| About Coronado National Forest |
|
|
| Cave Canyon Trail |
Content provided by |
|
|
|
Difficulty:
More Difficult
Elevation:
6,200 Feet
Length:
2 Miles
Trail Number:
149
Usage:
Light
USGS Map:
Mt Wrightson
Reservation:
No
Season:
January - December
From Sonoita, At an intersection 21 miles south of Interstate 10 and 4 miles north of Sonoita on AZ 83, turn west onto Gardner Canyon Road, Forest Road 92. Keep to the left at three-quarters of a mile and take the right fork at 4 miles around a piece of private property. Continue a total of 10.3 miles to the trailhead at the end of the road.
Location Information
Cave Canyon Trail leads from Cave Creek Basin to Florida Saddle and the northern end of the Santa Rita Crest. Florida Saddle is one of the two main trail hubs in the Santa Ritas. Trails radiate from it to virtually every corner of the mountain range. Cave Canyon Trail is one of two major trails that provides access to this spectacular high country from the east. The other is Gardner Trail, located a few miles to the south. These two little-used trails are connected via the Crest Trail and Super Trail along a walkway between two access roads. The road leading to the Cave Creek trailhead requires a high clearance vehicle, especially when the stream has water in it. A loop taking a good hiker a long day can be put together incorporating Cave Canyon and Gardner Canyon trails and various combinations of other high country trails.The climb up Cave Canyon Trail is a relatively steep one, so you'll most likely find yourself enjoying the view as you take time to catch your breath. From the high perspective provided by the trail, the smooth, almost muscular-looking slopes of the Mustang Mountains (to the east) stand out across the broad lower Cave Creek Valley. North of the Mustangs lie the Whetstones, and beyond them both is the San Pedro Valley. Farther south, the horizon is defined by the massive Huachucas capped by 9,466 foot Miller Peak. The high slopes of the Santa Ritas are home to a forest that varies according to aspect (the direction it faces) and altitude. Forest communities range from scrub oak and high desert pinyon-juniper woodlands on lower or south-facing slopes, to stands of ponderosa, Arizona and Chihuahua pines and Douglas fir on higher or north-facing slopes. This diverse ecosystem provides excellent wildlife habitat for large animals such as Coues deer, whitetail deer, black bear, and an occasional mountain lion. Smaller animals, such as Arizona gray squirrels, and a number of songbirds and hawks are usually easier to see.
|
|
More Resources at Wildernet |
|
|
