Posts
HUTCH
MOUNTAIN-GOOSEBERRY SPRING
Coconino
National Forest
A quiet little place with a surprisingly in-your-face outdoor
experience, the Hutch Mountain trail showcases amazing views of
Northern Arizona’s plateau country. This adventure consists of two
parts: the visit to the tower and the trail hike. To find the trail,
start at the gate near the parking area and hike up the dirt road for
.12 mile to a point where the road swerves sharply to the right. From
here, you’ll see the unmarked trail heading downhill. Along the
trail, big views of Anderson Mesa dominate the first half-mile before
the steep, narrow path dips into a shadowy canyon embellished with
rich red earth and bold green swaths undergrowth splattered with
blood-red berries and lemony daisies. The path ends at Gooseberry
Springs campsite---a grassy depression in an airy mountain valley
where there’s a spring that flows nearly year-round. To visit the
tower, hike back up the trail to the main road, go left and continue
uphill. Built in 1936, the 31-foot-tall tower hovers over a blanket
of close-knit forests of fir, spruce and pine trees that melt into
Northern Arizona’s volcanic highlands.
LENGTH:
4 miles roundtrip RATING:
moderate ELEVATION:
8,535 – 8,000 feet DRIVING
DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX:
180 miles one-way GETTING
THERE:
From Phoenix, go north on I-17 to exit 339, Lake Mary Road (FR3). Go
33 miles south on Lake Mary Road to Forest Road 135 near milepost
311. Go 2.6 miles on FR 135, bear left at an unsigned junction and
then left again onto Forest Road 135B. Go 2 miles on FR 135B to the
parking area where an access gate sometimes bars vehicles from
driving to the tower. No worries, though. Hikers can continue beyond
the gate on foot. A high clearance vehicle is required. INFORMATION:
Flagstaff Ranger District, Coconino National Forest: (928) 526-0866
 |
No comments:
Post a Comment