HOPE CAMP TRAIL
Rincon Mountain
District, Saguaro National Park
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| Hope Camp |
The Hope Camp historic site sits
near the base of the Rincon Mountains wrapped in high desert grasslands, flood plains
and thorny vegetation. What remains of the
long-abandoned cattle-herding camp is a barbed wire addled spread of dusty
concrete troughs, corroded water tanks and a windmill that’s seen better days.
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| View of the Rincon Mountains from Hope Camp Trail |
This quiet pocket of relics and the trail that
leads to it is now part of the Saguaro National Park Rincon District outside of Tucson. The dilapited watering hole is the end cap of a remarkable trek and one of many
points of interest hikers will encounter on the Hope Camp Trail. From the Loma Alta trailhead that sits at the
edge of Tucson’s eastern suburbs, the route reveals its treasures at a leisurely,
constant pace beginning with a stroll on a wide dirt two-track popular with
equestrians and mountain bikers. The initial
scene is one of sparse vegetation and little shade, but as the trail begins its
descent into Rincon Valley, the landscape explodes with greenery. At the one-mile point, Deer Camp appears in a
depression off to the left. A collection
of rusty metal contraptions and crumbling troughs afflicted with the kind of
decay that intrigues rather than offends, sits below a creaky windmill.
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| Hope Camp windmill |
With half its blades missing and the others dangling
like loose teeth, the spider-like tower is a ghostly heirloom of a bygone era. The trail then enters a mesquite-shaded
stretch of washes and intermittent creeks before heading uphill to the hike’s biggest
ooo-ahh moment. A short climb reveals a sprawling valley backed by the pine-juniper
capped Rincon Mountains that rise to over 8000 feet.
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| Hope Camp Trail is within Saguaro National Park |
Clambering down from this highpoint vista, you’ll
pass among stands of enormous saguaros, cholla and ocotillo before connecting
with the Arizona Trail Passage 9 for the final half-mile walk to Hope Camp. An arch of wooden benches beneath a patch of mesquite
trees makes for a good place to take a break and explore the scrappy artifacts
that groan and clink in mountain-borne breezes.
The toppled blade wheel of the Hope Camp windmill rests bent and broken
at its base. Look up and you’ll notice a
famous name on the tail vane: F. Ronstadt. Federico Jose Maria Ronstadt arrived in Tucson
from Mexico as a teenager in 1882 and became a major contributor to the town’s pre-statehood
commerce and culture.
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| Deer Camp |
His business ventures in blacksmithing, wagon making,
hardware and pharmacy are legendary. If Tucson were to elect a “first family”, the
Ronstadts would be strong contenders. In addition to his business and civic acumen, Ronstadt’s
love of music led to the establishment of one of Tucson’s first orchestras--Club
Filarmonico Tucsonense. Best known among
the musical family members is Federico’s granddaughter, singer Linda Ronstadt.
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| Hope Camp relics |
Drenched in pioneer spirit, the Ronstadt family legacy is
a permanent part of Arizona history. Hope Camp; not so much. Who knows how long it will be before desert
sand, encroaching shrubs and consumption obscure the site from memory.
Beneath the windmill, tucked among rusty-nail planks and unidentifiable
tangled bits, a giant saguaro cactus skeleton trapped in the clutch of
encroaching tree branches stands frozen, arms to the sky as if locked in a contest
with its mechanical neighbor to see which can stay standing the longest.
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| Rincon Mountains |
LENGTH: 5.6
miles roundtrip
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION: 3,120
– 3,360 feet
GETTING THERE:
From Interstate
10 in Tucson, take the Speedway exit 257 and go 14.2 miles east to N. Freeman
Road. Turn right (south) on Freeman and
continue 3.5 miles to a stop sign. Veer left onto Old Spanish Trail and follow
the signs to the Saguaro National Park Rincon Visitor Center to purchase your $15 pass which is good for 7 days. (There are several pass options; visit the park website for details.)With pass in hand, circle back and continue 7 miles south on Old Spanish
Trail to S. Camino Loma Alta. Turn left (north) and go 2.5 miles to the
trailhead. The last half-mile is on
rough dirt passable by carefully-driven passenger cars. Dogs are not allowed.
INFO:
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