on beforehand, and continued after it became a National Monument.  Evidence of the park’s history is scattered throughout the area.  We found several mines; most were just huge holes in the ground, with some remnants of stone buildings.  The Gould Mine was a copper mine founded in 1906, and then shut down in 1908.

When Gould Trail ends, it’s only a short uphill hike on the King Canyon Wash Trail, and then you’re back at the parking lot.  This turned out to be our favorite hike in the western section of Saguaro.  The views were incredible, and the breeze was nice too.  Perhaps partly because it was our first hike in the park, but I’d still love to hike it again someday.

We got back into our car, where we saw that we had made a fatal mistake – we had left two bananas in there.  They had baked and turned jet black due to the heat.  Just another reminder of how hot it can get here.  Our stomachs growling, and our bananas trashed, we set off in search of food.

Wasson Peak via King Canyon Trail
Distance: 7.8 miles / 12.6 kilometers roundtrip
Time: 7 hours, including lunch, breaks, and many photo ops
Type: Loop
Trail Markings: There are no blazes, but the trail is well defined.  You might see a couple cairns, and there are signs at intersections.
Overall Elevation Gain (Every gain): 2,494 feet / 760 meters
Net Elevation Gain (Top minus Bottom): 1,769 feet / 539 meters
Difficulty: Strenuous – not just the trail, but also the heat depending on the season
Crowds: A few groups in mid-April, but we saw maybe 25 people max
Water: No water features, unless you’re here during monsoon season (Summer, June 15 -Sept 30)
Directions to Parking on Picture Rocks Road: Google Maps Directions
Trail Directions: 

• Mile 0.0 – Continue to the back of the parking lot.  Keep right for King Canyon Trail.  To the left is the King Canyon Wash Trail – which you could also take, if you prefer walking in sand.
• Mile 0.9 – The trails are a bit messy here, but you’ll continue on the King Canyon trail.  Follow the signs.  The King Canyon Wash Trail merges with King Canyon Trail here, and there are side trails as well.  We recommend checking out the Mam-A-Gah picnic area while you’re here.
• Mile 2.3 – Sweetwater Trail intersects with King Canyon trail.  Make a left, and continue climbing on King Canyon Trail.
• Mile 3.2 – From here you can see the summit, so head right on Hugh Norris Trail.
• Mile 3.5 – You’re at the Wasson Peak Summit!  Enjoy the view!  Then continue back the way you came.
• Mile 3.8 – Back at the intersection of King Canyon and Hugh Norris trails.  Continue straight onto Hugh Norris Trail.
• Mile 5.7 – Take a left turn onto Sendero Esperanza Trail.
• Mile 6.7 – Turn right onto Gould Mine Trail.
• Mile 7.8 – Gould Mine Trail runs into King Canyon Wash Trail.  Hike up the sloped sandy hill, and you’re back at the parking lot!

Highlights: Views, Saguaro Cacti, History, Mountains

Date:
It takes us awhile to write a blog post.  We visited Wasson Peak on April 15, 2017.

Places:
Mam-A-Gah Picnic Area | 32.2564931,-111.1621568

Maps:
Wasson Peak via King Canyon Map (KTNP)
Trail Map of Saguaro NP (NPS)

Links:
History of Mining in the Tucson Mountain District (NPS)
2015 Arizona Daily Star Article about Gould Mine

The post Wasson Peak via King Canyon Trail appeared first on KTNPBlog.

Ocean Path

After navigating Acadia’s partially one-way Park Loop Road, we parked our car near Otter Cliff Overlook, a peninsula on MDI. We were careful not to drive too far and miss the last parking point, so we parked at the first lot we came to, on the southernmost part of the peninsula (there are 2 lots – Otter Cliff and Otter Point). Acadia can be crowded, and parking lots fill up. We got a late start for the hike, having done Jordan Pond House and Waterfall Bridge earlier in the day. So we missed a small portion of the Ocean Path trail, but at least we found parking.

We crossed Park Loop Road and started our Ocean Path hike (more of a walk, really). Immediately we were met with gorgeous rocky coastline views. Apparently lots of people like rocky beaches, because the trail was packed with tourists. As you hike north on a gravel path, there are many scenic overlooks, including a rocky beach with bowling ball sized boulders and vertical cliffs. There were many photo ops, so we stopped often. We spotted the only ocean-side sandy beach, aptly named Sand Beach, from several points along Ocean Path.

After about 1.2 miles, we reached Thunder Hole, a popular spot where you can hear the “thunder” of waves hitting the rocks through an underground cave. A gate kept visitors from going past the safe point due to current weather/sea conditions. The view was nice and the “thunder” was an interesting experience, but really wasn’t as great as we hoped. Perhaps it’s more spectacular at high tide.

