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MARICOPA TRAIL
Bulldog Canyon Trailhead to Pass
Mountain Trail
 |
| Granite outcroppings on Maricopa Trail |
Loop trails are fantastic
inventions. Hiking on one feels sort of like a following a
cinematographer filming a visually-rich sequence that ends where it
began. Arizona has some impressive hiking hoops. Revered for their
flowing, long lengths and community-unifying qualities, projects like
the Flagstaff Loop Trail (42 miles), Prescott Circle Trail (54.4
miles) and the grand dame of them all--Maricopa Trail-- act as the
glue for regional, non-motorized recreation systems. When complete
(target 2017), the Maricopa Trail will form a 310-mile loop around
Greater Phoenix, connecting parks, suburbia and surrounding cities.
The thrill of trekking on fresh dirt is rekindled each time a new
segment drifts into pristine tracts or provides an alternate path to
familiar hiking haunts. With the recent opening of a 1.4-mile section
in the East Valley, there's now another way to approach the popular
Pass Mountain (PM) Trail. Previously, access to PM was only though
Usery Mountain Regional Park or a lot off Meridian Road in Mesa. This new
western approach from Bulldog Canyon Trailhead will eventually tie in
with a yet-to-be-constructed corridor to the Granite Reef recreation
area near the Salt River. Volunteers are needed to complete the work
and you can sign up to be part of this historic effort by visiting the
Maricopa Trail + Park Foundation website: http://mctpf.org/.
The "Bulldog"
segment makes an easy, 300-foot ascent to the junction with 7.5-mile
PM Trail (not signed). Roughly 5.6 miles of the PM loop trail is on
the Tonto National Forest and there's no fee to hike on this scenic
section. However, if you cross into the part of the trail that's in
Usery Mountain Park, be prepared to pay the $2 per person fee (exact
change required). You can avoid the fee by heading left at the
junction. From here, its just under 2 miles to the saddle overlooking
a valley straddling the desert space between the Superstition and
Goldfield Mountains. This makes for a good turn around point for
those left their wallets at home or are not up to the 10.3-mile
circuit.
LENGTH: 1.4 miles one way (trailhead to
PM)
or 10.3 miles roundtrip with Pass
Mountain Loop
RATING: easy-difficult
ELEVATION: 2,010'- 2,340' (2,740' with
PM)
FEE: $2 per person if you enter the
park on foot. Exact change required.
GETTING THERE:
From Phoenix, go east on US60 to the
Ellsworth Road exit. Go north 8.2 miles north on Ellsworth (turns
into Usery Pass Rd.) to the trailhead corral on the right past
milepost 22 which is 1.6 miles north of the Usery Mountain Park
entrance.
Maricopa Trail:
Maricopa Trail + Park
Foundation:
MORE PHOTOS:
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