SIXSHOOTER CANYON

SIXSHOOTER CANYON Pinal Mountains, Tonto  Of all the trails in the Pinals, this one (#197) is the toughest. The long, brutally steep route is strewn with obstacles--fallen trees, degrading slopes and derelict signage all contribute to the trail’s difficult rating. Along the way, remains of cabins, mines and a sawmill dot the woodlands adding a touch of history to this must-do Arizona trail. Access to the trail begins at the east side of the Icehouse CCC campground. BONUS SIDE TRIP: Pinal Peak From trail’s end, hike up to FR 651C, go left (southeast) and follow the dirt road past Upper Pinal campground to the 7,848 peak and highpoint of the range. IMPORTANT NOTE: Pinal trails are notoriously overgrown and rife with obstacles. In addition, directional signage is sparse, so hikers must have excellent map and route-finding skills in order to safely navigate these trails. A good map resource is the National Geographic Maps, Salt River Canyon, Tonto National Forest #853. INFORMATION: www.natgeomaps.com/ti_853 LENGTH: 12 miles roundtrip ELEVATION: 4,520 – 7,560 feet RATING: difficult BEST SEASONS: March -October (CAN GET WARM IN SUMMER) DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 95 miles one-way GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, take US 60 east to the town of Globe. Once in Globe, watch for the sign that says: “Besh-Ba-Gowah Ruins, Globe Ranger Station”. Leave the freeway here and follow the signs toward the ruins. After driving under the pedestrian overpass, and past the ruins, turn right on Icehouse Canyon Road (Forest Road 112) and go 4.2 miles to the Icehouse CCC campsite where there’s a hiker sign on the left that reads: “197, 192”. If the gate to the campsite is locked, just park in the pullouts along the road. INFORMATION: Globe Ranger District (928) 402-6200 http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/recreation/rogs/hikingtrail/grd/SixshooterTrail197.pdf

TELEPHONE TRAIL

TELEPHONE TRAIL Pinal Mountain, Tonto National Forest FIRE NOTE: As of July 22, 2010, the Mill 2 Fire was still impacting this area. Check with the ranger before heading out! The least traveled of the four major uphill routes in the Pinals, this one is not to be missed. Traversing both ridgelines with hazy views of the mines surrounding Globe-Miami and heavily-wooded ravines, trail #192 follows an underground telephone line supplying service to the summer cabins and communication towers on the peaks. The trail ends at the Sixshooter Canyon trail #197 junction where you can either return the way you came or instead follow 197 back to the trailhead—the distance is about the same. IMPORTANT NOTE: Pinal trails are notoriously overgrown and rife with obstacles. In addition, directional signage is sparse, so hikers must have excellent map and route-finding skills in order to safely navigate these trails. A good map resource is the National Geographic Maps, Salt River Canyon, Tonto National Forest #853. INFORMATION: www.natgeomaps.com/ti_853 LENGTH: 10 miles roundtrip ELEVATION: 4,520 – 6,720 feet RATING: difficult GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, take US 60 east to the town of Globe. Once in Globe, watch for the sign that says: “Besh-Ba-Gowah Ruins, Globe Ranger Station”. Leave the freeway here and follow the signs toward the ruins. After driving under the pedestrian overpass, and past the ruins, turn right on Icehouse Canyon Road (Forest Road 112) and go 4.2 miles to the Icehouse CCC campsite where there’s a hiker sign on the left that reads: “197, 192”. If the gate to the campsite is locked, just park in the pullouts along the road INFORMATION: Globe Ranger District (928) 402-6200, www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/recreation/rogs/hikingtrail/grd/TelephoneTrail192.pdf

KELLNER CANYON

KELLNER CANYON Pinal Mountains, Tonto National Forest
Relics of mining and logging operations, a cave, views of Globe-Miami and some of the grandest populations of manzanita shrubs anywhere are just a few of the many points of interest on this trail. HIKE DIRECTIONS: From the campsite, hike up Forest Road 112 to Telephone Trail #192 on the right. The sign is located about 20 feet uphill in a small dirt turnout along the road. Follow #192 for 0.2 miles to the signed junction for Icehouse Canyon #198. Head downhill to the right and pass through a cattle gate. From here, go right and steeply uphill to the wide road at the top of the hill where you will see a “road closed” sign. Don’t worry, it is not meant for hikers. Head left and follow the road for approximately 1.3 miles to the signed Kellner Canyon Trail #242 junction where there’s a collection of old water tanks. Veer right onto # 242 and hike 4.8 miles to trail’s end at Forest Road 651. LENGTH: 12 miles roundtrip ELEVATION: 4,520 – 7,160 feet RATING: difficult GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, take US 60 east to the town of Globe. Once in Globe, watch for the sign that says: “Besh-Ba-Gowah Ruins, Globe Ranger Station”. Leave the freeway here and follow the signs toward the ruins. After driving under the pedestrian overpass, and past the ruins, turn right on Icehouse Canyon Road (Forest Road 112) and go 4.2 miles to the Icehouse CCC campsite where there’s a hiker sign on the left that reads: “197, 192”. If the gate to the campsite is locked, just park in the pullouts along the road. INFORMATION: Globe Ranger District (928) 402-6200, www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/recreation/rogs/hikingtrail/grd/KellnerCanyonTrail242.pdf IMPORTANT NOTE: Pinal trails are notoriously overgrown and rife with obstacles. In addition, directional signage is sparse, so hikers must have excellent map and route-finding skills in order to safely navigate these trails. A good map resource is the National Geographic Maps, Salt River Canyon, Tonto National Forest #853. INFORMATION: www.natgeomaps.com/ti_853

ICEHOUSE CANYON

ICEHOUSE CANYON TRAIL Pinal Mountains, Globe
 It’s a bit tricky to stay on track, but with some attention to detail, hiking to the cool pockets of aspens and maples high on the slopes of the Pinal Mountains is an exhausting yet memorable adventure. From the trailhead, hike a short distance uphill along Forest Road 112 to the Telephone Trail on the right. Follow the Telephone Trail for two-tenths of a mile to the Icehouse Canyon Trail junction, hang a right and go downhill and through a dry wash. Next, pass through a cattle guard and continue up to the top of a rise. From there, go left and follow the road for a half-mile to a junction where there are spring-fed water troughs and salt licks for the domestic cattle (and black bears) that inhabit the area. Veer left and continue on the Icehouse Canyon Trail following the signs to FR 651 (7,560 feet), the turn around point for this hike. To visit Signal Peak (7,812 feet) and Pinal Peak (7,848 feet), continue up the road toward the radio towers and follow the signs. IMPORTANT NOTE: Pinal trails are notoriously overgrown and rife with obstacles. In addition, directional signage is sparse--so hikers must have excellent map and route-finding skills in order to safely navigate these trails. A good map resource is the National Geographic Maps, Salt River Canyon, Tonto National Forest #853. INFORMATION: www.natgeomaps.com/ti_853 LENGTH: 10 miles round trip ELEVATION: 4,520 – 7,560 feet RATING: difficult. BEST SEASONS: March - November (warm in summer) DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 95 miles one-way GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, take Highway 60 east to Globe. Once in Globe, follow the “Besh-Ba-Gowah Ruins, Globe Ranger Station” signs through downtown to Icehouse Canyon Road (FR 112). Turn right onto FR 112 and continue for 4.2 miles to the Icehouse CCC campsite which is indicated by a brown sign that says: “197, 192”. INFORMATION: (928) 402-6200, www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/recreation/rogs/hikingtrail/grd/IcehouseTrail198.pdf