Though we were tempted to stop at every overlook, we had to keep these stops short so we could finish our hike before nightfall (particularly given the potentially dangerous terrain of The Beehive). Eventually, we reached the end of Ocean Path at Sand Beach. If we had more time, we would have gone for a walk in the sand (a few days later, we went to Sand Beach for a family-oriented Stargazing Ranger Program that was focused on storytelling). We crossed Park Loop road to continue onto the Beehive.

Beehive Trail

The Beehive is an iconic hike with major view payoff, but the catch is that much of it is vertical, taking you up the rock face via iron rungs. The difficulty of the hike, combined with our later start time, meant the hike wasn’t too crowded.

The Beehive starts with some bouldering and otherwise moderate hiking, before you reach the first iron feature, a small bridge. The picture doesn’t do it justice. It doesn’t give you any sense of what you might feel when you cross it (or what went through my mind as I surveyed the rocks below and imagined myself crossing it). There is no handrail, and I couldn’t turn to the side because I was wearing a daypack. Carefully, I crossed to the other side and took a sigh of relief. This is the part where you commit to this hike (or not). After T crossed behind me, he commented that the bridge felt “slippery,” which is sort of terrifying to hear when you’ve been married for a month.

As we continued up the vertical ascent, the woman behind us and I joked about falling to our deaths. T was rolling his eyes and just enjoying himself, but there were definitely parts of the hike that felt scary. I guess I have to get used to it, since our goal is to explore all 59 national parks. And when you get to each viewpoint, it’s totally worth it. For example, there are gorgeous views of Sand Beach from The Beehive as well.

As we followed the cairns, we ascended more rock stairs and iron rungs. Finally, we reached the summit, where we were able to walk on relatively flat rocky ground (!). The view was beautiful, as we could see Champlain Mountain fading into the distance and rain sweeping over the ocean. We ate a snack, got some fellow hikers to snap a photo, and began the descent. The Beehive continues down to The Bowl (a small lake to the west), but we decided to skip that part since it was getting late. We turned left to go down a small connector trail. This part was much easier, and led us down the rocks and back to Ocean Path.

Thoughts: The vertical part of this hike was intimidating at first, but I’m so glad I did this hike! Just stay on the trail, remember to breathe, and you’ll be fine. And don’t look down too much. Trails in Acadia have some unique features, along with amazing views you won’t want to miss. Two other trails in Acadia have iron rungs: Precipice and Jordan Cliffs. Next time, we’d love to do the Precipice Trail – it’s similar to the Beehive’s terrain, but is longer and more strenuous. From March through August, the Precipice and Jordan Cliffs Trails are typically closed for Peregrine Falcon nesting. We went in 2016, and both trails were closed beginning March 15, and reopened on July 29. Make sure to check alerts before you go.

Ocean Path & Beehive Trails | 5.9 Miles Round-Trip, Out and Back
Elevation Gain: 528 feet
Difficulty: Easy (Ocean Path) & Difficult (Beehive)
Trailhead Parking: Park near Otter Point (Google Maps Directions). There is another parking lot at Otter Cliff (Google Maps Directions), if the Otter Point lot is full.  If you’re just doing the Beehive, park at Sand Beach (Google Maps Directions), or there are a few spots along the road beside the Beehive Trailhead.  If you’re just doing Ocean Path, you can hike from either direction – park at Otter Point/Otter Cliff or at Sand Beach.
Trail Directions: Park at Otter Point or Otter Cliff. Cross Park Loop Road and turn left onto Ocean Path. Go 1.2 miles to Thunder Hole. Continue another 2.0 miles to Sand Beach. At this point, the main Ocean Path ends and you can begin the Beehive. Cross Park Loop Road, and continue until you reach the Beehive trailhead on your left. Continue 0.2 miles until you reach a fork. Keep right to continue on the Beehive (the straight/left path is the Bowl Trail, which you’ll return on). You’ll climb iron rungs until you reach the summit, about 0.2 miles. After taking in the views at the top, continue straight toward The Bowl. The trail will skirt the lake, then you’ll come to an intersection with the Champlain South Ridge Trail. Turn left onto the Bowl Trail and keep on the trail for 0.5 miles, at which point you’ll reach the intersection with the Beehive Trail. Continue straight to return the way you came for 0.2 mi. back to the trailhead. Return on Ocean Path.
Highlights: Views, rocky shorelines, beaches, iron features on Beehive
Notes: You could do each trail individually. Ocean Path is 4.4 miles out-and-back, and Beehive is a 1.5 mile “lollipop.”

Places:
Southern Ocean Path Trailhead and Otter Point Parking | 44.307695, -68.192267
Northern Ocean Path Trailhead and Sand Beach Parking | 44.329748, -68.183764
Beehive Trailhead | 44.331543, -68.185257
Otter Cliff Parking | 44.310749, -68.189804
Thunder Hole | 44.320730, -68.188380
Sand Beach | 44.329199, -68.182038

References & Maps:
KTNP Trail Map of Ocean Path & Beehive

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