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Coronado Hiking Trails |
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Crest Trail #103
(Miller Peak #105, Bond Spring #113, Pat Scott Peak #114 & Ramsey
Peak #118)
From its southern trailhead at the top of Montezuma Pass,
to the northern Forest boundary at the edge of the Fort
Huachuca Military Reservation, this skywalking pathway provides access
to the highest ridges
and some of the most outstanding features of the Huachuca
Range.
Since the Crest Trail forms the backbone of the trail
network that crisscrosses these mountains, one would
not be far off the mark
in saying that all trails lead to it. This important
connector also serves as the prime access to a number
of spurs which lead to points of special
interest such as the summits of Miller Peak (9,466'),
Ramsey Peak (8,730'), and Pat Scott Peak (8,800').
Another spur leads to Bond Spring.
Views are marvelous all along the Crest. On a clear
day you can see all the major mountain ranges of
southeastern Arizona, including
the Chiricahuas, the Santa Catalinas and the Pinaleños–home
of Mt. Graham. Portions of the trail also offer views of
the broad grasslands of the San Rafael Valley to the west and the Sierra
Madre Mountains in
Mexico.
Because the Crest Trail offers such a number of different
access possibilities, Forest visitors frequently
use part of it to complete loop trips incorporating
two or more other trails.
Loops that include
portions of this trail are most easily made via
the Carr Peak #107, Hamburg #122 and Comfort Springs
#109 trails or the Oversite Canyon #112 and
Ida Canyon #110 trails. If you’re willing to set up a shuttle,
you can put together just about any combination you choose.
This trail passes through a variety of habitats
from desert grassland to mixed conifer; however,
much of the area has been burned
in wildfires, both human-caused and natural.
As you might expect of a mountaintop trail, it also has
its share of switchbacks and steep grades.
Portions cling to rocky outcrops where the way
had to
be dynamited, and others wander across almost
level areas.
Attractions:
Top of the mountain trail
Many different accesses
Biological diversity
Season: Spring, summer, fall
Length: 11 miles (#103), 0.5 mile (#105 & #113), World class views
0.3 mile (#114), 1 mile (#118)
Elevation: 6,550'- 9,050'
Rating: More difficult (#103, #105, #113, #114), Arizona Trail segment
Most difficult (#118)
Use: Light
USGS Map(s): Montezuma Pass, Miller Peak
Access: Drive south 13 miles out of Sierra
Vista on AZ Highway 92 to the Coronado
Memorial Road (FR 61). Turn right
(south)
and continue 8.2 miles through the
Coronado National Memorial to the top of Montezuma Pass.
The trailhead is across the road from the parking lot.
Notes:
10.6 miles of the Crest Trail and all its
spur trails are in the Miller
Peak Wilderness.
Motorized and mechanized vehicles and
equipment, including mountain
bikes, are not permitted in Wilderness.
See the Wilderness section
of this guide for more
wilderness rules and ethics.
Before visiting this trail, call the Sierra Vista
Ranger District for current trail conditions
which can vary with
season, weather
and maintenance
status.
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