SKUNK CANYON

SKUNK CANYON

Flagstaff

Although popular with mountain bikers, this trail has yet to ignite in the hiking community.  Why?  Well, for one, it doesn't generate a lot of buzz on the web.  In fact, I only stumbled upon it while perusing the Emmit Barks Cartography “Flagstaff Trails Map”. There it was, a lonely red line in section D4.

Squeezed into near obscurity by it's proximity to popular Sandy's Canyon and the Walnut Canyon Passage of the Arizona Trail (AZT),  this closed road/footpath , offers an under-the-radar trek through sun-drenched meadows and a shady slot canyon .  From the trailhead, head out into a wide field following a double track Jeep route that's now off limits to motorized travel.  After roughly 0.25-mile, the track meets a cross road.  Here, turn right and walk toward a tall white pole with a solar panel (no idea what this is) about 0.1 mile up the canyon and let the summer wildflower frenzy begin. When I visited here on August 27^th, patches of shoulder-high sunflowers clogged the path.  Lupine, primrose, vetch, fleabane, and countless other blooming plants formed  fragrant carpets of color.  Near the 2-mile point, the trail dips into a narrow, damp  ravine hemmed in by moss-embellished limestone escarpments with shallow caves and thick coniferous woodlands.  Along this brief fir-shaded segment, displays of mushrooms, berries and sparking crystals embedded in trailside boulders make for interesting “stop-and-see” moments.  Once through the dark forest, the path emerges onto yet another open meadow and continues a short distance  to the unsigned “Y” junction with the Arizona Trail.  From here, the hike can be extended by heading either left (north-ish) to connect with the Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS) or, better yet, go right another 1.8 miles to Fisher Point, a scenic overlook above Sandy's Canyon. 

LENGTH:  5.2  miles roundtrip (8.8 miles roundtrip  to Fisher Point)

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 6,720' – 6,920' (7,033' to Fisher Point)

DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 149 miles one way
BEST SEASON: May - October (Aug-Sept for wildflowers)

FACILITIES:  none

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, go north on I-17 to exit 339, Lake Mary Road (Forest Road 3) located  just south of the I-40/I-17 interchange in Flagstaff.  From the bottom of the off ramp (across from a Circle K), turn right and go 2.1 miles south on  Lake Mary Road to S J Diamond Road on the left.  Follow this good dirt road roughly 0.2 mile to the end where there's a small parking area and gate.  Generic forest service and game & fish signs are posted, but nothing indicating “Skunk Canyon”--no worries though, you're in the right place.

INFO:
Emmit Barks Cartography, "Flagstaff Trails Map" (best resource for this trail)
Although there's no comprehensive online resource for this trail (except this one),  these sites are helpful:

Walnut Canyon Passage of Arizona Trail:

http://www.aztrail.org/passages/pass_31.html

Flagstaff Urban Trails System:

http://flagstaff.az.gov/index.aspx?nid=1379

MORE PHOTOS:

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BUTTERFLY TRAIL

BUTTERFLY TRAIL

Santa Catalina Mountains

Five thousand feet below the Butterfly Trail #16, the San Pedro River drifts in placid meanders through a hazy desert basin separating southeastern Arizona’s Santa Catalina and Galiuro Mountain ranges. In addition to vertigo-inducing views, this trail offers a lot of variety in terms of bio diversity and interesting side trips. From the upper trailhead, the hike begins as a pleasant stroll in the woods. For those looking for an easy outing, it’s best to start at this end and turn around before the trail begins its 2,000-foot dip down the mountain. Over its pitchy course, the trail passes through a medley of fir-pine, juniper, yucca, moist seep areas and fire damaged segments where charred stumps cling to sheer slopes. Near the midway point, the dribbling water of Novio Spring fosters an oasis of flowering shrubs, nodding columbines and the butterflies for which the trail is named. Below the spring, Novio Falls spews an intermittent veil of water over bare rock. There’s also an informal path (usually marked with red trail tape) leading to the wreckage of a 1957 F-86 plane crash located a half mile past the spring. Two trailheads access this route, so it can be hiked either as an out-and-back or in two-car exchange style.

LENGTH: 5.7 miles one-way

ELEVATION: 6,500 – 8,500 feet

RATING: moderate-difficult

DOG RATING: fair

KID FRIENDLY:  somewhat

DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 153 miles  one way

GETTING THERE:

UPPER BUTTERFLY TRAILHEAD:

From I10 in Tucson, take the Grant Road exit 256 and go 8.7 miles east to Tanque Verde Road. Turn left and continue 3.4 miles to Catalina Highway go left and drive uphill 22.5 miles to the trailhead on the right. Roads are 100% paved.

FACILITIES: restrooms

LOWER BIGELOW TRAILHEAD:

From I10 in Tucson, take the Grant Road exit 256 and go 8.7 miles east to Tanque Verde Road. Turn left and continue 3.4 miles to Catalina Highway go left and drive uphill 19.5 miles to the Lower Bigelow trailhead on the right. Roads are 100% paved. FACILITIES: restrooms, water

FEE: $5 Catalina Highway daily fee per vehicle

INFO: Santa Catalina Ranger District, Coronado National Forest, (520) 749-8700

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/forest/recreation/trails/butterfly.shtml

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