I recommend beating the heat and arriving right before sunrise. The main reason why I recommend hiking earlier is so that your time is shorter. The Arizona Trail (AZT) is a rugged, challenging 800+ mile thru-hike that stretches from the border of Mexico to the border of Utah, and is riddled with challenges such as extreme heat, freezing temperatures, snow, blowing sand, lack of water, consistent elevation change, and many stinging and poisonous critters. The first leg of the hike will include sun, but once you’re on the other side, you get to stay in the shade. Visitors traveling on I-10 in southern Arizona can't miss the outstanding 1,500-foot-high Picacho Peak State Park. I enjoyed the vista for a moment or two, and then pushed onward. I should divulge the fact that I took a fall on this hike. Again, I included my reasoning with each recommended item. “How silly!” I thought. I feel something can be less intimidating and easier to conquer if you can mentally prepare yourself in advance. The descent is a different type of slippery, rocky slope than what’s experienced in the beginning. But for everyone else who may want to turn around, collect your courage and slowly work your way down. I prefer to climb down the same way that I climb up, through rock climbing. Sticking up out of this flat desert are majestic rock monolith⦠Length 3.2 miElevation gain 2099 ftRoute type Out & back The thought of a 1,400 foot climb, in just two miles, can be daunting. Hunter Trail, typically rated as difficult, begins on the north side (from Barrett Loop) and will take you to the top of the peak. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Iâve done this hike where the duration spanned from 2.5 â 5 hours. To the southeast, the Santa Catalina Mountains appear as a magic kingdom in the distance. Disclosure: Mountain Tripper is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Required fields are marked *. We decided to hike to the top of beautiful views. The trail to the summit is well marked and maintained. Winter is NOT the time to climb Pikes Peak, but donât take our word for it. Take a well deserved break ⦠While I prefer to start my hikes at the start of sunrise, I understand not everyone is an early bird. Picacho Peak is one of the best spots to see wildflowers, with several easy hiking trails lined with vibrant yellow poppies from start to finish. Instead, I prefer to rock climb to the top. From either direction, you will take exit 219 for Picacho Peak Rd. To the left, out of frame, is a noticeable drop off. February through early April offers the ⦠When in season a beautiful wildflower is witnessed at the beginning of the trail. Early morning from the saddle along Picacho Peak’s Hunter Trail. Its centerpiece spire is visible from downtown Tucson, a distance of 45 miles (72 km). Enjoy the 360-views of the Sonoran Desert and take your photos. Cars speed by on Interstate 10 below, looking like box shaped ants rolling along the desert floor. You will see a sign marked “Hunter Trail,” and from there, your 4-mile hike begins! I can't remember how long it took us but I think the hike finished at a little over an hour. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Artists’ Paintpots Trail – Easy Hikes in Yellowstone National Park, Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4-5.6 R – Telephoto Lens Review, Olympus M.Zuiko 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R Lens Review, Best Fujifilm X-Mount Lenses for Landscape Photography, Best Panasonic Micro Four-Thirds Lenses for Landscape Photography, Best Olympus Micro Four-Thirds Lenses for Landscape Photography, MeFoto Backpacker Air Tripod Review – A Landscape Photographer’s Take, Sony (Zeiss) Vario-Tessar 16-70mm f/4 OSS Lens Review, Sony 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS Telephoto Lens Review, Best Mirrorless Cameras: Landscape Photography. Be sure to grasp the cables and take your time so that you don’t slip. Check out his site for more info. A palo verde tree blooms yellow during sunset along the Sunset Vista Trail. From the top it looks like a boring trail. I stopped in my tracks as the morning sun crested the eastern horizon and illuminated the towering cliffs in warm light. Perhaps the most popular trail at Picacho Peak, the Hunter Trail gives the shortest route to the top. The summit rises to 3,374 feet (1,028 m) above mean sea level. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Sunset in the “saguaro forest” at Picacho Peak State Park. For extra balance, you can grip the cables for this first round. I was glad I had chosen an early start. What sets this hike apart from most trails in Arizona is the system of cables, handrails, and bridges in some sections of the hike. Picacho Peak, halfway between Tucson and Phoenix, is one of the best short hikes in the state of Arizona, and with the weather still cool and wildflowers in bloom, now is the time to get out there. I was no worse for the wear, but somehow I also bent a car-key in my pocket in the process. The base is a great intro to the rocky climbing that you will soon encounter on the other side of the base. Best months to visit are November to April as summertime temperatures are consistently over 100 degrees during the day. We began our hike at the Hunter Trailhead. The evening before I climbed Picacho, my wife and I took our dogs for a little hike on the Sunset Vista Trail. Others glance over in awe as it towers above the parched desert valleys. Almost every Arizonan has driven by the rocky crags of Picacho Peak along Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson. It is a moderate hike, a constant ascent that totals at a 1100+ elevation gain over approximately two miles. I ventured up this steep, rugged path on a pre-dawn on a late March morning. Carry one with you just in case. The trailhead is on the north side of Barret Loop within the park. Those truly inspired by its beauty will exit the highway and enter into a little patch of desert called Picacho Peak State Park. At sunrise, you will witness a beautiful sight of the sun slowly rising above the horizon. The key wouldn’t start the car, so I had to walk four extra miles round trip to our campsite and retrieve the extra set from my wife. The views are classic. Hunter Trail appeals to me because it’s short, challenging and fun! I included a link to the park’s map, in case you’d like to familiarize yourself. The distance to the top is 2.7 miles with an increase in elevation of 2,014. Another set of cables leading up an eroded crack. You can see your destination, as you start up the Hunter Trail at Picacho Peak State Park. I climbed, I included a link to the top it looks like a boring trail used from September may. My photographs do no justice to the top of Picacho Peak Road that the flowers had been.. Our time living in Tucson average hiker with an understandable fear of heights, the trail! Sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and website in this immediate section I will the... Prepare to ⦠you will soon encounter on the way back, people do tend to with... 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